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j THBSPIRIT OF THE PRESS
j THBSPIRIT OF THE PRESS 1 With A Little Socialist Seasoning, Robert Blateilford's Socialism. V ■■ O-t>«rt Biatchford's Socialism, j ??. B?tchford, fr whom there is a warm a "??*?'?y Socialist's heart, has had a letter, °°" letter bo calls it, but Polish or °Qt It i S presented him with the text for his ?"o?n? t ?a8e article in the current num ber of the Marion," Tlnie writer say, I have been for over thirty y he ?'iter say." I have been for OV0r thirty )ea Poaching; Socialism ? in and out of sea- ton l' But he ?s wrong. I have never preached ?Sn? ii. sni 'out of sM.son.' The Russian Social- '4ts, ?<? aome of our British Socialists have, on ise contrary, been doing ju?t that very foolish in dr{jp'¡:hem;]ble thing: they have been preach- ing SOCH\lism, ort; of sason: they have been tfy-  ¡ to establish Socialism during a war. "t?"L?? I be(me a Socialist I did Rot Mase tL '? human being. I am one or two things  & Socialist. For instance, 1 put Demo- ,titabove and before Socialism. We c&n be t 61' g9t nor k&ep Socialism until we have IMW 01^ My idea as a Socialist is Britain 'rr1he ???sh, not Britain fo? the I.L.P, Qr the f ?-t Union Congrees. th: ":Vh. idal of Democracy and Socialism and th ?ueal of the German people are OpposItes. tl,14" ??cces< of Germany in the world struggle i? "?. Make Democracy or Socialism impossible ijj 7?ritain and France and Russia. That being th().Io who value democracy or wish for S&f ?h?ni will be wise to concentrate thair efforts ?poll tIla defeat of the powers which would ren- ble." tb And that Li what be who taught most of us ttievalue of evidence, is now calling evidence. ?oll one i?c?a-d,, H. B. Suthers' saying in the sar"?ssua that (( enm if the (German) ,auto- ?y be compelled to yield to the demands for ? '?ocratic and Parliamentary Government it In I.not follow that the German people will im- 41?iate]N,- )e(,oiiie Ruch ? reasonable men that tiy ?ul be willing to accept the only terms of Dt,%Ce ?ceptablo to the Allies," and remembers ^ai f those terms are entirely alien to the spirit ? em°CTaoy,with their ?economic resolutions," 6Xatl0?ls and unjustifiable attempts to in- t»rfe*e the home politics of other people, °H# 19 inclined to cut the words he applies to tig ^respondent-. The Socialism of this par- ti 8h1l ? iot is a mere formula, something to 0out and wrangle over, an excuse for all ? all of spites and small avarices." T h  that the Gov- ?. J. H. Thomas, M.P., statea that the Gov- ilratilt has decided to relieve approved societies 5^ ?Payment of sickness and disablement bene- ? di?cliarged sailors and soldiers so far as it ? "mated to be attributable to war service. LW41 branches of the Railwaymen's Union  a»ked the St, Pancras Council to provide ?h?' ? kitchens to supply hot food at a nominal  the matter has now been referred to the lot '?ood Committee. The better way is to «1, instead @f »(,,• a proper Council call in hand. t}¡4.¿regs telegram from Melbourne states that Qle  o?se of Representatives is considering the *<ldV0°lUlasVe tax 011 mienlisted men. Sir John For- 1I1 ?8t Q)CPIiiiied that police and pnSOJl omclals, ?}"??e' imployee, clergymen, men all of ??S'ble brothers are on active service, and ? ?M ? ??ve been medically rejected, will not ? „ ??".? 'ed to pay the extra tax. The Govern- 41 Gilt believes that the proposal will stimulate 11 ThO old ?ame! Beate'n on'" the Conscription ?????' ?? money-bRgs will .till find govern- rA 4'atal means of ceercion that serve their pur- t?%* Onlv '1S! 6^ec^Telv thaa the .emplete 4et ??S?ss of the Bavarian Peasants' League, ??Ir" ) ? Munich, has protested against the recent ?'*Mlution of the Reichstag as indicating and the weakening of tha war spirit q the ,Qrmau nation. The congress adopted a infr Intl.on in favour of annexatioHs and demand- ?' N ? Jndemnity.  G-ei?iiinn Bavar i a ? PPa.i'entIy ?? peasants of German BaYaria ? ? susceptible to the soothing influence of working men orgamaatlons as our (};. ? so much easier to have a good club {?o? ''l ? along with your rady-made political C". ??t it i. not surprising to fin. theee to2te l iet,s At Boiei,- l.king at a conf?rene* of teachers at Bever- ft M. P aid that in 15 ?°?. James Yoxall, M.P., «a)d that in 15 ,0rS, tillie thertJ would be a famine in te&cheM. !f0 ^laintain the Humeri.al stRndani 30,000 be- enter the profession vaarly? bat Qli*"Gd there were not 12,000.
