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ICoalition Automatons. I
I Coalition Automatons. I "TO PROTECT VESTED INTERESTS." I REMEDY OF THE WORKERS. I WINSTONE'S WARN INC. I Enthusiastic receptions were accorded Mr. .James Winstone, as Labour candidate for Mer- thyr, and his supporters during this week's cam- paign again. Addressing big and sympathetic audiences at Merthyr Vale on Thursday, Mr. Winstone said: I think my record of service in the Labour Movement in South Wales and the country gen- erally will entitle me to say I shall be able to represent you as working men on the floor of the House of Commons as well—and I sometimes think my practical experience will enable me to represent you better—as anyone else before you at this election. I am the Labour candidate .and come what may I shall not change from that position. I am really a child of the people. I .3,m one of you. To you I have given my services. To me you have given your support, and I do not propose for the rest of my life to do other than place my services entirely at your disposal. Now we are up against what is known as the ■Coalition. Coalition governments have never been any good to the people of this country. HOT COALITION BUT COLLUSION. This Government—though it was in the early stages of the war when it represented Liberals, Tories and Labour men.1 Coalition—now that the Labour men have come out if it appears to me to have become what ] want to call in very respectful language a collusion. And there is a big difference. Whi n you have a Coalition you have all parties working harmoniously. That "annot happen now. Even our friends, Mr. Brace and Mr. Walsh, both miners' men in the Government, have withdrawn. Thus the only parties left are the Conservative and the Liberal Parties—though perhaps, in view of re- -oent developments, I should say the Liberal Party is not in a very comfortable position owing to the many oppositions by Coalition can- didates. What the Coalitionists want really is to get on the floor of the House of Commons four or five hundred men who will work like -automatic machines, giving up the whole of their independence and obedient to the crack of the Coalition whip, like hounds to the whip of the huntsman. I WHO PAYS? I You have passed through a terrible war, with hardly a liome in the land untouched, and now the time has come when we are expected to pay the bill. And the Coalition hare made up their minds that so far as they are concerned—com- posed as they are of the greatest landlords and the greatest capitalists in the country—they are ( not going to pay the bill, and you people, your sons, husbands and brothers who have been fighting on the Western Front, it is you who will be called upon to pay. COD AND MAMMON." I Proceeding, Mr. Winstone drew attention to the huge war profits of shipowners, mine-owners i and the like. "These are the class of people," be went on, who are in the Coalition. They know very well there is a tremendous debt to be paid arising out. of the war, and unless the working-class of this country make up their minds to be properly represented in the House of Commons in the forthcoming election, they will transfer the whole of the debt to you, and they will do it in such a way that you will not be able to see clearly how it has been done. My opponent has told us lie is a Coalition candidate. I have always understood that a man can change his policy, but not his principles, and how these people can coalesce with the other men to whom I have referred, passes my comprehension. I am out to fight the Coalition candidate. I say frankly, so far as 1 am concerned, I would rather not be returned to Parliament at all than be re- turned on what is known as the ticket of the Coalition Government. I have represented the workmen in the South Wales coalfield for more than a quarter of a century. I have always kept my hands clean, and I should no more think of running under the auspices of the Coalition Gov- ernment than of running in harness with colliery employers. ?Applause.) You cannot serve God and Ma.mmon. I am standing for the workers, and I don't propose to shift from that position whatever the consequences may be. EXPLOITATION BY SHIPOWNERS. .LL I ? 1 ?. I Referring to the proposal attnnutea W w Government of handing over dockyards and ships to private companies, Mr.Winstone asked what It meant to the woi-kers. In 1913 the shipping in- dustry of the country made £20,000,000 profit; in 191(5, during the period of the war when -everybody was expected to economise because or the food-shortage, the shipping profits rose to £ 200,000,000. (Shame.) Yes, shame. Yet these were the class of people who his opponent was going to represent in the House of Commons. Remember this: every particle, every shilling, every pound of this enormous increase was paid at the expense of the people, and your food was increased to pay great dividends tor these peo- ple. The Coalition would go to Parliament to protect vested interests. With regard to pen- sions and allowances to soldiers and dependents he (Mr. Winstone) was pledged to get them in- creased by 70 to 100 per cent. We should never I be in a position to pay the boys" for what they had done for the country. "THE ONLY WAY. I In conclusion, Mr. Winstone said: I know you men arc making a, good deal of noise about the income-tax and righty so, too; but if you would make half as much noise about the indirect taxation jibu are paying you would be on the right road to a remedy. T think I am right in saying you are taxed five times as much ill- [ directly as directly. The Labour Party will strenuously oppose any attempt to saddle the "post of the war on the consumers of the country. IT icy shall not do it by taxing the food of the People; or, indeed, by placing a special tax upon '^o-operative societies or upon wages. No man I' should be called upon to pay any taxation until he is assured of a sufficient income to keep him- Mf and his family in decency and comfort—no 'Han, we propose, should pay income tax on less ^han £ 4 a week. We also propose a much steeper gradation of the super-tax, the taking ,t>f unearned income and the doubling or trebling f the death duties.
