Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
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| THEAeM!m.EM!!alCF: Mo?r! Ucensee-M r. Wil! Smithson. General Manager—Mr. Fred Dry. ? I 6.30 TWICE NIGHTLY. 8.30 j I Week commencing MONDAY, JANUARY 6th, W9. j I JACK ARNOLD'S LONDON COMPANY j I Including the Ideal Principal Boy, GERTIE GORDON, and all the well-known Pantomime I Artistes in a New and Up-to-date Version of the Grand and Gorgeous Pantomime- I ALADDIN j I AND MIS WONDERFUL LAMP! | jjj CIRCLE .STALLS l'IT GALLERY I I Prices of Admissim: Ordinary Doors- Is. 5d. I/. 7d. 4d. ] ? Tax, 4d. Tax, 3d. Tax, 2d. Tax, Id. | of? If It j Merthyr Electric heatre j I Mert!!mm!ua!teatre II  CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE FROM 2.30 TILL 10.30 P.M. DAILY. | I Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday- I i The SPLENDID COWARID Featuring Jeff Barlow, James Knight and Joan Legge. I I WHAT HAPPENED TO FATHER-Alice Howell Comedy. Pathe's Coloured Pictorial and Pathe's Gazette. I Dramas and Comedies, &c. I I Thursday, Friday, and Saturday— I MARY GARDEN I IThe Celebmted Operatic Star in the First Great Goldwyn Picture: "THAIS." I t THE PAW?NSHOP—CharHe Cbaphn. I  Dramas, Comedies, Pathe's Gazette, &c. 5 I PRICES: 6d., 9d., 1/3 including Tax. ChiMren 3d., 5d. & 8d. I • Children's Performance at One o'clock on Saturdays. I 3 Ordinary Saturday Performance starts at 3.30 o'clock. Other Days 2.30 as usual. I Lit It It .It .i — m Are unrivalled for aU Irregularities, etc., they LBLANCHARD',S p.<,ddy afford relief and never fail to aa'eojiat.e —— all suSering. They supersede Pennyroyal, Pill I W Cochia, Bitter, Apple, &c. Blanchard's are the rlkbW best of all Pills for Women. Sold ia boxes, 1/1t by ROMI Branches and all Chemists, or post free, same price, from LESLIE MARTIN, Ltd., Chemists, 34 Dalston Lane, London. Samples and valuable booklet sent free, Id. stamp. HOPE CHAPEL, MERTHYR. SUNDAY, JANUARY 5th, 1919. Pruom- Rev. J. Morgan Jones, M.A. SUBJEOT-" FORWARD." Servlosa to begin at 11 o'clock and 6 p.m. I.L.P. MEETINGS. OLYMPIA RINK, MERTHYR, I Sunday Next, Jan. 5tb, 1919, I At 2.45 p.m. prompt. Speaker: R. C. Wallhead Admission by Silver Collection. DON'T FO RCET THE Great Open Show OF POULTRY, PICEONS, CACE BIRDS AND RABBITS, at THE OLYMPIA RINK ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 16th, 1919. Proceeds In aid of the Merthyr General Hospital TICKETS (1/- EACH) and SCHEDULES may be had from the SECRETARY, Geo. Walford, 40 St. Tydfil Avenue, Merthyr. EDVARD SCERMUS, the Russian Violinist, has several open dates, week nights, in January and February. No Sundays available. March dates all booked. Free from April 1st onwards.-Apply. to Harry Morris, 10 Fairview Terrace, Merthyr. EVAN THOMAS' PRIZE DRAWINC. THE Drawing of the Winning Numbers in connection with the above has unavoidably had to be postponed until January 31st. The Winning Numbers will appear in the "Pioneer" of February 6th. T. EYNON, Secretary. RESULT of Watch Competition in aid of Pte. W. Preece, S.W. Borderers (Pentrebaeh), will be postponed until Saturday, Jan. 18, 1919. HELP THOSE WHO HELP YOUR PAPER. SOUTH WALES MINERS' FEDERATION. I CARW DISTRICT. MI-NERS' AGENT wanted by the above Dis- t trict. Applicants must be members of the Miners' Federation, and state age and experi- ence in the Trade Union Movement. Applications to be in by Noon on Friday, the 10th January, 1919, and should be addressed to EVAN DAVID Esq., J.P., District Secretary, 25 Blaengarw Road, Blaengarw, Glamorgan. np a PIIPAA CATARRH, HEAD NOISES, easily cured HmhM?\X"w days by the new fPREMCH DEAFNESSO RILUNE." Scores of wonderful cures reported. COMPLETELY CURED. Age 76. Mr. Thomas Winslade, of Borden, Hants, writes: I am delighted I tried the new Orlene," for the head noises. I am pleased to tell you, ARE GONE, and I can bear as well as ever I could in my life. I think it wonderful, as I am 76 years old, and the people here are surprised to think I can hear so well again at my ago." Many other equally good reports. Try one box to-day, which can be forwarded to any address upon the receipt of money order for J/9. THERE 18 NOTHING BETTER AT ANY PRICE. Address, "ORLEHE" Co., Railway Crescent, West Croydon, Surrey, Eng
The Coal Outlook.!