I The Electric Theatre.
I The Electric Theatre. £ lowins an excellent and attractive opening I the Electric from Monday to Wed- ?da?, T? session that gan us that great char-  P?y of June Capric. Caprice of the he?C??s "—we hare reached still higher l'etQ ?'?g.t? latter half of the week. The Barriscale in what I regard a! J th ?B bIs drama of the past six months b Triangle drama of the past six months "'illl'he L?l,t Act," constitutes a top-lmer that Will I 'VO ? ???' memories with "My Old Dutch," ? ?'?ozen other movel stars that are im- ortal *t is a powerful drama of the eternal tria.ll&l lfl this one that B?tsie i)6 playing in ?tb N ?" ??perb personality. It is a photo-play ??ot ?  only good, but which will also do Rfiod. :h ii ine Love comedy is a "rattler" ?"TTi ???"S Link," and if I could only be Dro eis,,ing -ll ??? in every picture house ?&ra,? ?'"?' I can always be of one in every r6ctrir»Pr°gTamme- I should regard the "legiti- as a F" run out of businMs. The ?l4rpl,, ^no" continues it? exciting eeurse, ??tha ? ??? a ??t enjoyable Jot of minor f- 4ild thora are a niont enjoy?lb]e 1()t of II) i nos. f"- ????'" programnies are also full of bi?il- ?PHt '?"?*. The top-liMr, "The B?&tM feature5 T4i-anl, K&ennan, whoae Mtr. i's ? BntIsh film crclQ8 to be one of ?e th!? ???t?st personal triumphs of the year. ? ?lav ? ?illiant crook who defæts the ^°lice eCfcl ves a head office detective, success- ftlll Y  as a Government agent, and finally l}Hy >)n[, aS ? Government agent, and nn&llv RVes bar-l? + ? S"? from whom it was stolen, ? fam? ?S?eton neckla.ce. The comedy "The ,attle <P T anot h er ii-io-,t-tallie d 3 ? another most-talked- R" featu ^5 and the supports are even better IIA  M h T risno 'Marthas Vengeance" tops the v*c°Qd k*ii P?Xr?me, ?. ert?w bMt _TV
.. -'''''-'- -"",,,- -,..-.…
-7 The Book of the War. r Undei, Fire," by Hen«i Baabasste. J. M, Beat and Sons, 3/- net. ] "Of the making of books," say# the preacher, "there is no end, and were he living to-day, that remark would also apply to the books about the war. Englishmen by the score have given us descriptive works about the inferno over yonder; historians and journal- ists have used the international imbroglio for pot-boiling purposes; our Pat McGill has' re- vealedome of the horrors, relieved here and there by his Irish humour and gaiety, but it has been left to a fellow countryman of Emile Zola to draw aside the veil and ruthlessly expose the hideous horrors of the whole hellish business. There is nothing fastidious about this work. As he tells us, he writes exactly what he sees and i,el,ite,.s--in the true form—what he hears there is no softening of effect anywhere. If you wish to rsad of the glories of war, of the soldier's am- bition for honour and glory on the. field of battle as the workers' children are taught in our ele- mentary schools, Sunday schools, and by the fighting parsons in the pulpit, you must read other historians. From Henri Barbusse you will get "living" pictures full of details- and hideous pictures they are. He does not hesi- tate in disclosing to us the filth, miserableness, fatigue, stench, lice, mud, blood-mess and other nameless and terrifying accompaniments of the slaughter-house in Northern France. The author, Henri Barbusse, volunteered in the early part of the war (he is over military age) as ambulance bearer, and this is his second book on the war. It is the story of a squad, and he gives us detailed pictures of the men in the trenches, at rest behind the firing line, in re- fuge stations, and, in fact, in all manner of situations, at all kinds of duties and all sorts of moods. Some time in the future we may have an artist to portray on canvas what M. Barbusse has so vividly described in print. What a con- trast it would oe to turn from Lady Butler's "Scotland for Ever" or "Floreat Etona to a representation in oils of the following, "They are waiting—some of them have waited long—to be taken back to the ceme- teries, after dark. We approach them slowly. They are close against each other, and each one indicates with arms or legs some different posture of stiffened agony. There are some with half-mouldv faces, the skin rusted and yellow with dark spots. Of several the faces are black as tar, the lipiO hugely distended— the heads of negroes blown out in goldbeater's .skin. Between two bodies, protruding uncer- tainly from one or the other, is a severed wrist, ending with a cluster of strings." What if our famous Welsh artist, Miss Mar- garet Lindsay Williams, had that for subject and dedicated the. picture to Lloyd George or Lord