Pioneer

Macdonald's Coming Visit I Ouit Comrade Geo. Richards, and those asso- ciated with him in the organisation of the meet- ing which is to be addressed by J. R. Macdonald, M.P., at Mountain Ash, on Sunday, April 7th, the Sunday following the Easter Conference, are determined that a new record in the history of the movement's big meetings in these valleys shall be established. The whole of the Socialist forces in the three contiguous vallies are ex- pected to rally and pack that great hall that day, and we trust that the desire will be fully realised. Indeed, from the fervour with which the visit of Macdonald is being discussed amongst our members, we have little doubt as to the re- sult. But what we do want to impress upon all is that a demonstration that produces a crowd bigger and more enthusiastic than the national crowd that gathers from all parts on the occa- sion of a national eisteddfod cannot fail to pro- duce a marked result on the politicians in power. The measure of support attendant upon Social- ist propaganda cannot but be reflected in the influence of that propaganda upon those who measure forces behind men and movements be- fore they decide upon their conduct. What we have got to do on the occasion of Macdonald's visit is to produce a crowd and a spirit that will permeate throughout the nation, and profoundly modify the attitude of certain people in West- minster. The task should be easy, and will he easy if we all decide to do our part. There is an old fable that tells of the decision of some old magi to attempt the solution of some ae- coustic problem by gathering the whole peoples of the earth together in their several localities on a specified day, so that they might all shout in international unison at a special moment, the sign for which would be given simultaneously the whole world over. The tremendous task of or- ganisation was accomplished, the peoples gather- ed, the sign was given, but everyone had deter- mined that rather than shout they would keep silent, so that they might listen to the huge volume of noise that the whole world shouting made. The consequence was that on the sign a little boy in Europe and an old woman in China were the only people to shout, and never before or since had the world been so silent as at that moment that was to produce the great- est noise the world had heard. The moral is so obvious that we have no intention of elucidating it.

A M(. Material Enquiry I OUR readers would last week notice the affec- tionate way in which D.O.R.A. spread wide her arms for the purpose of gathering to her bosom our Comrades Cook and Dolling and Maxwell, for their indiscretion in being unable to forget their Socialism during war time. It is not, of course, possible to comment upon any of these cases even if we were so desirous, which we are not seeing that we have no knowledge of the sentences which have brought them within the scope of those widespread net, of Regulation 42. But there is one little ornament in the applica- tion for a warrant in the case of Maxwell at Aberdare, that does not effect the case, and which has caused us to ask ourselves one or two questions. We refer to the comment of Mr. Powell to the effect that the county authorities were seeking some reason for the withdrawal of the prosecution against Dunnico on his apology; a course that was followed at the express instruc- tion of the Director of Pu bIie Preeutjons tele- phonically communicated during the hearing of the case recently. What we have asked our- selves is why the authorities should be concern- ing themselves in this case. We do not believe that it is for love of Dunnico. or for purposes of education that this concern is exercising it- self we know county representation too well to befool ourselves with those chimera. What seems more probable is that the fat men who patrioti- cally prate from the Benches of the county senate hall, and who sit as Justices of the Peace feel that they have been baulked of a victim, and they want to know why. We would suggest that a much more useful enquiry would concern itself over the admission of evidence of short- hand writers' transcripts as literal representa- tions of the words used by a speaker, when on his own admission, on oath, the shorthand writer is unable to take down the stenographic char- acters for two words out of every five uttered by the defendant, for that is what the admission of the constable in the Dunnico case amounts to, at its very best.

The Dunnico Defence Fund I A SPLENDID answer to these people ought to be made by Democracy—the same Democracy that cheered the Rev. Herbert Dunnico as he left the Court-and we can think of no better answer than by each of us taking an individual part in swelling the Defence Fund that the Aberdare I.L.P. has opened to defray the costs that the case has involved the Rev. Herbert Dunnioo in. It seems to us that there are two factors that the average newspaper reader is apt to overlook in these cases; the first is that the Rev. Herbert Dunnico and all who, like him, have been prose- cuted for platform work, are actually summoned as our mouthpieces. That their crime is not so much one of uttering the things attributed to them, as of vocalising our thoughts, and feelings and aspirations; and the second is a disposition to regard a collapsed or a won case as a trivial one from the point of view of the expense in- volved in the defenco. This is absolutely un- true. Very few of those cases can be defended under a three-figure expense, and no individual propagandist responsible for a tax such as this for the crime of uttering thoughts that we ex- pect him to utter should be called upon to bear that cost. It is equally impossible for a National Party, particularly the I.L.P., to make itself responsible as a Party for the financing of such cases; and the duty, therefore, devolves upon those who reside in the area of the prosecution to get their hands down and help the victim to meet the expenditure. We trust that all our readers will see to it that _aö rmaa toO cwpill fh4, fund. We are sure