The Coal Outlook. There is every prospect of the first 100,000 coal miners being released from the army before the end of the year. Sir Guy Calthrop, the Coal Controller, in an interview with a press representative said: "I should like to utter a word of warning against expecting too great a result from this influx of labour to the mines. It is only fair to assume that the soldier miners will not go direct from the field of battle to the mines. They will want, like other soldiers, an interval for 'change and rest before returning to work underground. The effect will, therefore, he gradual and I do not think will be felt until the middle of January. I am afraid there will be no relief from ra- tioning this winter, but tjie rationing system will cease the moment it can be safely done in the national interest. Rationing must continue until reserves of coal are created for transport, domestic and public utility purposes. At pre- sent there are practically no reserve stocks and it will take three or four months before they are built up to the safety point. It may be that the first, effect of more abundant coal supplies will be to permit more gas and electricity, but it is too early to say definitely. To imagine that the coal trouble is over and to heedlessly burn rations is an extremely unwise proceeding. Every pound of coal in nvery cellar must be used with the greatest economy all through the winter. Those who are recklessly burning their rations dbw are ulti- mately hound to suffer. The problem we have to face is how to tide over the interval till better times come. If the public who have stocks of coal in their cellars will be content with week by week supplies during the next six weeks—in fact, live from hand to mouth so to speak—all cause for anxiety in the future should disappear, and all will get the coal they are entitled to under the rationing scheme.
IN MEMORIAM. I
IN MEMORIAM. I In loving memory of Mary Llewellyn, 55 Darren View, Merthyr, who died December 31st, 191A.-Froin loving husband and children. "To-day recalls sad memories."
I The General Election.