Derby! How often have the Blatchfords, Thompsons and Bottomleys of the gutter-press howled in fury (from their comfortable arm-chairs) at the inhuman methods and instruments of war of our enemies! What is the point of view of the men who are doing the, work and facing the danger. Their opinion is enlightening. They're unfair trich, tho," says Fa rfadet. "They're what? asks Barque jeeringly. Why, yes, they're dirty dodg&s, those gases "You make me tired," retorts Barque, "with your fair ways and your unfair ways. When 'ou've seen men squashed, cut in two, or divided from top to bottom, blown into showers by an ordinary shell, bellies turned in- side out and scattered anyhow, skulls forced bodily into the chest as if by a blow with a club, and in place of the head a bit of neck, oozing currant jam of brains all over the chest and back—you've seen that and yet you can say, "There are CLEAN ways! Barbusse throughout gives us the opinions of the fighting men and he has the happy knack of reproducing dialogue. You find little, if any, hero worship of the great French military chiefs. Bertrand, the Corporal, in speaking of how the future generations will regard the slaughter says, How will they regard these exploits which even we who perform them don't know whether one should compare them with Plutarch's and Corneille's heroes or with those of hooli- gans and apaches P As for all that, mind you, there is one figure that has risen above the war and will blaze with the beauty and strength of his courage- I listened, lean- ing on a stick and towards him, drinking in the voice that came in the twilight silence from the lips that so rarely spoke. He cried with a clear voice Liebkneclit! How the French censor, or more surprising still, the British censor allowed this book to be published is remarkable, especially after reading that veritable descent into boll which ehapter Barbusse calls "The Refug-e JI (chap. 21). After reading the first twenty-three chapters, recounting the daily routine and horror which the men in the trenches have to undergo, and which we cannot realise-,onlv those who have to 90 through it oan realise it; it is too awful— we come to the last chapter, fitly entitled The' Dawn," the outspoken pacifism of which is astonishing and is undoubtedly the finest traot written Oli the war. The aquad is out digging a new tveneh and gets into "No JUan'. Land" where the floods of water and mud add to the devastation caused by the hurricane of shells. In this bewildering circle of filth there are no bodies. But there, worse than a body, a solitary arm protrudes, bar-e and white 88 a stone, from a. hole which dimly shows on the other side of the water. I once used to think that the worst hell in wai- was the flam8 of shells and then for a lowg time I thought it was the suffocation of the caverns which eternally confine us. Burt is k neither of these. Hell is water. War is frightful and unnatural wotn-inetts, water up to the belly, mud and dung and in- famous filth. It is befouled faces and tattered flesh, it is the corpses that are no longer like corpses even, floating on the ravenous earth. It is that, that endless monotony of misery, broken by poignant tragedies; it is that, and not the bayonet glittering like silver, nor the bugle's chanticleer song: to the sitm.' Then the author wants to know who is r8- sponsible for it all. It's the pt-oplo who are war? Witheut them there would be nothing, nothing but stKltoe wrangling a loaag way off. But it isn't their who decicle on it; it's the Blasters who steer them." M. Barbusse finds the solu- tion, in fact, the only solution, in Equality. "The principle of the equal rights of every living being and the sacred will of the majority is in- fallible and must be invincible; all progress will be brought about by it, a force truly divine." Then he goes on to show how the financiers, the imperialists, the parsons, with their morphine of a Paradise after this life, the so-called historians of the glitter and pomp of the past are all the enemies of the working men, the oomDt811 peoplo quite as mush 4 tho Oomon-4 tro. The beok .ndt in A hopeful ati-ain: Between two masses of gloomy elond a tranquil gleam emerges; and that linio of lip:ht, loolack-edged and besot, brings even so its proof that the eiin is •there." That ending is more than mere de- scription. Is it not a prophecy p Everyone should make an effort 110 read Under Fire," especially those who are safe from the clutches of militarism, those old men who so patriotically lend their money while their sons are forced to give their blood. S.
