Llais Llafur

CARRY ON! The Socialist interpellation, cf the German Government may mean much or little. A considerable number of the deputies who are nominally under the leadership of Hear Haase are not Socialists in any real sense of the ward, and since the war began flome of them have outdone the Junkers in adulation of the Kaiser. Conse- quently the interpellation represents a view of only a section, of the Social DemoClratic deputies, albeit an in- fluential one, including men as able and honest as Kautsky, Bernstein, and Liebknoclit. An interpellation consists only of words, and inasmuch as the Reichstag is a debating society, with JlIO rea l governmental power, the in- dictment of the authorities is doomed to futility. Why has the Kaiser permitted the interpellation? Certainly not out of fear. If the Social Democrats repre- aented a. movement ominous to tihe authorities, they would have felt the weight of that iron hand, whose .severity they have known in the Ex- ceptional Laws, and in more recent manifestations of arbitraxy power. If mol, one of fear, there must be some other occult motive of the German Government in allowing Herr Lieb- knedlit and those of like mind to refer from the floor of the Reichstag to the desire for peace. It is no very hazard- ous gums to suggest that the German Government sincerely want peace, and it soon. They have good reasons for that do- sire. The p-erownt momont is the meridian of their military success, and when it passes there will be a chilly •evening—and darkness. For them inevitable prospect is decline in mili- tary and financial power: the mere flux of time means to the Allies new a.nd big armies, and immense piles of munitions. The desire of the Germans for pence now is like nofhing &o much as the medieval murderer seeking -sanctuary in a church., with too avengers hot-foot on has trail. They want to escape just retribution, their monstrous treatment of Belgium, their ravishmen of Serbia, their spoliation of Poland, their assagin thrust at France, and their diabolical outrages on land and sea. But vengeance be- longs to the Allies, and they wiU re- pay. In this country there is not-hir ig but a quiet stem, and inflexible resolve to carryon the war to a victorious con- clusion. Here and there a few cranks lift peevish voices in favour of an «arly peice. but they serve merely to -enjphasise that the prevailing opinion is to the contrary. To many persona in the Labour movement it will be a disappointment to read Mr Phi,lip Snowd^n'p contribution to the "fCerald," in which he indulges in nemrotic forebodings about future finance, and unequivocally expresses his disappointment at the nation's re- solve to continue the war. The wosst thing that could happen to the coun- try, and infinitely the worst thing that could happen to the Labour move- ment the world over, would be to play into the German hands by aooepfcicg any terms of peace which the Cvm-mans are likely to find palatable juøb now. ■"V It would make an era of big arma- menlts inevitable. States would argue, from German demonstration, that the one safe policy is that of huge armies. The 'lords and rulers of all lands' would say to themselves: "Even if you make mistakes like the Germans have made, you can only fail to reach your goal, but it vn, your goal, but it will be impossible to defeat you." Peace would only be an enormously costly armed truce, in I Nrh i Cl-t preparations would proceed for another world war. The British work- ing classes do not want that, and they will make every sacrifice to stave it off. Moreover a peace fairly favourable to the Germans would set the Junkers more firmly in the saddle than ever, for they would be acclaimed in Ger- many as the eroes who had kept the frontiers inviolable against a whole world of enemies. It wAs to secure some such result, that the Junkers brought a,bout this war. They were squeezed on the one side between the growing and wealthy capitalist. class, and on the other by an ominously powerful working class, and the war wa,g tihe only means whereby they might retrieve and enhance* theitr presitege and privileges. If Germany emerges from this wa.r undefeated, the German Socialists are doomed to futility for generations. Their organ- isation and influence will crumble as the Chartist movement did in this country in the 'forties. On the other band, the military defeat of Germany will emasculate the Junker caste, and give the Socialists a chance of winning I a, constitution. Bebel, a much wiser man than Mr Snowden, predicted that the German Socialists would never achieve fundamental reforms until Ger- man armies had been beaten in the field. The pulverising of France in the war of 1870 enabled the French demo- crats to destroy the tinsel, swaggering Empire of Napoleon III., and History will repeat itself in. a defeated Ger- many. From prudential and democratic mot.ives alone, then, it would be folly to regard seriously the German eagle's o'.umsy and comic endeavour to pote as the dove of peace. Whatever Mr Snowden and likemincJed persons may think and say, the British working- classes have their minds made up. Their motto is "Carry On!" We have got to beat the Germans, and we are going to do it. We are out for a definite victory. Nothing but rolling the Germans in mud and blood, in the way they have done Belgium, will meet the desire of the British workers, As one of the delegates to the last trade union congress remarked, the working classes are not puling paci- fists, but men and women with red- blood in their veins. They are out to give the biggest national bully in history the biggesec, hiding in history, j and they are going to do it, or break in the attempt. We have no fear of tihe latter a lternative. The dismal croakers and the suffling sentimental- ists in this country, and the wily in- triguers in enemy countries should dis- a.buse ther minds of the idea that the British workers can be frightened by financial bogies, or decoyed by deceit, into abandoning the task to which they have set their hand. We shall treat of peace only with a penitent or prostrate Germany.