Scalping the Priority Department DAMNING INDICTMENT OF EDGAR JONES' I DEPARTMENT. NATIONAL NEWS DEMANDS AN I ENQUIRY. I There was. a telling criticism of the Priority Department in last Sunday's issue of The Na- tional News," in which our readers are likely to be interested for other reasons that itf; head is Mr. Edgar Jones. M.P., for Merthyr. The writer said PERMITS FOR THE ASKING. I In the industrial world the muddle of the Priority Department has become a byword. It is said—we know not with what amount of truth —that though a conscientious applicant has great difficulty in obtaining a priority permit, less scrupulous people seem to be able to obtain permits quite easily. This may be due to the fact that the Department is so organised as to invite evasions, and that branches are so little co-ordinated that one branch may grant a per- mit which another would refuse. We could give some instances of this, but we content ourselves for the moment with merely publishing the statement, so that its truth or otherwise may be ascertained. The principles of administration do not seem to be understood in this Department, where their absence is cunningly camouflaged by con- stant changes in working arrangements and schemes of control calculated to keep off criti- cism by mystifying high officials as well as busi- ness men. "Recently the Department was reorganised, but the change seems to have been from bad to worse, and to have proceeded upon the plan of lighting one fire to put another out. However this may 1)0, the fact remains to which we have already given prominence; in our columns, that seven or eight important officials of the Depart- ment have cut their connection with it." LOST CONFIDENCE. "It seems to have been at length borne in upon the Government that the Priority Depart- ment has failed properly and efficiently to dis- charge its functions, for we learn that a War Cabinet Priority Committee has now been set up, under the chairmanship of General Smuts, and that it deckles the relative urgency of war requirements. Further, the Advisory Commit- tee. whose duty it was to advise the Priority De- partment as to industrial needs, has been trans- ferred to the jurisdiction of the War Cabinet Committee. and has been given executive powers previously belonging to the Priority Depart- ment. Again, the control of the use and distribu- tion of some metals ap|K>ars now to be exercised by other Departments..Kor instance, when the Ministry of Munitions recently extended its control to tin, this control waR entrusted to the Controller of the N on-Ferrous Metals Depart- ment, and not to the Priority Department. Tims it would appear that the Ministry of Munitions has lost confidence in its Priority Department, and apparently the Admiralty never had any, for last year it established-a Priority and Materials Department, with a separate Controller, of its own. I CALL FOR AN ENQUIRY. I We believe we have given sufficient facts to establish clearly that the Priority Department is an absolute failure, and that its end should be immediately decreed, and that, further, an independent inquiry should be held into its past working. We protest against the proposal which ap- pears to be now in conteniplation-to transfer this Department to the War Cabinet Committee. This cannot make for efifciency. The present Priority Department, should be dropped com- pletely. Its incompetent bungling should he set aside, and if it be found necessary to set up a really efficient branch of the War Cabinet Com- mittee, let it he done independently, and placed in the charge of an official of lecognised adminis- trative ability. "Finally, we believe the disclosures we have made should be ventilated in Parliament, not. with any desire for vindictive courses towards those who are responsible for so much misman- agement and failure, but. with a view to pre- venting similar occurrences at the present serious stage of the war." VOLUNTEERS NO GOOD. Dealing at an earlier stage with the jjersonnel and management of the department, the writer says: Mr. Edgar Jones. M.P., who has been lately knighted—and who probably judged by some of the standards by which these honours are offered, has well earned his ]in I glitliood-- an ex-school teacher. This is no reflection upon his character or intellect, although ordinarily one is. not inclined to look upon a school teacher as being exactly the best business brain in the world. Other officials included an Oxford DOll. a Peer, a Privy Councillor, an ex-Colonial ad- ministrator, a bank director, a retired merchant, and several public school boys. Tim story also is told that the Priority De- partment contained a poet, who exercised impor- tant powers of control over electrical machinery. There was a sweet manufacturer, who dealt with ships' requisites and repairs a linen draper, who controlled steel manufactures; and a parson, who held sway over ironmongery and miscel- laneous other matters. "Now we do not for a moment question that all these were exceedingly well-intentioned per- sonages, and that they deserve all the honour due to those who volunteer their services and seek to help the nation along to the best of their ability. It is no fault of theirs that they were placed in unsuitable situations; rather are they to be commiserated with in their difficulties. Those who should be blamed are the officials who were responsible for the creation of the office, and who did not take steps to see that it was properly and scientifically staffed, and that its various activities were properly co-ordinated."

SWANSEA DEVOTES 935 TO ENTERPRISE. At a. meeting of the Swansea Parks Committee it was decided to breed rabbits in one of the parks, and £ 35 was voted for the purchase of Dutch, Flemish, and Belgian rabbits and the erection of hutches and warrens. In this connection it is noteworthy that the cotes on Cyfartha Park, Merthyr, which have previously teemed with fancy rabbit, and fowl life, are now deserted except for a couple of pigeons, and one fancy fowl of beautiful colour- ing.