I The General Election. Tuk quick-trick election is over, the results have been declared, and we enter the year 1919 with the tricksters seated in the places of power and glory in our land. And the Press of the thimble- rigging politicians is hysterically exultant that Mncdonald and Snowden, Jowett and Anderson and the Old Gang are out-hut more particular- ly does their exultation scream itself forth from double-column headings that tell of the Black- burn and Leicester apostacy, and the thrashing administered to the Pacifist I.IJ,P v Poor, fool- ish day-labourers in literatuice. In every copy of their screaming sheets they advertise either their inability or their dishonesty; and confess their servile unworthiness to the title of British pressmen, that to many has been a greater honour than the tap of a kingly sword on the shoulder, or the magical addition of M.P. to their names. We believe that those cheaply bought hack-writers are dishonest in their ignor- ance that their mad pleasure in the success of the Coalition reactionaries and place-seekers is genuine, that their minds are entirely blank of that knowledge of the back-wash that followed every war-sweeping reaction everywhere into power with terrible consequences always; that their appreciation of character is entirely misled and beguiled by the flashy twaddle and jaunty Tigg-like swagger of the mixed mob of shal- low-pated nonentities to whom the fate of the Empire has been confided in the hour of her trial. Poor, blind leaders of the blind, underpaid, under-educated and uninformed, what wonder that they rejoice in the creation of a wave that a moment's foresight has shown to better men than they will ever be to be fraught with the direst consequences. Yet they rejoice that Snow- den and Macdonald, Asquith and Robertson are out. The men who might have stayed the rakes' progress by their knowledge, their powers a.nd their influence, are free from the responsibility of the exercise of that task of Opposition. The Coalition is numerically strong enough to do as it will—so long as the workers will let it. And there is the point that the rejoicing pressmen of the Coalition rags have overlooked. So long as the workers will let it. Organised Labour has been defeated at the polls. fts Parliamen- tary champions have hoon released from the thankless task of perpetual vigilance from the Green Benches of Westminster, released to take up the pen in the task of educating the workers to recognise their power, to stump the country in a propaganda activity that their enslavement to Parliament has denied to the country. The Opposition is no longer part of the House—it is in the lodge-room of the trades unions, the forum of the propaganda meeting, the concen- trated power of industrial organisation; and its approval or disapproval being denied the harm- less expression of the division lobby will be couched in terms of ultimata behind which the solid phlanax of workers stand obediently. Be- fore the politicians and the Press had conspired to take advantage of the momentary madness of the people by forcing a General Election, the movement in industry was away from politics, the only connecting cord was the group in the House; the tried and trusted group that had de- servedly won the confidence of industry. To-day the only thread of that cord unbroken is J. H. Thomas, and great though the railway men's leader may be, lie is not powerful enough to stay the still further retirement from the poli- tical field that is already evincing itself. The class character of the new Parliament justifies the contemptuous designation of the "Capital- ists' Executive Committee that so often these days is flung at Westminster by the worker; and the worker is going to face it as distrustfully as lie faces the industrial Executive Committee of his bosses, and against both he will rise his irresistible power of refusing to work. That is what this election means. Call it undemocratic, Bolshevik or anything else that we will, but in the calling stay and ask whether that Parlia- ment against which the might of the industrial worker will shortly be directed in class-war, is less or more democratic than the opposing force that it is invoking. Superficially the election may have given occasion for rejoicing to Demo- cracy's enemies; but to all who have seen the miserable half million votes that stand between the success of the tricksters and their defeat, the occasion is not one for joy. The clash of contention is coming, the rumblings of approach- ing strife are sounding, and the whole blame for the results belongs to an ill-advised Premier, who placed personal ambition before all else, and his foolish, flatterers of both parties and his hireling press—that conspired with him in this election.
The Merthyr Result.
The Merthyr Result. Merthyr is congratulating itself that upon the hills that have resounded so often with the vo ice of Hardie, and earlier still heard the fearless utterances of Henry Richards, the wave of poli- tical madness that has swept the country like a new dancing plague broke itself. Arrayed against all the powers of political coalition, strengthened by the interested prejudices of theological opposition, and backed with enthu- siasm by brewer and coalowner, it has proved it- self invincibly stronger than any unit in the area. Defeated only by a. paltry majority that the correction of a bad Register alone will alter in its favour, Labour in the Borough has served notice upon its combined enemies. And they know it. The camouflage of Party may be re- spread over the guns of Capitalism elsewhere in the country, but never again will paint and net- ting or any other artifice of the political scene- painter serve to delude the Merthyr workers or their wives with an illusion of reality. Hence- forth the fights must revolve around the eter- nally distinct and divergent interests of Capital- ist and Proletarian. The class-war in economics is clearly seen to be the essential reality under- lying political activities on both sides; and in that war the reactionaries are lighting a hope- less fight. They have but been saved from de- feat on that ground this time by the concentra- tion of their whole forces into a common camp, and the fear which the prevalent fever has spread amongst a few of the workers themselves. Those few will be soothed and cured of their ridiculous fancies ere the next election, for know- ledge, the greatest of all physicians, will have been brought to them. They will be clearly shown the absurdity of seeking the amelioration of themselves or their class at the hands of the class that only holds the position by the denial of that amelioration. Then we shall be absolute masters over any possible combination. Tn the short time that has elapsed since we were last called to fight a Coalition support a.nd renegade worker, wo have more than doubled our strength. The work we have to do is as nothing to what we have accomplished in three short years. But because the task is small that se- parates us from Parliamentary representation through James Win stone, we are not disposed to slacken our efforts, arid already the propaganda is being actively pursued.
