Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
12 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
INew I.L.P. Federation.
I New I.L.P. Federation. SWANSEA VALLIES REORGANISED AT LLANELLY. On Saturday, January 12th, a meeting was held at Llanelly to discuss the formation of an I.L.P, Federation, with Llanelly as its centre. In spite of difficulties of transit, eight branches were represented. After a short. address from the Organiser it was unanimouslv decided to form a Federation. Our old friend Chum" of the Pioneer" was appointed secretary, we wish him well. Mr. T Davies, of Trimsaran, one of the stalwart veterans of the Movement, was made chairman, with Mr. Jack Jones, of Tumble, vice-chairman. Mr. Elia.s Davis, of Llanelly, was appointed treasurer—may he always be overbur- dened with funds! Although starting with eight branches: Llanelly, Burrv Port, Trim- saran, Felinfoel, Tumble, Drefach, Gorsednon, and Loughor, we hope to include at least an- other six in the Federation before long. Llanelly branch has been reformed, and a meeting is to be held at the Athenaeum Hall, Llanelly, on Sunday next, when the Organiser will speak and afterwards meet all comrades and sympathisers. Any branch wishing to have the services of the Organiser should immediately write to Mr. Oliver Harries, 8 Prospect Place, Gorseinon. Tumble. Gorseinon and Felinfoel have already been visited, but Llangennech, Pontardulais, Garnswllt and Tv-Croes have not as yet applied for dates. Any sympathisers wishing to know details of the Federation should write to the Federation Secretary, Mr. Oliver Harries.
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The Bogey of British Bolshevism. PAGE 4..
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I Political Notes
I Political Notes t ————— I By F. W. Jowett. tA CUSHY JOB. [ The list of now Ministers is headed by Sir F. IE. Smith. He is appointed Lord Chancellor with £10,000 a year and a right. to pension at the rate of k;3,000 a year when he leaves office, He is, comparatively, a young man, so the chances are in favour of his drawing a consider- able sum of money from the Teasrurv before he dies. There are at least five ex-Lord Chan- cellors on the pension list, for I can recall so Jnanv to my own recollection. There is the still "lively and 'pugnacious Lord H aIS}mTY' for one, who? although lie is nearly 90 years of age—if he has not already reached that age—is draw- ing his pension and seems as vigorous as ever he was. There are, also, Lords Loreburn, Hal- dane. Buekmaster and Finlay. who suceeed{ Lord Halsbury, in the order named, to the Woolsaek. To the Lord Chancellor and his living predecessors, therefore, the country pays P.3.),000 a year. A LAW-ABIDINC CHANCELLOR! Nominally, the Lord Chancellor presides over the debates in the House of Lords, but ho can- not call anybody to order. His chief duty is to preside when the Law Lords sit as a Court of Appeal and to dispense patronage, legal and ec- clesiastical. According to the manner in which he exercises his power in regard to If-gal patron- age the law of the land may be impartially ad- ministered or it may be deflected for partisan Purposes a.nd class interests. The new Lord Chancellor's respect for the law may be judged by the part he took in the Ulster rebellion and by his pledge, given since the war began, to re- new the rebellion when the war ended, in the the event of the Home Rule Act being enforced. Speaking in September, 1914, he declared that when the war was over we revert to the most extreme fighting position, and Sir Edward Car- (-in rely on every one of us for the most ex- action in prpciselv the same way and to le same degree as lie could have relied upon us if the Government had attempted to put this Bill on the Statute Book before." 'AN OPINION. I This declaration referred to an Act of Parlia- j ment and not to a Bit! and the man who pledged himself to takP part in (1, rebellion against the State if the Act should be put into operation is now entrusted with immense powers of legal patronage. Moreover, he is by nature and training a snob who, notwithstanding his dexterous rhetoric cannot conceal his f'ontempt for the common people. In the troublous times that may soon be upon us his sinister influence Hill tend still further to discredit the adminis- tration of justice, which is a dangerous thiiffe in these days, as the ruling classes may find out filter to their cost. CAPITALISTS' JANITORS IN MINISTRY. I With regard to the new Ministry generally, I j the chief point of importance is that good safe ilieli who will serve a.s janitors in the interests of Capitalism have been put at the head of all I the departments where the State might operate to the disadvantage of the capitalist class for l t the welfare and safety of the community at K !arge. Mr. Andrew Weir, who is at the Minis- try of Munitions (which is to become, later on, [ J the Ministry of Supplies) is a firm upholder of the capitalist system in which he is deeply in- roln=. His first duty will be to see to it that all the State property accumulated during the i War—buildings, plant, machinery and raw ma- terials which is sai$ to have cost not less than £ 1,<X)0,000,000 is safely shepherded into the fold of the profiteers. His next duty will be to turn the current of imported and home supplies of food and raw materia ls, which are at present ^oTlocted in great bulk, at a relatively small cost } for collection into the uncontrolled possession of I Profiteers for exploitation by them. Big com- hines, itlready in existence, are being extended. 