THE CLEVELAND ELECTION. j THE CLEVELAND ELECTION. Mr. Horafio Bottomley, the patriot, has bc-en diverting hirnf-elf this week by maintaining ■'Wis' unity of the nation in Cleveland, where his comic opera candi- ■date, Mr.' Knight, ha6 hBén amusing some of <Ve electors, and disgusting many more. The gTlyamoe of the Bottomley I crowd is that they have only five and a half hours a in which to drink. infore- over, they want a "business government, presumably with Mr. Bottomley at its hea-d, althougli, since the British Empire j is not yet a-.b»l>Jtrupt concern, some fas- I tidioiH people would be inclined to look at Mr. Bottomry's claims. A feature of the election 'literature has been a cartoon from a forthcoming issue of a certain London weekly with which Mr Bottom- lcyis oonnected. Mr. Knight's election address was prittted from the same quar- ter, and some of the more intelligent electors were puzzled by the difference between the literary style of the election addrfcsa and' Mr. Knight's somewhat ragged platform English.

W. A. WILLIAMS, Phrenologist, can be consulted daily at the Victoria. Arcade (near the Market), Swansea

ONE FOR WATT. ONE FOR WATT. Mr- Lloyd George has the reputation of ¡ not forgetting his friends, and a House j of Commons cynic has been heard to de- I clare that ? is better to have been born J within a reasonable distance of Llanys- j tumdwy than in a. duoal mansion or in a Bulgravian square. Since the Ministry of Munitions was formed, quite a lot of Welshmen have found billets, of one kind I or another, and this fact lends point to an incident in the House this week. Dr. Addison, replying in grave and official manner to Air. Lief Jones, said that the number of employees at the Ministry of Munitions was more than three thousand and was growing daily. Up sprang Mr. j H. A. Watt, the Liberal M.P. for one of the Glasgow divisions, and he said "Can the hon. member say what is now the. population of Wales ?" The sally was greeted with laughter loud and long, in which the Welsh Members present hearti- ly joined. IS ^PNSCR,I>TI0N IMMINENT? Inquiries I have made in Labour quar- ters this week disclose a general expecta- tion tha.t Lord Derby's report on recruit- ing will be of such a nature as to make ¡I some measure of compulsion inevitable. Mr. J. H. Thomas's announcement this I week abouit Lord Derby being "fax from I' satisfied" wtas a straw showing which way the wind blows. The question now is how far the Government and the Trade [ Unions can agree regarding the form of I compulsion to be resorted to, and the I extent to which it is to be applied. Should the results of the Derby scheme not be satisfactory, the majority of the Trade Union leaders are prepared to ac- cept the consequences, and will imme- diately take counsel with the Government and their own followers regarding the next step. Probably a series of confer- ences will be held in London to discuss I the matter. IN THE BALKANS. I What is the position of the Anglo- French troops in the Balkans ? This is one of the most anxious questions that has perturbed the public mind since the out- break of the war. News that comes from Athens is very unreliable in normal times, and doubly so now, for some of the news- paper correspondents complain that their despa-tchea are practically re-written by the Greek censor. It would dissipate a cloud of depression if the Government were able, within the limits of secrecy necessarily imposed for the safety of the men, to take the public into its confi- dence. Disquiet of a serious nature on the same subject exists in France. M. Gustave Herve, in the "Guerre Socia.le" say a that unless something is done there will be an "Anglo-French Sedan" in the Balkans. But it is inconceivable that the authorities, English and French, are so lax as :\1. Herve thinks. WAR ASSURANCE LOSSES I Great concern is being felt in in- dustrial Life assurance circles at the problem ra-ijsed by the large number of policies that fall to be paid because of the deaths of soldiers and sailors. Now that the Territorials and Kitchen- ers Armies* are in the fighting line, the burden is notably more heavy than in the worst of our previous wars, which concerned only the old regulars, and a limited number of volunteers. Since the end of October the companies have paid over tl45,000 in respect of I 8,768 soldiers and sailors killed in the war. This brings, thear total claims to 737,735, for which £ 1,315,192 