Labour's Appeal to The Fighting…
Labour's Appeal to The Fighting Forces. WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR THE SOLDIERI AND HIS DEPENDENTS. A FOUR YEARS' RECORD TO BE PROUDI OF. r The Labour Party in its address to the elec- tors has stated its policy and programme in the General Election. It has still a special message to the soldiers and sailors, many of whom the Coalition Government has disfranchised by hold- ing the election under conditions which make it impossible for them to use their votes. Labour assures the men on active service abroad that it resisted the Coalition Government's decision to rush the country into this election before they returned home and renewed their contact with politics: it has been no party to their hc- trayal. DEFENCE OF THE HOME FRONT. to the war Labour fought for the soldiers and sailors and thell. win's and children. One of its main duties was to defend the Home Front. It waged war against the profiteer, the landlord and house-owner, the reactionary bureaucrats in the War Office and Treasury: it refused to let the war be run on charity. PAY, PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES. Before the war had lasted three months La- bour formulated definite proposals on the ques- tion of Pay, Pensions, and Separation AIlow- ances: it started the ;t I a, week campaign. The war began in August, 191-1. In October, 1911. Labour was demanding an allowance of £ 1 a wt*ek for the wives of soldiers and sailors (with- out any deduction from the pay of the fighting men) for the widows and other dependents of men killed at the front by wounds and disease; .and for men totally disabled in the war; with an allowance of 3/6 for each child under work- ing age. In support of these demands Labour organised conferences all over the country. Later, it led to an agitation for the increase of the Separation Allowances corresponding to the increase of prices. One result of Labour's cam- paign was that when the Pensions' Ministry was founded a representative of the Labour Partv becanje the first Pensions' Minister. He and his successors were hampered in their efforts for soldiers by the opposition of the Treasury. It was the Trade Unions that initiated and pressed forward the demand for increased pay for the soldiers and the abolition of the family allotment. DEFENCE OF THE SOLDIER'S LIFE. I When the insulting proposal was made to place the wives of soldiers under police supei- vision, Labour protested vigorously. It insisted upon the withdrawal of the police order com- pelling every soldier and sailor's wife to register! in a police-office, and giving the police power to enter the soldier's home at any time. Labour also fought for justice for the 14 unmarried wives" of men at the front: it demanded not only Separation Allowances, but the grant of Maternity Benefit under the Insurance Act for the unmarried mother." Labour led the pro- test against the degrading regulations \vhich it was sought to impose in the case of women— from the curfew order at Cardiff to Regula- tion 40D. DEFENCE OF THE SOLDIER'S FAMILY. Very early in the war when it became clear that profiteering was driving prices beyond the range of the soldier's family income, Labour started its campaign for the fixing of maximum prices for food and fuel. The Coalition claims to have given the people their ninepenny" loaf; Labour demanded a sixpenny loaf more than a year before any action was taken, prov- ing by figures and arguments which nobody tried to refute, that the price could be fixed not at ninepence, but at sixpence by any govern- ment that was prepared to deal drastically with the profiteer. It was Labour that urged the Government to enter the wheat market and get control of supplies to sell at a fixed price; it was Labour that demanded Government Control of shipping and the fixing of freights; it was Labour that insisted the State should resume its right over the coalmines and distribute its sup- ply at the fixed maximum prices through the municipalities. The agitation conducted by La- bour led to the creation of a Food Ministry, with which Labour became