Our Debt to Ireland.
Our Debt to Ireland. HAD the workers of Britain showed the samo loyalty and unanimity as was shown by the Irish electorate on the mainland, last Saturday's story would have been different indeed, and the British Isles would have been saved much that N%. iiji I jappell )ttl d liav(-? bt--eii niiic l i t- l i?it will happen in the near future. Ever noticeable for a wonderful political sagacity, and conspicu- ous for indomitable energy, the alliance with the Labour Party and the acceptance of its prin- ciples has made of the Irishmen, and Irish- woman, too, a. force such as even they have never hitfierto proved themselves to bè. Mer- thyr was but typical of every other consti tu- eney in this, and in Merthyr we had the plea- sure of witnessing a poll of over DS per cent. of the Irish vote in favour of Mr. James Winstone —and every single unit in that grand battalion of Irish fighters was something more than a voter only. He and she was an exponent of principles, an eloquent pointer of the right road to others who enjoyed that eloquence all the more that jt was voiced in the musical brogue of o l t I)i I of Ireland's soil; a brogue that in itself should be a constant reminder of the perfidy of poli- ticians of Party schools. Whilst thanking them for their great efforts, we join with them in re- gretting that not just yet has the day of jus- tice to Ireland dawned. For a little longer must green-mantled Erin lay shackled at the feet of political Pecksniffs whose unctuous hypocritical eyes will roll heavenward at the mere mention of the C/.echo-Slovaks' yoke, and from whose mouths drip a„ foul slaver of oily meaningless phrases when the theme is Polish oppression. But Pecksniff is un veiled, and never again will the Irishman or woman repose in him and his pledged word a faith that has often been worthy of a Tom Pinch. The awakening has come, and in future our Irish comrades inarch forward with us as an extremely valuable section of our army. That attempts will be made to beguile them away from us is certain. That they will not be be- guiled is equally certain. For at the same time that the British worker was beginning to ask himself How can a man represent me and my boss, when our interests are diametrically op- posed? was not the Irishman asking himself whether it was more probable that Ireland would be freed by landlords and evictors and their carpet-baggers of henchmen, or by men whose interests were and always had been expressed in terms of absolute freedom and autonomy, guar- anteed by International faith and brotherhood? The answer was the alliance with Labour. Not a mere act of political expediency was that. but a profoundly marked stage in the separation of principles and the regathering and re-integrating of those principles on a newer and juster and truer basis which has been the most marked feature of the past few months. +-
Colliery Surfacemen.