has been II paid. Possibly one result of the ab- normal condition of things will be to I bring life assurance within the scope of the National Insurance Act. I POSTAGE 2s. 6d. It is very ,annoying to have to pay, under the increased postal rates, 2d. on a bulky letter on which a forgetful friend (very often a female one) has placed only a penny stamp, but this trouble is light compared with what persons wlio are in a hurry to get t!h,eir leitters to America have to pay. There is a special box at the Ohaejf Post Office in King Edward Street I where urgent letters far the U.S. may be posted. Each letter must bear 2s.6d. worth of stamps in addi,tion to the ordinary postage. These letters are taken without delay to tfhe censor, and are included in the mails that leave Liverpool on the day following thlalt oJ postage. They thus reach their destination in the inimum I time, but 2s.6d. must be paid for the I privilege. POOR GAS I I The) gas supply in mpst London suhurbs is very poor, and I understand that the roa.son for this is tha-t the gas companies extract toluol and ben- aoil—two important elements in the [ manufacture of explosives—from the gas. In spite of the reduced illumin- ation of the streets the consumptiofn of gas is now greater than irt was at the corresponding period last year. This I surprising result is due to the in- creased use of gas for heating pur- poses on amount of the advantage in j labour-saving. Domestic servants are becoming more difficult to get on ac- count of the demand for women for munition work, and many households I have been able to reduce or abolish their staffs by the use* of gas instead of ooail fires. The consumption of gas j would have been greater still but for the impossibility of getting an ade- qual-a supply of gas stoves, the makers of which are now largeiy engaged in the war work. REVOLT AGAINST MRS. PANKHURST The Women's Socia.1 and Politic Union is a thoroughly Prussian insti- tut ion. Mrs. Paokhuret and Miss Christabel Pankhurst are the two Kaiserins in control, and from the in- j cept.ion of the Union anyone who dared question their sway has been summarily ejected. Mrs. D--p-d, Miss Billington, Mrs. Pethick Lawl rence, and many other persons with minds and opinions of their own, in- dludingmembers of the Pankhurst (family, have been expelled by the self-elected miffragette leaders. Re- volts have occurred from time to time, but none quite so formidable as, one of which a recent manifesto is the symbol. This manifesfto vigmwtisffy trounces Mrs. Pankhurst for" her autocratic, overbearing ways, de- mands a statement of the acoouruts of the Union, and calls on Miss Christa- bel Pankhurst, who is in Paris, to re- sign her position, or else "offer a clear explanation to the members of her continued absence from this country at a time when the services of all women of capacity and goodwill are so solely needed here. One piquant inci- dent in connection with the protest is that a woman who showed her dis- approval of Mrs. Pankhurst at a. W.S.P. U. meeting in the tJÍme- TTonoured suffragette way was arrested, imprisoned and released after a hunger Bùrike! Thus violent political methods boomerang those who pro- duce them. COST OF LIVING. Mr AsquitJh had a very chilling re- ception from the Labour delegates wfhom he addressed on the subject of working-class economy, and it was ob- vious that he was very ill at ease. There was a disposition to question his estimate of the increase in the cost of livinig, which he put at 30 per cent. He presumably got his figures from the Board of Trade. Even the most moderate trade unionists put it a H?tle higher, and there are those who say that it is very much under the mark. The general impression is that the increase in wages amount to about 20 per cent, for some three million people. It, would seem that the trade unionists have made a mistake in pressing for war bonuses, whereby a limited number benefit, instead of using their power to keep down prices, from which everybody would have gained. c CHRISTMAS FARE. I It is probable that the puiblic houses here will be closed on Christmas Day, and on Boxing Day, which is a Sun- day. If this were the only outlook, oixlinn.ry Londoners would not mind, hut there are worse privations ahead. Santa Claus will need a much deeper purse this year than usual if the child- ren are to be satisfied. Turkeys promise to be scarce a.nd dear, as the usual supplies from Austria