intimately associated. DEFENCE OF THE HOME. J Labour stepped in to defend the soldier's home when landlords and house-owners began to raise rents. It demanded that there should be statutory prohibition against the raising of rents in the case of the wife, motiher, or other dependants of soldiers on active service; it agi- tated for the setting up of fair Rent Courts; it secured amendments in the Rents' Restriction Bill to prevent victimisation and eviction of soldiers' families, and later secured further im- provements in the Acts governing rents; it ob- tained further protection for the soldiers' homes through the provisions made by the Civil Liabi- lities Commissioners. DEFENCE OF THE DISABLED SOLDIER. Since the Pensions Ministry was set up La-1 hour had kept the interest of the disabled man and of the war widows and orphans steadily in view. It has insisted upon generous provision being made for them; it has protested against such provision being made a matter of charity; it has produced from its own ranks the men — T who, as Paymaster-General and as Pensions Ministers, strove to get justice for the fighting i iesle I-A b our Miniti- men and their families. These Labour Minis- ters had to fight the Treasury every step of the way. Labour wants to secure such power in the new Parliament that it can compel the Treasury to deal generously with the broken men. Our obligations to the soldiers and sailors are debts of honour far more binding than our debt to those who have done no more than lend their money to the State at good interest; yet to-day we are spending nearly £ 350,000,000 in interest on the War Loan, and only 50 millions in War Pensions. Labour stands for a statutory right for pensions for all disabled men, and no non- sense about disablement aggravated but not caused by war service." DEMOBILISATION AND DISCHARGE. Labour demands now the speediest possible demobilisation and complete discharge of the fight.ing forces. It wants to bring the soldiers] home. Labour stands for the reinstatement of the soldier in civil employment at Trade Union wages, and insists on full maintenance of the soldier until employment is found. It insists upon the immediate and complete restoration of civil rights for soldiers and workers alike. LABOUR HAS OPPOSED CONSCRIPTION. Labour demands the complete abolition of con- scription, and works for its destruction in all oountries. It asks for a new international sys-i tem, for open diplomacy for the suppression of economic war between nations, and for disarma- ment. Labour believes that a just and democra- tic peace granted on the right of national self- determination and sustained by a League of Peoples, will make war henceforth impossible. It confidently appeals to the men who have fought in this war, to the women who mourn their dead, to support Labour in the coming Election, in order that the sacrifices and ser- vices they have offered shall not have been offered in vaan.
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THE CALL OF LABOUR TO YOU i • -S c > FREE TRADE, FREE SPEECH, FREE SERVICE, FREE PARLIAMENT. LABOUR PARTY'S CHALLENGE TO VESTED INTERESTS. ————_——————————-———.—————————————————-————— < Labour's Call To the People," the Ceneral Election Manifesto of the Labour Party, was issued last Wednesday night. It declares that the Party has left the Coalition, and amongst the signatories is Mr. J. R. Clynes, the Food Controller. Following are salient points of the manifesto:— Peace on the basis of an International Labour Charter and a League of Free Peop I es. Freedom for Ireland and India, and right of Self-Determination within the EBritish Commonwealth of Free Nations. Complete Abolition of Conscription, Release of all Political Prisoners, and Restoration of Free Speech. A Million New Houses to be built by the State and let at fair rentals. A Levy on Capital to pay the War Debt. Land for the Workers, and the Nationalisation of Mines, Railways, Shipping, Armaments, and Electric Power. _——————————-——————-— < No Sex Party in Politics. The Labour Party is the Women's Party." jfOtT VOTE FOR LABOUR.
! Briton Ferry's Welcome.