RAILWAYMEN'S CANDIDATES. I At the Executive Committee of the National Union of RaUwaymen on Saturday the result of the ballot for railwaymen's candidates, addi- tional to those already in Parliament, was de- I.. -1 -I "0

Miners' Ballot MAJORITY AGAINST "COMB-OUT" IN SOUTH WALES. The official returns as to the result, of the "comb-out" ballot in the South Wales Coal- field were issued on Monday. Submitted to the ballot were the following questions: I.-Sliall the M.F.G.B. agree to the witb- drawal of 50.000 men from the mines for mili- tary serviceY 2.—If so, shall the Federation machinery be used for the purpose of finding the required number ? The results were — Question 1. Against 60,870 For 59,2.56 Majority Against 1,614 Question 2. Against 55,988 For 47,181

East Glamorgan Conference of Welsh Societies DEMOCRATIC SPEECH BY MR. E. T. JOHN, M.P. A TILT WITH PRINCIPAL GRIFFITHS. A well attended conference was held on Satur- day afternoon at. Shiloh, Merthyr. of delegates of the East Glamorgan and Monmouthshire branches of the National Union of Welsh Socie- ties, and in the evening there was a public meeting at the same place, presided over by Councillor John Jones, Treharris. On this occasion a remarkable speech of long duration was delivered by Mr. E. T. John, M.P., who referred at the outset to an array of nota- bilities who had been connected with the history of the district. INFINITE HONOUR. Merthyr (lid itself infinite honour when in 1868 it returned to Parliament Henry Richard -(applausp),-the strenuous advocate of inter- national arbitration. Had his counsels prevailed, the disastrous international conflict of today would obviously have not arisen. Merthyr similarly gave undeniable evidence of its. sym- pathy with democratic ideals in returning the outspoken Scottish Socialist, )1r. Keir Hardie, who, after all, represented the doctrines of the distinguished Welshman, Robert Owen. of New- town. (Hear, hear.) PAINFUL CONTRASTS." The lion, member alluded to the apprehension that seemed to exist in South Wales owing to the demand that a more adequate place should he in the educational system of Wales to the Welsh language, in which connection he made references to Principal Griffiths. English scientists, lie said, were ever in violent revolt against the prominence given to Latin and Greek, but it was scarcely conceivable that any- one a lIlongst dIem would base an admission that the study of English literature offered oppor- tunities for research and achievement upon knowledge obtained at second hand. Principal Griffiths' attitude and practice was in painful contrast to that of one Anthony Bacon, M.P. for Aylesbury, who came to Merthyr Tydfil in 1763. This English ironmaster and politician learnt both to read and speak Welsh, interesting him- self greatly in Welsli literature, and in recogni- tion of that interest was presented with a rare copy of the Welsh classic. Y Gododin." The contrast between the broad-m indedness of An- thony Haeon and Lady Charlotte Guest with the unredeemed Philistinism of Principal Griffiths' attitude was most striking. The latter, un- happily only illustrated too forcibly the limited outlook and cramped spirit of eminent scientists. It was impossible not to contrast the admitted nescience of the Principal in matters of Celtic studies with the testimonies of other dis- tinguished men continental and English. He gave quotations from the expressed opinions of Albert Sehultz in 1840, Kenan in 1859, Henry Morley (who declared that but for early fre- quent and various contact with the Celtic race Germanic England could not, have produced a Shakespeare), and Mat-hew Arnold. WELSH AS A BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING. The truth was that without an intimate know- ledge of the Celtic nation, their history and literature, it was impossible not only to under- stand the Welsh people, but equally the Eng- lish people of to-day. It was a profound error to sup]x>se that t hose wlio the valtie of Celtic studies were moved by prejudice or narrowness of outlook. (Hear, hear.) It was precisely the reverse, for their opponents seemed quite unable to believe that any possible good (?o,ti l ( i fi-oiii t l te N could come from the Nazareth of Cymric and Celtic literature. They believed that the high- est interest of the Welshman was to be expedi- tiously transformed into an undiluted inglo- Saxon, loftily despising all other nations, his own in particular. ASPIRATIONS. It was not surprising that South Wales should so intensely wish for the appointment of a prin- cipal of its University College who would be in real. loving and profound sympathy with the literature and ideals of Wales, able to realise its protracted history, its illuminating steadfast- ness, its unquestioned genius illuminating the nations throughout. the ages—one who would ap- preciate the privilege of national leadership in education and learning, a position so well within the reach of the principal of the University Col- lege of a City which so fervently aspired to be regarded as the Metropolis of Wales; a func- tion so fundamentally different from the head- ship of a Yorkshire College. PRINCIPLE OF NATIONALITY. 1 There was no need to apologise to-day for the I most ardent devotion to the principle of nation- ality, for however overcast the future of Europe might be, it remained perfectly certain that an abiding peace could not be. established upon any basis other than that of the independence and equality of nations, large and small. (Applause.) The downfall of the Russian Empire w is no calamity to humanity, excepting in so far as it temporarily strengthened the power of Germany, but the end was not yet. Although genetmals proved impotent and statesmen utterly he- wildered, the democracies were moving. They were learning to appreciate their essent:al unity in spite of diversities of speech and disposition, ItnnnilTT +iharr noivioiVoil uri+Jl PnUfl.1 "&loam