Pioneer

"Papers for the Present. THE POLITICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE CITIES COMMITTEE. A STRONGlcASE FOR CONSCRIPTION OF WEALTH. Peculiar times—such as these we live in-al- ways somehow bring back into social life the pamphleteer. Normally the pamphleteer is con- fined to the young parties who have to get to the Democracy a Democracy that cannot afford expensive monographs, and, even if it could, has neither the leisure nor the training necessary to qiiiet. study of more or less technical works. But directly there is a convulsion in the struc- ture of society—social, civic or international— so, too, the leisured ease of the book-reader tumbles to pieces his brain lacks the quiet ease that study demands; agitating agents oecupy his attention he falls to the level of the artisan and he has to he appealed to in the same way—' succinctly, quickly, without the gloss of scholas- tifism; or tne critical veneer of sell-conscious pedantry. The writer is niovedby the times, he has a message to deliver that will not wair, whilst it is cheeked by references to economists, or historians; it is red-hot within him, and be-j cause it is red-hot it comes forth with a vigour and incLsiveness that does not brook the ifs and bute and "might he's" of easier days. That is why some of our best shorter works have been pamphlets or newspaper articles. And the pamphlet has succeeded in doing more than the heavier works, the more learned works, be- cause it finds the trader in the same turmoil as the writer, except that he has no solution, whereas the writer- propound s one. The func- tion of the pamphlet is_ to meet a momentary need; its actual effect may be a real revolution that will hlst, for all rime. To-day we are again in the throes of pamph- leteering..Pamphlets dealing with every con- ceivable aspect of international politics, diplo- macy, and home affairs actual and prtaspeetivo, are the commonest expression of literary men and politicians. All the old societies are issuing, and many new ones ha.L\ entered the lists. Amongst the hotter 's the Cities Committee of the Sociological Society, which has issued a pros- pectus of ten pamphlets divided into three sec- tions. Fiivt. Scries— ilorals and Economics (:1): Second Series—A rt and -FAI-icl-i,tiott (4): Third Series—Politics and Civics (:1). NEW PAMPHLETEERS. So far the First, Series of these Pa-peiv, foi the Presenr" —-as they are generally styled—is the only one through the press, its three six- penny issues being The Modern Midas," "The Bankers' Part in Reconstruction," and "The Spirit (treative." Before we glance at the pamphlets let, us take a peep at the Cities Oom- mittee itself, which in addition to its pamphlets is issuing a series of books on "The Making of the Future," under the editorship of Victor Branford and Patrick Goddes. Obviously the Cities Committee is not a pauper body, or it. could rot the books through the press these days. Though a Committee of the Sociological Society, the Cities Committee points out that it alone, and not the Society, "a body of research and other purely scientific aimSj" is responsible for this venture. The Committee alone is em- barking on propaganda, with an issue of ten pamphlets: three 5/- voluoies, and lantern slides for the illustration of tho'last three pa- pers. But propaganda of wha.t? That is an swered in a platform of ten planks, the intro- duct,ion to which says, Our faith is in moral renewal, next in re-education, and therewith Reconstruction. For fulfilment there must be a Resorption of Government into the body oi the community. How ? By cultivating the habit of direct action in&tcad of waiting unOIî representati ve agencies?" So the message is that of individual responsibility; .the old, old message that every propagandist body has ad dressed''to "you"; and which invariably "you" have rer.d as meaning the other chap. Here arc the ten planks in most ca-ses summarised: (1) Ce-aso to feel Labour, personally, as a bur- den, or see it, socially as a "problcm"; practice it, as a primary, function of life; (2) the life-standard of the people and the thought standard of schools and