3nd new ones are being formed in every trade to take advantage of the organised collection of Supplies in bulk which the Government was forced to undertake during the war. STATE FACTORIES COINC. I The distribution ot vaiuame &tate properties I f acquired for the production of munitions of war rr bas already begun. The Government is in no hurry to demobilise soldiers and sailors, but it is in a terrific haste to dispose of State factories. lilerq are three a.ir factories in process of being Hold, one at Edmonton and two at Renfrew, a large munitions factory at Trafford Park, Man- Chester, and, at Leeds and in Flintshire, sales t of national factories are also expected. No pub- ■ lie body has determined the policy which is being ■ adopted with regard to these State properties or w ill be asked to decide whether the price offered in each case is sufficient. The men remaining on the premises at one of the factories which is for sale state that "entployers are coming round picking out machine tools which will be of use to them, and selecting for purchase high-class machines such as we have never had before." Tills procedure is in startling contrast to that of employers in the engineering trade, .when, in the early part of the war, the Government ap- pealed for machinery and tools for the produc- tion of munitions. It was a subject of general comment among workmen at that time that their employers were willing only to offer the Government the worst- and least useful of their machinery and tools. These the Government- Were practically compelled to accept and pay for because new machinery and tools coukl not then be obtained. AND SHIPPINC. I.. "1. The new Minister ot Shipping i-s OimspJt a. 1 shipping magnate. Sir J. Maclay. Needless to say the sale of the nation's ships has already Vgun, although the .terms of sale arc not dis- closed. What gluttons for profits the shipowners to whom the nation's ships are being sold really are, Sir Leo Money has recently told the public. In the fiz-st two years of the war, when the State had not requisitioned ships or controlled freight charges the shipowners of this country made a net profit of about 300 million pounds sterling. Sir Leo Money has also stated that the capital value of their ships rose during the war by an- other 300 million pounds sterling. The ship- owners can therefore be trusted to look after themselves when they are buying ships from Sir J. Maclay. They might make a show of sub- mitting competitive prices, but they will pro- bably arrange which firm is to make the highest offer in each ca.se and adjust their respective in- terests arising out of the transactions privately between themselves. WHAT OF RAILWAYS? I I- At the Board of Trade the capitalists janitor- l ists' ja,nitor- in-charge is Sir Albert Stanley, whose associa- tion with railway shareholders is well-known. If nationalisation of railways must be adopted as a i policy then he will be there to see the nation is sold a pup." Likewise, he may ho trusted to steer the nation into the grip of electric power syndicates for the supply of electricity, if the scheme for the erection of big generating stations is adopted. OVERSEAS TRADE. I Another indication of the policv of the new Ministry is the appointment of Sir A. D. Steel- Ma itla nd, the "tariff-reformer," io take charge of the new department for the development of overseas trade. For the more effective perforni- ance of his duties he ha.s been made under-secre- tary to the Foreign Office as we]! as to the; Bojuxl of Trade. One of his duties will doubtless! he to formulate pla-ns for making the nigger" pay, this will di-aw the public off the scent" when it is in danger of finding out that the elec- tion promise to make the Germans pay the war debt was only an election" stunt." after all. By restricting the market for tropical produce the native producer will be obliged to sell cheap an'! •• re lb" white f>1,t: !»»*J'vn. A be- ginning ha.s already been made with pine kernels. INTERNATIONAL SITUATION. Whilst the Government is preparing for this capitalist rinip at home and the fires of in- dustrial unrest are smouldering underneath, the! Allied Governments are plunging Europe into deeper confusion and ruin by their mad schemes of Imperialism fostered in an atmosphere of hatred and lies. As the New Republic says: "they arc dealing with the consequences of an! enervating and exhausting war in a spirit of mutual suspicion and aggressive self-assertion which was responsible for the war itself." The New Republic" goes on to say that "all over Europe, in Germany, Dalmatia, Poland, Russia and Hungary, armed forces are seizing coveted territory in defiance or irrespective of interna- tional equity, and the will of the inhabitants, and they are doing so because the active and aggressive ruling classes of the several nations have no faith in a. just solution of the problems of the war. They know that the European vic- tors are far more interested in increasing their own power than they are in reconstructing the world according to principles of international fair dealing and co-operation. The Poles, who seized Ruthenian territory, are only following the example of the French in claiming the left bank of the Rhine or the Italians in occuping Dalmatia. INDIFFERENCE OF THE POEPLE. It is into this welter of conflicting interests- with some schemes favoured by our own rulers thrown into the turgid pool—that the policy of secret understandings pursued first by Lord Lansdowne and then by Lord Grey, under the patronage, if not the inspiration of the late King Edward until his death, has brought the British people. For this, 750,000 British men have been slain in battle, and the mind of the British peo, pie has been so far turned from understanding and the heart of the British people has been so hardened, by war and the ways of war, that no cry of indignation" has been heard in the land against the punishment by starvation of millions iliv f,,ttilt 1*?s that they were of P(?ople 1%-Iiosc- 0 ? our niislt?d, ol? cl i?ii-pia, rulers eve,, worse than oui-