and Tur- key wÜIl not be forthcoming. As for the Christmas pudding--tuet costs now Is. a lb., raisins, lOd. to lid., sultanas lid. to Is.3d., currants 5d. to 7 d., flour ls.4d. to ls6d. per 71bs, cooking eggs, 2s.4d. to 2s.6d. a dozen. One cookery expert advises housewives to reduce the quantity of eggs, to use treacle to make the pudding dark, to dispense with brandy, and to use applies and carrots to help out the dearer frui.t DRINK ON TROOP TRAINS. I The General Officer Commanding the London District has issued an order, forbidding soldiers to take alcoholic liquor into the t.rains in which they are travelling. Notices to this effect are prominently displayed a.t the rail- way stations in and round London, and the restriction is, no doubt, the result of the excessive drinking which some of our soldiers unfortunately as- sociate with the novelty and excite- monlt of war travel. A few excesses to the oont.rairy notwithstanding it is right to say tha-t our present armies are the soberest in the history of this or any other country. A FABIAN OFFICER. Mfr W. Stephen Sanders, secretary of tihe Fabian Society, has obtained a. commission in the Army. Mr Sanders, who was formerly an alderman of the London County Council, succeeded to tjhe secretaryship when Mr E. R. Pease, retired some two years ago. He has twice been an unsuccessful candidate for Parliament. Mr Sanders knows Germany well, and he is gener- ally regarded in the -Labour move- ment, as tihie leading British authority on German Social Democracy. Many of the Leaders of the Social Demo- cra,t.s are his personal friends, and doubtless one reason that weighed with Mr Sanders before enlistment was tha,t the viotory of the Allies would clear the pa.th of German Social Demo- cracy of the greatest obstacle it. has to faoe-the absolutism of the Kaiser. NAVVY POET'S ESCAPE. I Rifleman Patrick MacGill, the Navvy Poet, who was recently married narrowly escaped being buried alive during the battle of Loos. He was three days and three nights without rest. Then he took an opportunity | "that presented itself and wenrt to sleep on an old door that was lying in a building w(hich had ,hge11 badly battered by shell fire. When he awoke he found himself by the side of a grave where two men were being buri ed. There were two soldiers in change, and when MacGill began to stir one off them exclaimed, "Good God! is that you, Pat? We thought you were dead!" They had carried him out on the door, thinking him dead, and were on the point of burying him when he awake. MAURETANIA A HOSPITAL SHIP. The "Maurebania," the great Cunard liner, familiar to aJI visitors to Fish- guard, is now in use as a hospitaJ Bhi p. This fact is made known by an J Admiralty announcement (that the ship has been examinod at. Naples by the American, Danish, and Swiss' Consuls, wfho have jointly signed a declaration tjhat there were neitIDer combatants nor warlike stores on board her. Frob-I ably the inspection by neutral consuls was deemed advisabl e because the Germans have made repeated MI- nou/ncements that British hospital ships are used for warlike purpose. Ex- perience has taught us that such reck- less charges from the Germans usually precede one of those breaches of the laws of war that have made the name of tihe Huns execrated throughout the civilised world. As a liner the "Maurmacia" carries 2,300 passengers j and she must make a magnificent I vessel for Red Cross work. KHAKI ARMLETS. I It may be owing to the peculiar re- luotance of the Londoner to "wear his heart upon his sleeve," or to the fact tihat few married men ha.ve gone the length of attestation, but it is remark- able how few men are to be seen wear- ing the khaki armlet. In Flee-atreet this week I ha.ve seen less than a dozen. Not unlike in size to the mourn ing band sometimes worn on light suits the armlet is of a different sbade from the soldi ers' uniform, and the red crown is conspicuous. There has been a big rush of recruits this week, and it. would be bigger but for the fact that many young men of the middle class who axe anxious to join the Army hesitate because the separation allow- ance is not enough to pay the rents of their flats and houses, let alone to support their wives and children. SUNDAY LABOUR CONDEMNED One day's rest in seven, for muni- tion worker has received the hall- mark of the approval of the Com- mittee on the Health of Munition Workers. Most of the employers COTh- sulted