universities (3) Stimu late sympathetic understanding between all sec- tions of the community by co-operation in local initiative, so may European statesmen be no longer driven to avoid revolution 'by making war; (4) Let cities, towns, villages, groups, as- sociations, work out their owiy regional sa lva- tion: (o) Make free use of the public credit for these social investments, but don't pay the tri- bute called market rate of interest the public purse from a. steeply graduated in- come tax (proceeds being shared by the local with the central authority) (") Eschew the des- potic habit of regimentation, whether by Gov- trusts, companies, tyrants, pedants. vernment-s, (8) Resist tho' political temptation in or police; centralize all things in one metropolitan city (9) Encourage the linknges of labour and pro- fessional associations across international fron- tiers; and (10) In general, aim at making indi- viduals more socialized and communities more individualized. To that end, let schools subor-, dinate books to outdoor observation and handi- crafts let teachers draw the matter and the method of education from the life and tradition of their pupils' own region, as well as from the history and culture of mankind at largo. Let universities seek first for synthesis in 'the civi- life around them, and onlv thereafter in the pages of philosophy. Above all let. governing bodies learn, if not from the Churches, at least from the psychological and social sciences, the distinction between temporal and spiritual powei-s, and cease to play the double role of Pope and Cesar. As for the chemical and me- chanical sciences let them repent of making hell- upon-eavj;h under war-lord and money-lord, and take service in the kingdom of heaven on earth, Then may the machine industry learn from ar- tist-craftsman and town-planner the social s.ig- j nificance of Design in all made things, including the city itself; they way lies the guild ideal and hope of its expressing the civic spirit. Let civic designers give rustics access to the city as well as townsmen access to nature; that way lies the regional iddal; and some day men" will enter through thus portal into paradise regained. STEPS TO SOCIALISM. I With these ideals Labour has no quarrel. Some of them seem only possible ignoring the obvious, lessons of industrial, and necessarily political, evolution; all of them have a sweep- ing stifge that recalls Wm. Morris, and prac- tically every object, if not every means pro- pounded, is a step in the direction of Socialism. But to the pamphlets. The first one is an un- signed production. entitled "The Modern Medas," and its eentral theme is "Conscription of Wealth," as will he seen from these subjoined extracts; with that proposal we are in entire agreement. MAN-POWER DRAMA. The Mobilisation of Man-Power has been effectively carried out. Recall its well-marked stages. It began with lVegistration. Everyone between 1.') and 60 -yeaio of age was made to file all the needed personal information. ext fol- lowed the stage of compulsory mobilization com- monly called Conscription. Every male of mili- tary age was declared by Act of Parliameijt to be a mem ber of the army and accordingly su b- ject to military discipline. All the possible lighting men being thus commandeered, the next problem was how to make the best, use of them. Given so much human eneigy. how to organize it so as to yield the maximum national energy:" The redistribution of men to the .ser- vices of war and peace was undertaken: and that was the final stage in the mobilizing of man-power. If a. name be wanted, call it Allo- cation. These, then, wer the three Acts of the Man-Power drama: Registration. Conscription, Allocation." « Now the proposition is -elf-evident that Na- tional Power is at its heigh:, if Man-Power, Machine-Power and Commodities are all directed to one desired end. But we are far from this achievement. One great factor has been omitted from the scheme of national control. The pull of the private purse on commodities, on machin- ery. on human service, has not been regulated. The money-power has not been mobilized. On air sides are evidences of lavish waste lhroug\lt persona! expenditure not 'drected to national ends." RATIONING OF INCOME. way of handling the money-power problem. The men of military" age have surrendered their liberties to the Gdvernment, for the period of the War. Lot the property-holders and the -alary-receivers follow suit and do the same. The least .