Colliery Surfacemen. REDUCED WORKINC HOURS. I TEXT OF ACREEMENT WITH SOUTH WALES COALOWNERS. A joint meeting of representatives of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Colliery En- ginemen, Stokers' and Craftsmen's Association, and of the Coalowners' Association at Cardiff on Monday discussed the arrangements necessary for putting into operation the agreement re- cently arrived at with the National Conference with reference to reduced working hours for sur- face-workmen. Mr. W. Hopkins (general secre- tary) presided over the workmen's representa- tives, and Mr. T. H. Deakin over those repre- senting the owners. After discussion the following arrangements were agreed upon:- (1) As and from the 1st January, 1919, the hours of surface workers shall be 49 per week of six working days, exclusive of me?l times, for a six days' week. (2) The agreement does not refer to any un- derground workers. (3) The meal time shall be 20 minutes, which shall be so arranged as not to interfere with the general working of the colliery. (4) Forty-nine working hours per week refers to a week of six working days. The number of working hours in the week for persons whose regular working week consists of more or less than six days will he in proportion to the num- ber of days worked. Where men are ordinarily working seven days per week of eight hours per day at present there shall be no alteration in existing arrangements either as to hours or bases of payment. ('?) Ihe arrangements for the division of hours for each day shall be those of the workmen hand)in? coal under Clause 21 of the Concilia- tion Hoard Agreement, but the hours shall be varied in the case of workmen who may be re- quired to work either earlier or later than the meu handling coal. The details regarding the commencement and termination of such shifts to be settled between each colliery company and their workmen with the agent, but the finishing tillle shall not be later than ;) o'clock. (6) Where three1 continuous shifts are worked in 2t hours the length of the shift will he eight hours, a not eight hours and 10 minutes. k7) Where any person is being paid upon the basis of a shorter working week than -19 hours, he will continue to he paid upon the present basis. (8) Where, by this agreement, the regular working hours are reduced, the wage for 49 hours work will be the same as for the present full working week, whether payment is made on an hourly or a daily basis. (9) Men employed at outlying plants and en- gaged on purely colliery work are to be treated as colliery workers. (10) Any existing arrangements for short shifts 011 Saturday afternoon or Sundays are not to be interfered with. Where a short shift is worked on Saturday it is not intended that it will count towards the 49 hours as more than the number of hours actually worked. (11) In the event of a failure to agree at any colliery, the matter to he referred to the Joint Committee. Tt is suggested that the coalfield shall be divided into districts with a view to uni- formity as far as possible at all the collieries in eaeh district as to the commencing time for the various shifts, the times to he arranged between the colliery companies and the agent in each dis- trict. The agreement is signed by Mr. T. H. Deakin, chairman of the owners' representatives, and Mr. W. J. Wat-hen, chairman of the enginemen's representatives; and by Mr. Finlay A. Gibson and Mi-. Tilliain Hopkins, the joint. secretaries.
I ____The Reading Election.
I The Reading Election. I BY T. C. MORRIS. The contest at Reading was fought under cir cum stances which many of my friends both in South Wales and other parts of the country were not acquainted with. It was some six months ago that I was asked by our branches of the N.U.R. at Reading to a How my name to go for- ward before the Selection Committee of the local Labour Party. I consented, because notwith- standing other invitations which had been ex- tended to me, I felt that Reading was the most promising. When the loca l party met there were three nominations, viz. Councillor Quelch, National Socialist Party; Mr. Butler, British Socialist Party: and myself. In the final selec- tion I was successful by a majority of two. The N.S.P., feeling dissatisfied because their nominee had not been chosen, began to clamour for a re- ferendum between Quelch and myself. 1 re- fused personally to submit to such a course, feeling that in view of the fact that having been duly selected in accordance with the constitution of the Labour Party, it was an undignified posi- tion to a..k me to submit. All efforts to bring about an united front failed, and kept the local Labour Party and myself in suspense right up to the eve of the nomination day. I came down and addressed the party upon the local position. found a spirit of enthusiasm and determina- tior to contest the seat, and that within ten days they had collected sufficient money up to this meeting, to allow my name to go forward as the official nominee1. From t hen on I addressed a number of suc- cessful open-air meetings at factories, the mar- ket-place, and held a crowded meeting at the Town Hall, the like of which for enthusiasm and conduct, has in the opinion of Reading people never been known in Reading. Owing to the short space of time from the eve of