Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

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" Renaissance."1

I Merthyr Trades Council and…

:Labour -Ministers and Ireland…

INo Cause for Panic.

I .Political Notes

Bertrand Russell's Appeal…

I .Political Notes

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Rhannu

brutality has consisted in the action of in- ducing the unfortunate native African commu- nity into the world war, and it has oeen aggra- vated by the failure to take any steps to defend the Liberian Republic against the. inevitable re- sult. I A QUESTION OF INTERPRETATION. In Hartshorn's Maesteg speech W~e(w>rt) one sentence stood out beyond the rest. (The rest was nothing but the silly ravings of a J.ack-in- office.) It was this The only coal- field in Great Britain wh ose KCt. had come back to consult its members on this comb-out question was South Wales, and it was only in South Wales that there was an unofficial Reform Committee." I interpret this to mean, rightly or wrongly (from his point of view), "The South Wales E.C. acts more democratically than the E.C. of any other coalfield in Great Britain. And yet with all our kindness and regard for the rank-and-file, you are still the most unruly. But your disobedience must and shall be stopped. All your efforts a.t independent action must be done to death.' You have 'leaders,* and those leaders must be obeyed without ques- tion." But the sentence quoted--has a deeper significance than that .which Hartshorn seems to regard it with. I submit that the South Wales E.C. eaire back to the rank-and-file for the very reason that they have been forced to re- cognise the birth of a new spirit in the South Wales coalfield, which has found expression in the activities of the linoffieial Reform Com- mittee THE COMING STRUGGLE. There is every indication of a bitter struggle in the ranks of the South Wales Miners' Federa- tion in the very near future. But it is not a struggle for or ag-ainst down tools," or any other question of a similar character. It is a struggle between autocratic domination and de- mocratic administration within the ranks of or- ganised labour. The leader stands for out- grown methods—remnants of the past. The Unofficial stands for new methods w here dic- tatorship shall be abolished—the hope of the future. It is, in other words, back to the past" veivus "on to tlic, fujt.ui-e"-a,-nd the future—the to be "—is asserting itself. The new movement, at present headed by the unintelligent torn-tits." has much larger pros- pects liefore it than the mere manufacturing of "intelligent," practical," "Labour leaders." That phase is passing. The work of the present is to break down the harriers of present-day constitutionalism which" leaders have erected between themselves and the rank-and-ifle. The Avork of the near future-which is fast trans- forming itself into present "—is to break down the whole system under which wage-slaves groan and sweat. If any words of mine would encour- age the Unofficials" I vwidd say to them: Cro ahead I You will meet with a storm of abuse from a conservative gang of "leaders." But soon the rank and file will peq-ex-ive that efforts do not tend in the direction which Feder- ation bosses allege. You are achieving big things although you may not see immedia-te re- sults. You are about to write a page in the history of the S.W.M.F.. and through the La- bour Movement at large. Write it plain, in bright, red ink! The future life of the new movement is assured. The future, and life, are in the keeping of the rank-and-file. The past, and death, are in the keeping of the "Labour leaders.