\lollev-P¿"t'r can do is to follow the lead of Man-Power. I?e.& us adopt, thcr?t'or?.? ?tl.ia6 w(?ll-tlioiight-oitt ot Registration, Conscription, Allocation, and apply it to money- power. First let all income-yielding property be registered. We should ,110n know" where the money-power is and in \vhat sort or hand. Xext. let the legal ownership of all tin's income-yield- ing propertv be transferred to the Government for the term of the War. Tha.t might he called Conscription of Wealth. In reality it is but a step towards a Rationing of Income." In order to control private expenditure effectively, the scheme wouffl. of course, have to be extended beyond the range of property holders. It would have to include all receivers of salaries above a certain minimum, and also recipients of wages above a. certain minimum. Thehe also would he allocated by the Military Tribunals a subsistence allowance. And the bal- ance of the salary or of the wages would in the same way go as a loan to the Government. The Joan would lie repayable under terms not neces- sarily the vsame as for property holders. The right to mortgage property or to sell would not, of course, fall into abeyance, but would proceed by licence, as does at present the pufcha-e of staples like metals and timber." IGREAT ILLUSIONS DISPELLED. 'In point of cost, nrst for bringing the scheme into working order, and thereafter mainMinin? it, the expenditure entailed would probably be less than that for making and keeping up the 1an-Power Register. The mere maintenance of the latter costs about ?.)0,(?0 per annum. In- ?dd(,?d-, is only one substantial obstacle standing in the way. That, ;s the habit of mind which puts property before life. But this ha oil of mind, if not wholly confined to the govern- ing classes," is practically inoperative in the wage-earning classes. Now the war has dis- pelled many illusions and driven society back on the elemental realities of life That, gold-power, which was the symbol and iivstiument of the governing-class habit of mind, has proved an illusion. The idol has fallen. Man-power is now in the saddle. The sovereignty of gold is for the moment replaced by the sovereignty of Labour. A unique opportunity is therefore afforded to the Labour Party. Can the world of La bour dev ise a feasible plan for the mobili- zation-of money ? Can they agree upon the course of action required for curving it out? Can they plan so comprehensively that their scheme of war finance is but the opening move in a great game, of constructive peace finance ? If so, assuredly they are in a. position to make tftfci.' will prevail. The cry is*all for Co-ordina- tion. is at bottom but a system of co-ordination. And those who co-ordma'o govern. If, therefore, the Labour Party can put hefore the nation a vital scheme of finance, they will have a unique cbiim to occupy the seats of authority. For the long association of the traditional political parties with the cult of Midas cannot.. be broken, in a day." 1 That, is the central theme of the pamphVt. The question is discussed in many bearings, and in particular as it touches the banker and finan- cier. but tha aspect is more fully ,developed in u the Banker's Part in Reconstruction/' which will have "to be read in full because the nature of all works on finance prevents anything like -adequate or fair treatment in the eolumas of a newspaper. Briefly, the argument. of the book favours a. monetary registration of property as a stap towards replacing our present gold econ- omy by one of the public utility. The Spirit Creative," the last of the three bookl., is devoted to the moral aspect of the suggested reconstruction. It is the philosophy of the Cities Committee's platform, and in it is worked out with more ..detail the moral side of the programme we have reproduced above.