I CORRESPONDENCE.
CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondents are requested to condense their letters as much as possible.
I -.THE HARDIE HALL..
THE HARDIE HALL. TO THE EDITOR. .Dear Sir,—At the meeting heldd the Rink to-day (Sunday), the chairman threw out th* sug.ghQn that a large hall should be erected &t a memorial to our late member—Keir Hardie. 1Although I am a Dowlais man, I am strongly of the opinion th|t a Keir Hardie Memorial Hail should be erectea at Merthyr, seeing that it is' more central, etc. Is it not possible to form a a committee from all parts of the borough to organise a scheme to fol,vr,m,),d tl)ti idea? How grand it would be if the I.L.P. had a hall of their own, a hall that would comfortably seat four or five thousand. There would' not oe any need then to fight the patriots (?) on our Coun- cil for a hall for meetings. Surely it can be done in a borough where I.L.P. speakers command ?audiences of 4,000. Let us ?pt together and 'I show our strength. Appeals for funds could be isent to the Socialistic press as well. The least we can do in memory of the Grand Old Man is to show to the country at large our appreciation of him. He fought at Westminster for the miners, D owl a is moulders, and steehvorkers. Surely we haven't forgotten the service he has rendered to the working-class in general. Hoping that a movement will shortly commence in con- nection with this scheme.—I remain, yours trulv, AN ADMIRER OF HARDIE.
! Technical versus Social…
Technical versus Social Science TO THE EDITOR, Sir,- Will you allow a belated oritieism ef the action of the Merthyr Trades Council in con- nection with the proposed Berry Technical In- stitute ? The Council, it is understood, has re- commended to its constituent lodges and branches that they find a certain quot? of the additional sum ne?dad to build and ?quip the -proposed institution. Now many readers of the Pioneer" feel that the Merthyr Trades Council in doing this is in danger of going out of the track of its pro- per functions. They feel that the provision of increased facilities for technical education is the work of "the fat man" and that the provision of education on independent working-class lines in social science is the right and proper work of the Trade. Union movement. It. is hardly necessary to emphasise that no opposition to improvements in technical science or under-valuation of their merits is advocated. Like the coming of the machine, the breaking down of craft divisions, and the entrance of women into industry, these advances are re- garded as an inevitable, natural development in capitalist production. For instance, if the Merthyr, Dowlais or British coal and iron mag- nates are too dull to provide the means by which the necessary staff of experts can be supplied, then some other firms, national or foreign, will by competition beat them into bankruptcy. Technical science is not adopted for the workers', but for profits' sake. Hero is a case in proof: The more enlightened and newer colliery com- panies erect washeries and by-product plant and engage mining chemists. Small and inferior coal i? of considerable vaJue and a new source of re- venue. But who reaps the benefit? Beyond his salary-a fancy name for wages—the chemist gets nothing. Here we can see distinctly the task of the miners union is not to increase the supply of mining chemists. It would only lower their salaries if it did. The miners' union rightly calls attention to waste of small coal and fights for payment for getting and filling it. While to logically follow the action of the Merthyr Trades Council, the S.W.M.F. should immediate- ly contribute to the upkeep of the Treforest School of Mining, or agitate. for improved even- ing schools from the Education Authority. It is natural that the parents of Merthyr and District should see in the proposal a chanee for their children to earn their living later in life, while wearing a clean collar and not a pair of Yorks." But let it not be forgotten that the wage of chemical and other experts i» Germany, thanks to a. large supply, is on a per with the wage of the unskilled worker. In our own country, the resul ts of easy entrance into the teaching profession liam been low wages. Econ- omic forces are, and will be, eontinually break- ing down all snobbish distinctions between the mental and the manual wage-worker. From a reCOflnition of eorumon exploitation will arise a feeling of unity whioh will