by the Committee a,re opposed to Sunday Labour, and the reasons for thei,r disfavour are broadly classified under three hoaxis-- ft (a) Administrative. Supervision is difficult, and imposes a severe strain on the foreman. Yet deputies Are not easy to obtain. (b) Economic. Sunday labour meane high wages, often coupled with increased cost of running the works. Though attendance on Sun- day is generally good, it is not, for various reasons, always accompanied by a satisfactory individual output. Moreover, Sunday labour is fre- quently accompanied bv bad time- keeping on other days of the week. (c) ReligIOUS and Social. There is a considerable feeling that the sevenltih day as a period of rest is good for body and mind. The last^mentioned argument has been urged on employers by the trade unions for many years past. MR WILLIAM BRACE. I Among the newcomers to the Treasury Bench since the Coalition Government was formed none has made a better impression on the House of Commons than Mr William Brace, the able leader of the Welsh miners. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Home Office he is frequently called up to answer questions, and he does his work witfh wavitv and evi- dent eagerness to impart information. As politicians go Mr Brace is a young man, and the strides he has made during the nine years he has been in Parliament justify the hope of great things. He is the only ex-collier that has ever held responsible office in a British Government. MUNITION WORKERS' PAY. Some very tall stories are published in the newspapers about the pay re- ceived by munition workers, but no evidence is advanced in support of the details. A middle-class man who works at a certa,in munition factory assures me that as far as his observa- tion goes the statements in the news- papers are grotesque. "The highest wages padd to the most skilled men I work ranges from R4 to L6," he says, those who receive as much have to work in such a way that their future earning power is certain to be impaired. My respect for the British working-man is enormously enhanced by what. I have seen since I became a munfitfion worker. What beats me is the uncomplaining way with which he puts up with hardships that no other class in the community would tolerate. At my particular factory there was no place set apart for the workmen's meals, and not even a hook on which to hang one's jacket. If I were con- demned to manual work in a factory all my life, I tell ymi I should be an out-and-out rebel." THE CHEERY DEAN. I Gloomy Dean Inge ought to be a little leas gloomy thia week. for unto him a son is born. This is his fifth child, and Dr. Inge approaches that state of happi- nesa which is indicated by the saying, "Blessed is he who hath his Deanery full. In the early days of the war he was very lugubrious, intimated his belief that the wand of power ha.d been struck from the hands of the Empire. Later he pleasantly told the secretary of a society whose principles he disapproved of that he (the secretary not the Dean) ought to be put against a wall and shot, an expeditious and effective, if not alto- gether a Christian, way of ridding your- self of your opponents. Some time ago he was telling the Guild of Freemen of the City of London that "a man's best friend nowadays is generally his wife, and a woman's best friend her husband" —which is fairly isound sense-for a gloomy Dean.

SCARCITY OF BOTTLES. The wholesale price of whisky h8B increaeed, and one reason for ?it the abnormal shortage of bottles. As a result of tlhe restiic-tdon on the hours of sale of drink at public houses, the sales for home consumption have been greatly stimulated. There is a sharpened demand for bottles, and some whisky merchants aie offering good prices for bottles that do not come up to the normal standard in size and shape. The vendors of intoxicants are not alone in suffering from the shortage of bottles. Many patent medicine dealers have been forced to curtail their advertising because of the impossibility of getting the bottles necessary for the trade.

A story from the Front. Two soldiers after an enemy's merry-makers were making their way to their billets. They had to pass an inn where many exceedingly youthful subalterns were quartered. As tihey went by one of the men began to sing in a loud, raucous voice. "Shut up, can't yer!" sa.id his companion ifercely, "if yer make much more of that tthere d- row, you'll wake up our war babies."