Absolutely Obsolete.. I S.W.M.F. AUDIT REFORM ALTERNATIVE I CONSIDERED. < BY W. EDWARDS (Mountain Ash). I The alternative scheme to the one we had un- der consideration last week, suggested hy the Central Executive for the purpose of setting up an Audit Department for the S.W.M.F., by which the finan<ial side of the organisation will be co-ordinated into an unity of system, is a- L follows: r (1) That every district shall make arrange- ments for auditing the whole of the Accounts of their lodges. t (2) A financial statement shall be sent by the I -district auditor to the Central Office every six months summarising the lodge accounts. to- gether with the annual balance-sheet of each Lodge. (3) The Council shall appoint an Audit Officer, who shall be under the Control of the (Jounc-il and General Secretary, and shall audit every months the whole of the district accounts -ind the accounts of the Central .Fund. (4) Districts shall keep duplicate sets of books, -and shall forward to the auditor all their books. vouchers, receipts, etc., immediately alter the. -30th of June and the 31 st of December in each .year. (5) The district. Itooks shall br; returned by the .,aiiditor to the districts before thhe 1st of July -and the 1st of January in each year. (6) The auditor shall" upon the completion of "his audit render every service possible to the general work of the Central Office. (7) That the Auditor be paid the salary of L V300, and that applications for the post be con- | ,llnE'd to Federation members. t The Council admit in (Clause 6 that the w hole -of the AuditorV time will not be taken up by T the work of auditing. iiiid Itave provided That ( after the completion of the audit, he shall ren- der every service possiole to the general work of the Central Ofli. (l wonder whether we care breaking trade union rules at present by r -overworking the present- *taff.) Note that there is no specific provision for an annual statement -of the whole of the Federation. I suggest- that three months will lk- a.mple time to complete the audit. This will allow the auditor three months out of every six to assist at the general work of the Central Office. THE AUDIT. I What is the precedent laid down for the .guidance of districts in making their own ar- rangements by this scheme? The Central Coun- cil having suggested a full time officer (accord- ing to salary to audit the district, and C en ni 1 -accounts. We will compare the receipt side of a district's cash book with the receipt side of a lodge cash book. In order to cheek the receipts of a district account, the auditor will turn up the monthly return sheets of the lodges, upon which are the amounts due to the district from the lodges, and which are filed by the district: secretary in oirler of entry in the cash book. Any other receipts can be c hecked by the coun- f terfoils of the receipts given by the treasurer. This is an easy matter. A COSTLY AFFAIR. I To check the receipt*; in a lodge cash hood u iirst necessary 100 make a summary of the con- 1 tributions entered into the lodge contribution book during the six months. This means that il voii haA e a lodge of 500 members, and your con- tribution Wk i» ruled for oO names to a page, vou inive 10 pages ot 12 coRlnms each, and some- times thirteen, of entries m entrance tecs ami •contributions to total np. besides cheeking transfers (af; far as you c«an) and sick and oil-, of work allowances, before you can verify the .amounts entered in at; entrance fees and contri- butions. This entails q. deal more work than verifying the receipts of a. district, and if the districts follow the precedent, laid down by the Council. it follows that nearly every one of them will-have a full-t-hnc auditor. This would lie absolutely necessary in the case of all tiie lai-ge district. sii.Ii as the Anthracite, Western, R.hondda. No. 1, and others. Compare tho number of amounts in these districts with the number of accounts to be audited by the Centra I auditor. I imagine that this will he a costly affair. But. assuming that the districts follow out the pre.-ent me* hod and select two •auditoi-s, senior- a.nd junior. and on the average a day was taken to audit and make a. summary of the accounts of a lodge (remember the Cen- tral auditor is allowed three months to audit twenty accounts and is pH,idCmO per aunujtt) and that the districts per day p('}' man (less than tho present minimum wage), ac- cording to the directory there an' 425 lodges, and *t'his <?ive? Yon an anwmnt of f?K) in addition ? to the £ 300. giving a. total c<tst of ?810 per !,o the (-i),t, of CSIO per taries -iii(I pt,oi,.ab'?- for wolil?ci bc, 1),iid for much for economy. What about efficiency? "There will Ix* 19 set., of auditors in addition to the Central auditor acting quite independently of one anot-lu-r. making real co-ordination utter- ly impossible, under the conditions, and the be as lax as at prllt, still allow- ing- the evils that, were recognized at the last annual conference to re-main. Certain lodges have moved amendments to this effect: Tli.-it. r,.liilo 13 be deleted, and the- necessary amendments of rule for reverting to tho former method of auditing. b ABSOLUTELY OBSOLETE. I I hope rhat [.h ralÙ %nd file will not ent?r- win this idea. From the standpoint of effi- ciency, it is absolutely- obsolete, and asa. for •economy, ] am almost tempted to say that. it will cost twice as ranch as Scheme No. 1. I shall 4at weary you with the evidence upon which I lrase my calculation. It is easy enough for a.ny delegate to get..the total cost. of audit- ing the whole of the Federation and test mv calculation. The general secretary received a eopv of tiie balance-sheet from every lodge tt the termination of the last financial year, ac- ■■<K>rding to Pule '7: 'Move an instruction at the next annual conference that the general seere- tary shall prepare a return giving the total auditing expenses as shown on the balance- sheets sent to him, so that conference can '■ompare it with the present schemes. •