make th. eontrol of industry in the future possible. To eoacentrate upon hastening and developing this unity be- tween the chemist, who fills test tubes, axd the tolliw. who fills drams, between the man, who wields the shunting" pole in the goods yard and ¡ siding, and the elerk who wields the pen in the railway 'omee,—this M the true work of a Trad es Council. How ean it do this? How can it, lay bare in a «cientiio fashion the facts af exploitation or learn how to most efficiently use the. unity time g.ilina. Only 'by working-class edueetion in social, not technical, science. It i. sctnetieue* argued that eueh technical colleges nsually contain University Socialists," and are the breeding-plaees of progress. Ex- eeptiens are quoted as if they disproved the rule. Moreover, this kinal of Socialism way arise from a, youthful desire to be w H C OH re n ti on al and may be discarded—like Mr. Boiaar Law's—when years of discretion and ltUiu ow-ear follow. The pwee of a job is a shut mouth. Again, to sweeeed in the study of technieal seienee, spe«ialisatio» is eompulsory this has a narrowing effect. The working collier, endeav- ouring; to win a, fil-At-Cia-A certificate, cannot also be aotive in his lodge. His time Í8 toe full to study Economies or Industrial History to an- able him to become more tham a pass-en^er trade wnion ist. We may be alse quite certain that if W figured prominently in the mass meeting or on the soapbox lie neweir w.uid in the Maanager'i eh air. To sum up: Capitalist in its mining, engineering and ether eaetiens, or as a whole through the State, will with, or without, Trade Union support, rapidly fiecolet-ate ad- vances in technieal science. Yet, while the pre- sent system of production obtains, these advances, will relatively worsen the position of the wage working-class. How then is a Trades Council justified in helping the employing class to in- I crease its profits Is it not, by increasing tech- nical efficiency, like the State Socialist in the past, Making easy the path, and supplying the needs, of State Capitalism—it< opponent ? Should it *e* rather amomtro-to and «peci»li»o 14 &d- veneing. study in the Social Seienee from which alone the workem will find the best way of bring- ing into being a system under which technical advance* will increase net the profits of a few but the pleasure of all? Through tlio columns of the Pioneer or in public debate, will the able secretary of the Merthyr Trades Council or any of his compeers take the affirmative side to the proposition: That a Trades Council as a part of the organised Labour Movement should financially support a technical institute ? Meanwhile, Mr. Editor, by your leave, I would like to extend to your readers a hearty invita- tion t. the classem in Social Science starting next week at Aberdare, Aberaman, Mountain Ash, Hirwain, Dowlais and Bedlinog. Yours eincerely, MAIUC MARR. [Mr. W. Harris has no tinit to conduct a newspaper dûate, but he is quite prepared to x&eet- Mr. Starr in public debate.—The Ed.1
I Rhymney Valley Notes.I
Rhymney Valley Notes. I Fod Contril Activity. I At the Bedwellty Food Control Committee, Councillor R. J. Jones referred to the eomplaints being made by the publie against the action of the butchers of the area in adding a charge of 1-d. per lb. to the aoct of the meat for delivery, and Councillor Evan Thomas produced a num- ber of meat bills, handed him by dissatisfied members of the publie. These bills simply stated the priee charged but did not record the weight given, so that eustomers were in no position to check the butcher. A section of the committee took a strong stand in favour of prosecution, but, eventually, on the advice of the elerk, it was decided to pass a resolution to the effect that all bills in future must record weight pur- veyed as well as price. It was understood that any future deviations from this eourse will be followed by prosecution. Mrs. O'Conner re- ported that she had oeen charged a price ex- ceeding the maximum for a. two pound pot of jam. A discussion ensued as to the advisability of appointing vigilance committees to detect these contraventions,. and ultimately it was de- cided that each member of the Committee should be empowered to appoint any person to make purchases with a view to prosecuting offending shop-keepers. The discussion was probably « gingered" by the statement made that trades- people were openly remarking that they would do allright with the