Briton Ferry's Welcome. Briton Ferry as part of the Aberavon Division —is overjoyed to find that its intelligent anti- cipation of the result, of the recent ballot for a. Labour candidate has been realised, and that our Comrade Bob Williams is the chosen stan- dard-bearer for the constituency. To mark the occasion a workers' meeting was held last Satur- day, which turned out to be more of a reception of Bob." The attendance exceeded all expec- tations, the Minor Hall being packed to suffo- cation, and even then the late comers had to be content to throng the stairway, and the en- thusiasm was even greater than the heat, which is saying something. Ivor H. Thomas, the X.A.C. member for IVales, announced the result of the ballot, and introduced Hob" to the meeting, and the wel- come that followed the introduction must have shaken the furniture and disturbed the nerves in the opposition committee-rooms right round the district. Although suffering from a slight hoarseness, the candidate declared himself fit to tight the enemy all round the constituency—and beat them. The Rev. R. Powell and Miss Minnie Pallister—the former the only local cleric on the Labour p la.tfnrm-al so spoke, the audience rising to cheer the democratic parson, both at the be- ginning and close of his lighting speech, which was also liberally punctuated with cheers. The resolution reposing confidence in the can- didate was moved by Mr. Thos. Parker, second- ed by Mr. Evan Davies, and again the thunder of applause burst forth and continued for several minutes. I A Mr. Ivor Councillor E. Hutchinson preside!. Mr. Ivor H. Thomas is acting as election agent, with Mr. D. L. Mort as secretary and assistant-agent.
I Mooney Will. Not Hang.
I Mooney Will. Not Hang. I SENTENCE COMMUTED TO PENAL SERVI- TUDE FOR LIFE. I THE NEXT STACE IN THE FICHT. Our readers will rejoice with us in the know- ledge that Tom Mooney, whose infamous sen- tence to death on manufactured evidence has been dealt, with frequently in our columns, has had his sentence commuted by the Governor of California to one of penal servitude for life. Or- ganised Labour in America, and throughout the Continent, has had to fight hard to secure this result, but our task is not yet over, and we must not stay our hands until Mooney's complete I freedom has been gained, not as a measure of surrender to Labour's power, but by way of a new trial that will expose the shameful manner of his sentence to the gaze of the whole Labour world that they may know Capitalism for what it is. That is Mooney's own demand, and La- bour must exert its influence to see that his wish is given expression to.
I No Use for Armament Material
I No Use for Armament Material I CERMAN OFEER TO SWEDEN. An excellent little straw" showing which way the new German peoples are blowing" respecting the question of armaments appeared in the ordinary press last week-end, and has so far been singularly ignored by most democrats. The paragraph said: "The Swedish Naval At- tache in Berlin reports that the German Minis- try of Marine has offered the Swedish Govern- ment an opportunity of buying a quantity of naval and aviation material, the reason given being that the navy is bound contracts to receive from various firms large quantities of such material, for which it has no use."
I The Irish Vote.