the nomina- tion tlb the poll I was unable to secure the ser- vices of our national speakers, and had to con- duct the ejection largely with loeal effort. I did not send an address to the absent voters, which hot II Coalition aud Liberal candidates did. It will therefore be seen that 1 was handicapped at the outset, besides the fact that the N.S.P. ran Quelch. The result of the poll showed that I received 8.410 votes, as contrasted with 3,143 given for the Liberal, 1,462 for Quelch. The Coalitionist polled 15,204. At one stage of the counting it was a neck to neck race between us, until the absent voters were thrown in,. which, out of nearly 5,000 sent in, at. least 3,000 to 4,000 wore east in favour of the Coalitionist, which sent him in by a large1 majority. The percentage erf absent voters voting here was nearly 50 per cent- which 1 believe was higher than in any part of the country. The total vote recorded was (¡.J per cent, of the electorate. The vote of the Reading people at home was cast solidly for La- bour, and I have every reason to believe that upon the next occasion Reading will lw won for Labour. Considering that we had no machinery, finance, and the shortness of time1 (ten days), also being a stranger to the town, to poll nearly 9,000 votes is, I venture to submit, no mean achievement. My candidature1 was not as an official from the tnioJl, which made it therefore necessary for the h>eal people to bear the re- ,??Polisibit, The Reading workers rallied to our standard magnificently, and we have accom- plished by our hght unity for the future. The otixens of the town, irrespective of their views, have treated me with the utmost respect and courtesy. 1 he recoption which I have receiveel at their hands will long be renumbered, and fol- low ing the result of the poll I was escorted by t housands, headed by an escort of eiglit police [ se-rgeants. which the Chief Constable had ar- ranged, when we made our way through the principal streets with our supporters to a pro- minent centre In the town and addressed a huge throng from a balcony window. 1 addressed a huge crowd in the marked-place; on Sunday. I am delighteel at the result, and the local Labour Party has grown in power and influence as the result. 1 have decided to again stand for Reading, and we are now proceeding forthwith to get. the organisation built for the Jlext election. We must have some of our stal- warts from South Wales to assist us at meetings in the future, seeing that South Wales has re- ceu eel such a testimony from the local press. I long for another exvasion to hold aloft the ban- ner of Labour. 1 received good wishes from Mr. James Win- stone on behalf of the Miners, also the South Wales Railwaymen and others. The Reading Railw ay men, («eneiral "Workers and Co-opera tors rendered magnificent service. To come1 second out of four candidate's, to sen-ure unity of the workers, to achieve an awakening of Labour and the return of our deposit of £ 150, which the Liberal and the other candidate had to forfeit, this in ten days—well, what do you think of it? The cost of the ejection will work out at 4d. per vote recordeel for us, although we could have spent up to six times as much in accordance with the Act. ft will be one of the cheapest elections in the country. I want to thank out- South Wales friends who kindly contributed to our appeal for financial assistance.
The Blind.
The Blind. TO THE JiUlTOR. Dear Sir,—I r0rtd in last week's Pioneer that Mr. Terrell, the blinel organiser for the •Swanse'a institution for the blind, was present at the Rink (was it in Dowlais or in Aberdare?) last Sunday week, and that h., mad an eloquent appeal to all workers to take a givuter interest in the cause of the sightless. It is a disgrae-e to us that any blind man or any man through no fault of his own who is in- capacitated for the struggle of life should be left without the essentials of a happy, healtbv, human life. In one of his IJOoks Henry George; says: We should think it a sin and a .sham*' if a gioat stoamei, dashing across the ocean, were not brought to a. stop by a signal of distress from the meanest smack at the sight of an in- fant lashed to a spar, the mighty ship would round to, and men would spring to launch a boat in angry seas. Thus strongly does the bond of our common humanity appeal to us when we get beyond the hum of civilised life. And yd-a. miner is entombed alive, a painter falls from a scaffold, a brakeman is crushed in coupling cars, a merchant fails, falls ill \nd die's, and organised society leaves widow and children to degrading alms and bitter want. This ought not to be. Citizenship in a eivillsed community ought of itself to be insurance against such a fate." Readers of the "Pioneer" listell again to the voice1 of John Rusk in: The .i(-h not only refuse food to the poor they re- fuse wisdom: they refuse virtue; they refuse salvation. Ye sheep without shepherd, it is not the pasture that has been shut from you, but. the presenice Meat! perhaps your right to that may he pleadable; but other rights have to be pleaded first. Claim your crumbs from the table, if you will but claim them as children, not as dogs; daim your right to he fed. but claim more ]oud]y your right to be lioly perfect, and purr."—Yours faithfullv, THE BLIND MAN'S FRIEND.