Events in Russia.
Events in Russia. KROPOTKIN IN FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET. 1 he F reilicit," organ of the Independent Socialists, publishes a. Russiavi Government wirloiess message announcing the formation of a Supreme National Commit-tee of Defence to unify the military efforts of the country against the Allied intervention. All Socialist parties, including the Mensheviks and Left Socialist Re- volutionaries, are represented on the Committee, and the president is Lenin himself. The Central Committee of the Menshevik party has issued a special manifesto calling for unity of action with the Soviet Government, and it,s leader, Abramoviteh, has been delegated to the Centra] Committee of the Soviets. The Zurich Yolksreclit reproduces a Rus- sian Government wireless message categorically denying the report in the capitalist papers of the arrest of Peter Kropotkin. Kropotkin. the message asserts, is enjoying complete freedom and is in friendly relations with the Soviet Gov- ernment. In view of the daily press statements that Prince Kropotkin has been murdered, we think this message of great importance.
IRebuilding the International
I Rebuilding the International THE TASK OF THE LAUSANNE CONFER- ENCE. MACDONALD AND MRS. SNOWDEN IN BRITISH DELECATION. Arrangements for the International Labour and Socialist Conference at Lausanne are, so far as the British delegation is concerned, now practically complete. The British delegates, re- presenting both the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress and the National Executive of the Labour Party, will probably be in Lausanne before theso lines appear. Since the publication of the original list of British delegates there have been, for various reasons, some withdrawals, and the list now includes Messrs. G. H. Stuart-Bunning, J. H. Thomas, M.P., Jas. Sexton, M.P., R. Shirkie, T. Green- all, and Miss Margaret Bondfield for the Par- liamentary Committee; and Messrs. C. T. Cramp, J. McGurk, Arthur Henderson, J. Rani- say Macdonald, and Mrs. Snowden for the La- bour Party Executive. The Conference has been convoked on a triple summons issuing from the Committee appointed by the Inter-Allied Conference to those organisations invited to at- tend the several Inter-Allied conferences, to the organisations in neutral countries from M. Branting, and to the organisations in the coun- tries of Central Europe. Questions arising in regard to the claims of differem sections and groups to be represented in the Conference it is hoped to deal with on the spot. An important International Socialist Bureau is expected to as- semble in Latisanne at the same tnne as the General Conference to discuss these matters. It is suggested that the Conference itself will be organised in two section&oni, representing political Labour, and the other the trade-union wing, and that joint sessions will be arranged between them. CO-OPERATION. It may be po.nted out that European Labour by no means finds any difficulty in co-operation as between the political and industrial sections of the organised movement, and resolute efforts will be made to overcome the prejudices that exist in other quarters in order to make the conference at Lausanne as complete and united as it ought to be in view of the importance of the work which it is called upon to take in hand. The separation of the trade univWi and the poli-! tically organised movement in any country at; the present time would obviously be a calamity: the conference has been called mainly for the purpose of focussing working-class opinion upon the question of peace. The aim is to enable in- ternational Labour to speak with one voice, and not two, upon the problems of the peace, and to bring to bear the whole weight of the organised working-c lasses of the world upon the Govern- ments assembled in Paris. THE THREE MAIN TASKS. There are three questions of outstanding im- portance with which the Lausanne Conference will be required to deal: (1) the immediate estab- lishment of a League of Nations as the first step in the direction of world pacification, and as an essential preliminary to the discussion of prob- lems of a territorial, political, and economic character involved in the final settlement: (2) the formulation of a Charter of Labour Legisla- tion, designed to equalise industrial conditions in every country and to remove as far as pos- sible the economic antagonisms of nations which lead to war; and (3) the shaping of a policy in relation generally to the revolutionary move- ments in Central and Eastern Europe, and es- pecially to agree upon proposals for helping the Russian people to deal with the problems of in- ternal unsettlement. A further question of con- siderable importance from the working-class point of view is the reconstitution of the workers' International, and it is hoped that at Lausanne agreements will be registered which will bring into being a strong and comprehensive interna- tional organisation, in which political Labour and the trade unions will be able to function side by side without overlapping or hostility.