Membership of Trade Unions in 1916. 32.2 PER CENT. INCREASE AMONGST I FEMALE WORKERS. As the result of inquiries made by the Depart- ment of^La.bour Statistics, particulars are now ^available respecting the membership of Trade Unions, both registered and unregistered, at the end of 191G. The total membership of the 1.115 Trade Unions known to the Department was 4,399,696, showing an increase of 6.2 per -f--c-nt. on the previous year, and toeing the high- est figure. yet recorded. The increase in male members wa& 127,555, or 3.4 per cent., and in female members J 30,352. or 32.2 per cent. l

The Wakefield Terrorism. C.O.'s HORRIBLE TIME. INCITEMENT BY LOCAL PAPERS., The leniency with which the Knutsford thugs were treated after the shameful attack on the Conscientious Objectors there, is having disas- trous results. Wakefield, encouraged apparent- ly at the immmunity with which the lives and Ümhs of (1,0. 8 may be endangered, has under the inc itement of a gutter organ that has des- cended to low depths, and, apparently with the tacit support of the 71.1l, Association locally, instituted a lynch law gan? of Hunt the Conchies," that came into operation on the day, immediately succeeding the hearing of the Knutsford cases. The rules of the game appear to liavo been to waylay the C.05, kick them about the hody and face as they lay on the ground ,steal their watches and cycles, beat them and throw them into the canal; and a cer- tain section of the population of,NVa-liefield ap- pear to have instituted a temporary reign of terror by the zeal with which they prosecuted the "game." » r) As we pointed out last week the C.O. 's are present in these centres under contract with the Government's Home Office Committee, but evvn if they were not perfectly honourably fulfilling their obligations, if they were the most vil creatures that. the criminal strata of society produce, instead of, in the ma.in, men of education, intelligence and refine- ment, it would still be the duty of the authori- ties to afford thenr protection a personal violence at, the hands of misled, passion-inflamed mobs. THE GUTTER PRESS COMMENT. Here is the sample of the material that has lieen used to inila,me Wakerield's prejudices to the commissi m of mob outrage, taken from a leading article in a local journal for May 18th p raw ling a u<l fighting in the streets must not. be encouraged, but after the sentiments expressed at the last mecting of the Wakefield Tradesmen's Association we should not he sur- prised, if the opportunity arose, to find mem- bers of that association following tho example of their fellow-traders at Knutsford, -h-I)o have made themselves responsible for the cost, of the defence of those ci tizens who iiave to answer summonses to-day for- indulging in more or less peaceful persuasion with a number of Conchies on Sunday last." Whilst the correspondence columns of the same journal in the same issue were adorned by a let- ter clearly urging the initiation of Knutsford .justice in Wake held. THE C.O.'s LEADER. Jn marked distinction to this poisonous pabu- lum is the letter which th" Wakefield have sent to the Home Secretary, and to selected M. P. s. and in which they remark: — The position of so large a body of men holding unpopular views and concentrated to- jiether in a small toAvn is fraught with artifi- cial difficulties which would not. n rio under a more normal system of society. Nevertheless, wo justly claim that every effort has been made to live peaceably with the town-people, and to avoid every source i l ic- town-peo-1) 1 (, iiid o -i-vol( I (-V(,Vy Sol]]-ce of active annoyance or offence. Statements have frequently appeared in the Press that conscientious objectors jeer at wounded sol- diers in tiie streets. Not the slightest evi-j d?"n(? has ever hee] offered in support of tbes0 ■statements, and thG men Indignantly repu- diate them." The letter then details the experiences of the C.O. 's during the days of lynch law, and it is mentioned that in view of further threatened disturbances two of their representatives saw the Chief Constable, who promised to send all his available men to offer protection to the C.OfcAs, but in the sequel, however, this proved ineffective- in preventing disturbance. ROUGHER ELEMENTS. A material complaint is la.id against the in- citement to violence preached by the local gut- ter press: after whirh dealing with the mis- creants who unfortunately proved the tools of the incendiaries by attacking the p.O.'s, the writers «ay: — The crowd, taken as a whole, appeared to belong to the rougher portion of the popula- tion, a judgment which seems to be borne out by tie fact that a good many of the inhabi- tants of Wakefield waftied individual men of their danger."