+ THE ALLTWEN. & PONT4RDAWE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY. y Does our Society charge more for goods than outside + traders? Quality for Quality-emphatically NO. *;♦ —; ? Every trader must sell one or two commodities cheaper + £ than our Co-Operative Stores, but these are Lines," J and are generally well advertised. We have no lines. t v NOTE and consider carefully these fundamental V differences:— J (a) The private tradesman Is in business to make profit-the more V profit he makes, the more successful is he considered as a business A man. <? Our Society is in business to supply the needs of its members, and ♦X+♦ whatever profit is made, does not go into the pockets of the individual ? but is divided among the purchasing members (b) You never know what profit is made by the private trader. ? We publish a balance sheet every quarter, duly audited and signed! by a Public Auditor.. ? (c) You have no control whatsoever over the profits or the quality ?? A or purity of goods supplied by the private trader. ? If a member with us yon have absolute control over the whole 1:. i business of the Society through a Management Committee democrat!- X  cally elected and responsible to you as shareholder and purchaser. 1 ♦> Af A apply to any of our branches. y For terms of membership apply to any of our branches

ECHOES OF THE '94 STRIKE. INTERESTING REMINISCEN- CES OF MEMORABLE PRO- CESSION. HOW THE ALLTWEN COL. LIERS' BANNER WAS LOST. BY MR. W. E. MORGAN (Agent of the Western District of Miners) In all the obituary notices I have read of the late Mr. H. A. Chapman, of Swansea, references were made to an incident which happened during his term of office as Mayor of Swansea in 1894. It has axousea and refreshened my memory more than that of many because I hap- pened to be an actor in the drama, and perhaps more prominently active than any but a few who were present on that memorable day. The coalfield had been plunged into a strike through the hauliers' action, and without going into the merits or de- merits of the strike, let it suffice for me to relate the happenings of the day. It fell to my lot to organise the pro- cessions, drafting out routes, holding meetings, etc. Several similar processions had been conducted before. The arrange- ment on this date was to meet early on the Square, Alltwen, opposite St. John's Hall and Ilock Inn. This was necessary as the processionists would have to walk 10 miles at least before reaching the in- tended destination. All theso demonstrationa were conduct- ed on peaceful principles, and without any idea of disturbing the peace in any form. A large number congregated, and the Pontardawe Brass Band gave its ser- vices gratis on the occasion. Maxshalls, some of whom were mounted, had charge j and headed by a banner—the property of No. 8 Lodge, Primrose—everything went on without a hitch through Pontardawe, Clydach, and other villages. The proces- sion gained strength numerically as it traversed; miners from Glais, Skewen, and neighbourhood joining in. The route drafted was to march straight to Swansea, parade the principal streets, and hold a mass meeting at Victoria. Park (if acces- sible). We were greatly disappointed in tha.t respect. After passing Ynysforgan and when ap- proaching the Midland Hotel, Morriston, two or three gentlemen oanie to meet us, one of whom was Mr. Chapman. Ho did not attempt to stop the procession, which would naturally cause disturbance, but joined in the front rank with myself and comrades. During the march to the Cross, Morriston, he explained that if we proceeded to Swansea, a oonilict would happen between the Iniskilling Dragoons, Mounted Police, Vivian's Volunteer Corps, Hafod, and ottrselves; and he would hold us as leaders responsible for any breach of the peace that might be committed in forcing "the way. After a hurried consultation, and seeing a colli- sion inevitable, we agre to divert the prooession from the Cross towards Llan- ] samlet. When we replied the Midland Railway bridge, there was a sudden halt' in the rear, the crowd shouting that they had been misdirected and misled, and were going' towards Neath instead of Swansea. Here the procession got out of control, and orderr completely disappeared, and the whole body were so disgusted and ir- j ritated when told of the. presence of mili- tary, that a Tush was made through t-he lower streets towards the Duke llótXi1, fl1 a disorderly manner. Mr. Chapman was 8everelly questioned > M to who were responsible for the pre- sence of cavalry and volunteers, but he denied any knowledge of this, and dis- associated himself from those who brought them. The