Committee. The value of the Co-operative representative was clearly de- monstrated by his statement that during the past fortnight he had eare-fully eheeked the wholesale cost of meat and his takings, tfee re- sult showing a profit of 38 per eeRt" ar 2 per cent above the maximuiaa. U.D.C. Grumbles. The estimates for the eneuisg s ix months were provocative of some keen discussions at Tues- day's meeting of the Bedwellty Urban District Council. The increases in v- ages by an addi- tional sum of £300 brought forth several ques- tions on what work wa.s done for the money." Arising out of this complaints were made that the men employed in steam rollering the newly metalled roads- a contract job—did not turn up to time, and the general feeling expressed was that the work should be done by the yard in- stead of by the day, as at present. The sur- sto,q d of by the, ( I rty, veyor pointed out the difficulties of procuring metalling material. Trades Council Gleanings. I At its last meeting the Aberbargoed Trades and Labour Co incil decided to eonvene a joint nicetinsof the Aberbargoed and Blackwood Councils to taakle the question of food control and profiteering. Mr. Win. Harris (political or- ganiser) reported on his endeavours to organise the agricultural Workers and appealed for sup- port. which was readily granted. Mr. Harris is unquestionably awakening to a sense of class con- sciousness in the farm hands of Monmouthshire.
Theatre RoyaLI
Theatre RoyaL I The fame ol the really beautiful proctuetien of "Betty at the Royal this week is 10 uni- versal throughout, this and the contiguous val- leys, that I am not going to attempt to paint the lily, or gild the refined gold of its reception. I have seen Betty produced more than once, but only on this occasion with anything like the eare it deserved in one and all its parts. The principal s are superb, the supernumariee bril- liant, and the setting gorgeoiia, to use the super- latives of advertisement, but in a literal sense. Betty will be bad to follow, but Mr. Pea knew that, and he has selected the one thing that eould follow it, a,nd enhance its memory without detracting from the follower. Jake Friedman's sew revue, u The Dutch Hussars," that will open on Monday, Mn follow anything or anybody auvwbere because of its own intrin- sic worth. It is a revue with tt plot, and better even than that, with real music, done by a- sranfl operft choims. Revue girls an generally chosen for othM attractions than their Toie, bat the mveni At?lo-Duteh eomediaa wanted the Yoio?m too, and the whole eompany in Dutch Husear# is proud of his chorus of trained vocal- ists, who fere incidentally pretty as well. "The Dutch Hussars" hact the sparkle of champagne, and th. comfortable feeling of a. creme de Menthe a fter & good lunch. It is light, satis- hing, beautifully flavoured, end calculated to convince one of the certainty of the philosophy that knows thirt & tie best of all possible worlds. When I add thai amongst its distinguished per- formers »re Jake Friedmfln himself and clever Miss Flerenee Huston, I have garnished the dieh indeed. PLATGOJB. I
RHEUMATISM- KIDNEY TROUBLE,…
RHEUMATISM- KIDNEY TROUBLE, I Rheumatism is due to uric acid crystals in the joints and muscles, the result of excessive uric acid in the system that the kidneys failed to remove as nature intended, and this acid is to a great extent the cause of iaackftebe, lum- bago, sciatica, gouh, urinary trouble, stone, gravel and dropsy. The success of Estora Tablets for the treat- ment of rheumatism and other forms of kidney trouble is due to the fact that they restore the kidneys to healthy action, and thereby remove the cause of the trouble, and have cured num- berless cases after the failure of other remedies, which accounts for them superseding out-of-date medicines that are sold at a price beyond all but the wealthy. Women frequently suffer from ills, aches, and pains under the impression that they are victims of ailments common to their sex, but more often than not it is due to the kitlneys, and in such cases Estora Tablets will set them right! The test is at least worth making, as woman's happi- ness and success in life depends on her health. Estora Tablets fully warrant their description —an honest remedy at an honest price, 1/3 per box of 40 tablets, or six for 6/9, All Chemists or, postage free, from Estora Co.. 132. Charing Cross Road, London, W.C. Bargoed and Aberbargoed Agent-W. PARRY WILLIAMS, M.P.S.