Colliery Assessments. IS REVALUATION ADVISABLE AT MERTHYR? The question of the revaluation or collieries in the union area was again tinder discussion at Saturday's meeting of the Merthvr Assessment ( ominifctee. The I lev. Llow M. Williams (chairman) ex- plained that the Hills-Plymouth Collieries had been revalued twice since 1914, whilst attention had also been paid to the Nixon Navigation eou- cerns, the Powcli-Dun'ryn (Pengam) collieries, Waunwyllt, Cwmblach? a.nd Mr. D. R. Uûw- Cwnil)lac,,Ii.,a-i-id -Nfr. D. P. ,I w- Mr. Morgan TLomas ((?in Coed) advised Icavin' we? alone in the intend of the rate- payer^ and Mr. C!iar?s Fcnwiek (Dowlais) ad- v?n.tod a. similar course, saym?: that he was afraid that if the 5 per cent, advance recently agreed to on consultation between the Assess- ment. Committee and the local coalowuers were interfered with now some of the colliery com- panies would oven appeal to have that 5 per cent, reduced. Mr. Me til Davies (Aberdare) pointed out. that whilst the increase in Merthyr was only 5 per cent., 28ii per cent. was being paid in Ponty- pridd. He knew of ono company that paid Del. per ton on 28J per cent* in thoPontypridd area. imt only 7d. per t-en on 5 per cent, for coa l worked from the same vein in Aberdare. The ratepayers were losing" pounds and pounds." ft Mr. John Prowle (Aberdare): The impression is abroad tlitt this committee is packed with people deeply interested in collieries. 9 Chairman: You should not say that. Mr. Prowle: I don't agree with the statement myself, but that is what the public think. Eventually it.-was decided to request the Clerk (Mr. F. T. Jcmes) to ascertain terms from various valuers with a view to obtaining expert opinion on the advisability of a colliery re- valuation being taken at the present juncture.

a I BAKERS' STRIKE THREATENED. Bakers' operatives in the Monmouthshire Eastern Valleys, from Blaenavon to Griffiths- town, have threatened to cease work on account of the refusal of the employers to grlht them an advance of 10s. weekly. '1 1

Under Divine Guidance. THREE FRIENDS CHARGED FOR PUB- LISHING PAMPHLET. I PRAYERS IN GUILDHALL COURTHOUSE. Mr. H arrison Barrow, Mr. Arthur Watte, and Miss Edith Maud Fllis, t.he three members of the Friends' Service* Cbmmitfte who were sum- moned with being concerned in the publication -V I of the pamphlet. A Challenge to Alilitarism," • without submitting it to t-he Official Press Bureau, were brought before the magistrate at the Guildhall, last Friday, when the two male defendants were sentenced* to six months' im- prisonment each, and Miss Ellis was fined £100 and £ 50 costs, orJ in default, three tnonths im- prisonment.. t Notice of a.ppcal was immediately given, and >,urctio> were at once forthcoming for their bail in Mr. Harrison Barrow, the Ac,ting Chairman of tho Committee, in his address to the Chair- man (Aid. Sir John Baddolcy), reminded him that for 2.-)(,1 years the Society of Friends had proclaimed its peace prtnciptes, and its convic- tions tka.t. the laws of God are eternal and can- not move man in one direction one day and in the opposite direction the next; "A s a s-ociet,-v," he said. we deeply desire to be law-abiding citizens, and we are only impelled to refuse to carry out Government regulations when our principles—deeply religious principles—-are at stake." But they felt that the regulation setting up a censorship over their presentation of their re- ligious message to the world conflicted with their religious views. They were acting now in de- fence of the priceless possession of religious liberty. I,, DOMINE DIRIGE NOS." Pointing to the City's