I The Irish Vote. I WINSTONE TO BE SUPPORTED AT MERTHYR. I HIS PLEDCE TO HOME RULERS. The repeated applause with which Mr. James Winstoue's views on the Irish question were greeted by a, big meeting organised by the Ro- bert Emmett Branch of the United Irish League of Great Britain at Bentley's Hall, Merthyr, on Sunday, leaves no doubt that the bulk of t-he Irishmen in the borough will unhesitatingly re- cord their votes in favour of the Labour Party. A Home Ruler for more than thirty years, Mr. Winstone, amidst cheers, pledged himself defi- nitely to use all his power to obtain justice for the Irish people. Mr. Joseph Keating, the novelist, who was given a tine reception, remarked that there was an inseparable link between the Home Ruler and the Labour Party, and exhorted the Irish na- tionalists in a powerful speech to give Air. Winstone their whole-hearted support. I he Irish people wanted Home Rule because Home Rule was the only democratic form of Government. Home Rulers were in principle the most serious democrats, and they would have nothing to do with the Capitalist System. A Liberal or Tory Government was, in his opinion, an enemy Government, and it was quite clear now why Liberals and Tories had never done them any good. The cleavage between these representatives of money and the working-men had become clear to-day. The working-men were asserting themselves through the Labour Party- the men of property through Mr. Lloyd George. WORKERS AND IRELAND. Mr. W in stone said: As soon as eye-r the work- ing-class begins to think, realise their power, and exercise their will there will be no question of Ireland, there will be no atrocities in Ireland, there will be no OoaJition (iovonimont* (up- plause) there will be no deceivers of the people. I am here this evening not as a new convert. I tell you frankly I would not come to this meeting if I came for the purpose of being con- verted. If there is one thing I detest it is cant, humbug or hypocricy. I believe in looking men and women straight in the faee. Let us under- stand each other, and having understood each other, let. us endeavour to go forward in sup- porting not the individual—for the individual perishetli and the race remains-hut the cause of Labour, for which we stand here to-night, and which is eternal because it, is the cause of the common people. Why, I have been a Home Ruler for more than 25 years. I have never hesitated to express my views, and if this even- ing you were being advised not to support me I still should be a Home Ruler. (Applause.) I well remember when T was a lad hovering around ten years of age, living in my native village at the junction of the valleys of Monmouthshire, seeing those sturdy men tramping along the road in order to find Ebbw Vale, in order to reach Tredegar and. indeed, hound for Dowlais. too. And from whence had they came? They had come across the channel from Ireland in cattle boats. They passed our house. They sat. at my mother's gate. TIley drank and eat of what she was able to give. From that. day until now the iron has been in my soul, and T determined then and I am determined now that oome what will, so far as I am concerned—and I am not easily turned back and I make no vain promise—every power I have within me shall be used to give justice to the Irish people. (Ap- plause. ) IRICHT OF SMALL NATIONS. e have a Coalition Government, and you have had the names of a few of them, but not all. The name of Sir Edward Carson was, in my opinion skipped over too easily. 011, yes, Car- son, he is one of the greatest tyrants that the world has ever seen. He wants to introduce a new principle into politics, and into the Govern- ment of this country. What does Carson say? Wet), you can get your majority in favour of this principle or other, what care I for your ma- jority ? It is the minority that must rule Ire- land, and not any majority at all! Of course, there are some of us who have taken what are described as strange views upon the war. The war was started, so they told us, to fight for Democracy, for the purpose of de- fending small nations, so that anyone and every- one who belonged to the people should have the right of self-determination. There is a well- known precept.: an excellent precept if you wish to exercise charity, why not begin at home? 'Applause.) If you are going to mete out jus- tice, then why not begin at home? Is there any man or woman i or outside this audience who dares tell me that during the long years that have passed Britain has ever done justice to Ireland? -No. no, no! And if you are going to place your trust in princes and politicians you will never get justice for Ireland and more tlia iwthat., if you are going to reap the fruits of this war, if you are going to have an everlasting and eternal peace, the only power, the only people who are likely to arrange that peace are the workers, and the same class of people in the other countries involved. I wonder what they are doing in Russia. Is it not time we asked them to come out from Russia? It will not sur- prise me, if the Coalition gain any strength in this election, to find the British army not only in Russia, but in Germany, putting down the democracy. It is a remarkable thing, but never- theless true: Germany has lost the war-Britain as one of the Allies has won the war; but is there not a danger, think you, that the country that has lost the war will win democracy and the country which has won the war will lost de- mocracy ? In war we have lost millions of precious lives --and the only sin so far as I can see I have com- mitted, has been my anxiety to prevent the slaughter of those noble boys, and to save life is a terrible sin in the eyes of some peopl-but is it not just possible that we shall have spent all those>lives and all that expended treasure in order to get rid of one dictator for the express purpose of placing another upon the throne? As far as my reading of history goes, I have never been able to find any Coalition that has done any good to this country. If you read the history of the House of Commons and the treat- ment of the Irish question you will find it one long history of black treachery from beginning to end: and the sooner you realise that the bet- ter it will be for all concerned. (Applause.)
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I THE REV. HERBERT MORGAN FOR NEATH.