Death of Comrade William NObS.
Death of Comrade William NObS. MERTHYR i.L.P.'S HEAVY LOSS. On Tuesday morning the Merthyr I.L.P. sns- tained a loss that it will never quite make good, by the death of Mr. Wm. Nobes, after a long, patiently and uncomplainingly borne illness. It is difficult to write an appreciation of Mr. Nobes' services to the Cause; for those services, like his friendship, was silent, deep and constant, One discovered them not through the advertise- ment of'their author, but by contact with him; by observation and what one discovered was but a tithe of the sum total of his unostentatious steadiness and efforts. That singular enthusiasm that characterises Socialism from all other movements, religious, ethical or economic, has produced a tendency in us to regard the flam- buoyance of self-adulation; and the mercurial demonstrations of egoistic rhetoricians as ocn- stituting utility in the units of our movement. Will Nobes never belonged to that section of our ranks. I never heard him beat the air with frothy words; I do not think that any single member of the I.L.P. could recall a solitary oc- casion on which our comrade deelaimen against anything publicly: and it would be still more difficult to find the man or woman who had heard any sharp words pass his lips about any- body. No, the thing that distinguished Will Nobes the characteristic that drew us to him by the steady clarity of in flame was his con- stancy, his absolute reliability and his sane sense -of responsibility and dig- nity, that made him as steady, and unyielding as a rock. His life did not alternate between violent ups and equally violent- downs, he was not as the s hallow waters stirred to turmoil by. every passing wind; he was rather as the deep, steadily flowing murmur- less stream that is and does. Strange though it may seem to those who did not know him well, T am instinctively drawn in thinking of him to visualise by his side, his leader and Master—Jas. Keir Hardie. The one the vocal protagonist; the St. John howled at alike by those who knew him not, as by those who knowing him feared him most, outstanding and outspoken, And that mystic link that indissolutely bound the two, was, I am inclined to say, their common manhood, not the commonalty of their manhood, for neither were of the stuff that we who consti- tute the ordinary inconstant weather-cocks of neen are. There was something ideal, something sublime about their incarnation of manhood,that did indeed lift it to a plane not lower than, but higher than the angels whose actions I have been fble to learn. They by their-great hearts, their srea-t sympathetic sense would have refused to «ing any Hosannalu to any King of earth or I *kies so long as their brothers and sisters j smouldered in th tire of that King's eternal hatred. It is only when we lose such that we Iruly access the loss that is our: that we bow our heads in a deep humility, and it is in con- trast with them that we feel the pettiness ef our own selves Our impatience by the side of their great all-enduring patience becomes a thing of littleness. We seem to see ourselves, our hopes, ambitions, bright periods of optimism' in 'vhich we range the skies, and our spells of- darkly dismal pessimism in which we scrape rhe- gutter as a sordid cony of the Man with ¡hI" Muck Rake." and if by our frailties we are still constrained to the old ways, we are still conscious in the memory of our friendships with men like Will Nobes that, despite our weak- nesses. and because there are men like him, steadily pushing forward. nndemonstr-atively evolving our movement.unostentatiously carrying the Red Flag that we are too often content to merely sing about, our cause must triumph. Will Nobes' name may never know a more public «hrine than the carving of his image and inscrip- tion on the hearts And memories of his friends his profile may never adorn the facade of the Pantheon of the Socialist- State of the future, but he has not lived in vain. He has left the world a little better than he found it, and it is such efforts as his that advance tlit world, and elevate the ideals, hopes and lives of its citizens. With his own private life I am not permitted to deal, but I can say that his home life was one of the few idylls of matrimony that I have seen. Because he was such a husband and such a father. Mrs. Nohee and her children will miss him the more. To her and hers the sympathy of the whole Socialist movement goes out. At ■ he T.L.P. meeting on Tuesday we all sensed our losa when we stood to give him our last salute of comradeship, and if our words were s low and few it was because we felt the inadequacy of lan- guage to express the depth of our feeling. The funeral takes place en Saturday.
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