motto above the Alder- UHtn' S("I.T?, Mr. 8,L;???ow said tha6 Doe tine man's seat, applied no It?s to tbosf w h o c.?De Diri?e Nos Hpplit'd 110 h'6s to tbot, who came i before the Aldermen of the City tha-n to the AhlermenThem?Ives. "Itiiswitha.dcep.on- viction of the truth of that motto," he said, that we believe it to he essential when there arc vital principles at sta.ke- for us to obey what we conceive to be the guidance of God rather than the regulations made by t.he Government." Miss Joan Mary Fry and Miss Eli7beth Fox Howard, two other members of the Committee, testified to their acceptance, as*mem bers of the Committee, of impossibility for the leaflet, and Sir Archibald Bodkin, prosecuting for t.he Government, explained that there had been no evidence on winch the whole of the members of the Committee would have been summoned. DIVINE GUIDANCE. examined by Si- Archibald Bodkin as to why the leaflet wa^ not submitted. She said that at the committee meetings the members were under the .sen>e of Divine, guidance, and they hoped that the decisions they readied would he in ac- cordance with the will of God. We cannot, therefore, find it right to submit the outcome of that guidance to an official of t.110 Govern- Hwnt or any other ?)U]?;??? <?<R'-i?I." W.11(,Il Sir John Baddeley retir?i to oon?d'T his decision the court was stilled by one of the members in the public, part- ot the court inviting the others to join in prayer. On? r; em- ber prayed aloud for a lew momente. The Alderman, after an expression of his personal regret a TJ having members of the society which, he 'held in the greatest, respect before him on a criminal charge, said that they had t."a right to hold any religions views they pleased, but the dissemination of such views must he controlled. He added that the sentences most be severe, in view of the refusal of the defend- ants t.o give an undertaking not to repeat the offence. 1 I PREVIOUS PROSECUTION. 1 no summonses iollow%l a. prosecution com- menceil at. Westmin.-stor on April 28th, when Miss Gel'brude Stewart, and Mrs. Serny,a Williams were summoned for distributing copies of the leaflet- a-t the Labour Conference at the Cen- tral Hall. Westminster, on February 28th. The magistrate there adjourned the case for pro- ceeding- to lie instituted against the committee.

Labour and Education Bill L OPPOSITION TO WATERING DOWN. Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., presiding on Saturday at a conference in London on educa- tional problems, -aid the La bour movement de- manded that, the Ethication Bill should be strengthened, not weakened, and the Labour Party in the House of Commons would throw its whole weight against attempts to water it down in Committee. They knew very well that behind the scenes certa in sinister industrial in terests representing not all nor even most of the employers, but a- reactionary section among them, were endeavouring to intimidate the President, of the Board of Education to abandon the continuation school proposals, which were the kernel of the Bill. The Labour Party de- manded that the worker's children should* r- ceive as good an education as the children of his employer. m

Arising out of the Labour oppositidfv in cer- tain constituencies to Pnrliamentswy represen- tatives such as Messrs. John Hodge, Will Thorne, and Charles Duncan, the Derby and District Committee of the 'Workers' Union, re- presenting 5,500 members, have unanimously passed a resolution of protest, and have de cided, if the oppos?on iR p?rglst?ed in, to re- comm?d tb? un?n to withdraw fr?m the L"??.?t coniinv(i tb,- iinion- t-o wl I h4 i riw fmm the