huge crowd, whichuntOO I to thousands by now, arrived at the open space before the Duke Hotel, and found things as stated by his worship- the streets in the narrow space full ofl cavalry, mounted police, and volunteers, numbering at lea-Bt 250; and a strong protest was made by the leaders against the infringments of the people's rights to the public highway. Some processionists were more daring, and closed with the military, who drove amongst the crowd, of which some were trampled, the brass instruments knocked about and greatly damaged, and great confusion followed. To proceed to Swan- sea, was out of the question, as the block- ade was impenetrable. In the melee, our banner was lost, and the Riot Act read. After a great deal of persuasion, the pro- cession dispersed, with damaged instru- ments, lost colours, and many bruised bodies (not of a serious character) but they were not discouraged. The question was asked who were re- sponsible for this dastardly act in bring- ing soldiers to Swansea—not to quell riotø- but to incite rebellion ? The question has not yet been aswered. It was not neces- sary to ask who brought the volunteers, as it was said that Lord Vivian (Sir Hussey Vivian) was present in command. By the way, there is danger even now looming on the horizon, that our own n&sh and blood may be used in trade con- flicts .but let us jiope nothing of such a character will happen. A remarkable incident happened dur- ing the melee. One of the Dragoons, more foolish than the others, rode further into the crowd. There were a few ex-Army men with ns, who had seen foreign ser- vice., and a tall young man of about 28 years of age, grasped the bridle of the Dragoon, and with a skilful twist over- threw horse and rider. No weapons of any kind were used. Many of thosa who took part on this memorable occasion, and who were true and staunch trade unionsts, are gone "beyond the Ve.il. The most notable werl- Tom Price and Roger H. Williams, who are amongst the departed, Zeph Ree8, T. W. Lewis, and others remain, all of Alltwen. Others were D. Hurhe3, D. Thomas, Dai Jones y sowdiwr, Ske- wen. After realising fully our position other processions were organised, and we had the experience of having the presence of cavalry again. As secretary I was directed to opea communication with Mr. Chapman, ask- ing him to surrender to its lawful owners the banner, but he declined, and con- tinued to do to the end. About two years ago I met him on two or three occasions, and the advent of the cavalry and losing the flag came under consideration. On no account would he restore it, stating that he prized the banner more than anything, and would xetn.in it, not for its intrinsic value, but as a relic of the time, and a memento of his term of office. "But I will do this," he added, "if the members desire, I will present them with a banner in satin, a facsimile of the old one, free." I did not convey his promise to the lodge, and con- sequently they are still without a banner. May he rest in peace. Those were truly exciting times. W. E. MORGAN, King Edward-road, Swansea. I

Mr. James Winstone & the Mertbyr Contest. To the Editor. Sir,—I have read the leading article which appeared in your issue of Dec. 4th with much interest, a,nd I really be- lieve you mean well, but when you aug- gegt that I should fight the Merthyr Borough jointly with Mr. Stanton, 'you go much too far, arid suggest a course to which I would never be a party. Until Stanton withdraws unconditionally the foul, lying charges made against- me, you may count on me to take what course and what platform I think de- sirable to bring about his defeat. The* following are samples of his statements "The brutal butchers in Berlin, and. the vengeful villains in Vienna desire- Winstone to win. A vote for Win- stane is a vote for Germany," etc. Perhaps you are not award of his sup- porters. Here are the names of a few r Mr. Victar Fischer who, I am told, is an Austrian, and has changed his name y Mr. George Brown, an ex-Tory agent from foyidon,w with Mr. G. H. Bibbings —whom I am anxious to meet in the, flesh-thrown in. I have reason to believe that arrange- ments were made to fight Merthvr by the parties represented a bove before the- miners' ballot took place. Further, the Labour Party in Merthyr will have something bo say on the matter, which will not be to the interest of Mr Stanton. You perhaps do not know that I have my own boy in the fighting line since June last, and I want you to judge the effect of the above foul statements and suggestions on any parent. No; Stanton haa gone to hia idols; let him alone. I amj yours respectfully, JAS. WINSTONE.