IMerthyr's Rates.
Merthyr's Rates. SECOND HICHEST IN THE COUNTRY. Merthyr's rates were a subject of discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the Merthyr Finance Committee when it was reported that the town occupied the second highest position amongst the boroughs of the country in respect to the rates for the current financial year, the list being headed by West Ham. Merthyr's rate for the year amounted to 13s. 8d. in the £ and that of West Ham to 14s. Mr. L. M. Francis pointed out that £ 170,000 had been spent since 1905 on school buildings, the incorporation of the borough had earriect with it the necessity for additional levies of rates and the water undertaking of the Corpor- ation was also responsible for a "good deal" of the rates for the payment of interest alone on the money borrowed for the works equalled a levy "of 3d. in the £ Further, the overseers had been obliged to make considerable abate- ments and allowances in regard to public houses, business premises and colliery and industrial undertakings, and that accounted to a very large extent for the present high rates. With a return to normal times he anticipated that the rates would again drop to about 12s. lOd. in the 7e. Mr. F. A. Phillips drew attention to the bur- den of annual payments miHh. by the Town Council to tlw Glamorgan County Council since incorporation, apd moved that immediate action should be b krft, and that the County Powers Committee should be asked to consider the posi- tion with a view to adjustment. The motion was I cnr'ried, and it was further decided that the overseers of the parish should also be requested to agains discuss the question of direct payment of rates.
The 'Knock'Em-Down' Speech.
The 'Knock'Em-Down' Speech. RINK MEETING LAUGHS AT SIR EDCAR JONES, 0 AND HIS INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE. There was another crowded house at the Rink last Sunday when Clem Bundock, the London Correspondent to the National Labour Press, was the speaker. Mr. Dai Morris occupied the chair, and before the speaker was called upon a resolution was passed condemning the pogroms in Poland and Galitia on the motion of Council- lor L. M. Francis, seconded by Mr. Bert Brobyn. Mr. Bundock said that though the 5 old I.L.P. M.P.'s had paid the price of their allegiance to principle, the Party had gained three seats, two! in Scotland and one in England. In addition there were many trades union nominees who had been successful in. the election who were sound and loyal members of the I.L.P., so that, as a matter of fact, it was probably accurate to say that there were more I.L.P.ors in the present House of Commons than there were in the last. (Cheers.) r Dealing with the proposal to launch a vigorous anti-I.L.P. propaganda, espoused by Sir Edgar Jones at his Merthyr meeting last week, the speaker welcomed the move. I should like to see the Coalition speaker putting his case on that side of this table against R. C. Wallhead on this side." (Cheers.) I venture to suggest that Sir Edgar Jones if he pursues that policy is going to make his defeat certain at the next election. (Cheers.) PERSONAL VIOLENCE. I But there was something more serious in the speech of Sir Edgar Jones when he said that the men who talked that stuff deserves to be knocked down on the spot whenever you meet him and if any man carrying public responsibil- ity or holding public office in this borough is heard talking like that, let's know about it, and we will have him out." (Laughter.) That was direct incitement to personal violence by persons who termed us Bolshevists. That was the '■ new Liberalism "—(cheers)—Coalition Liberalism. If the man in the street did not see your point of view—knock him down. (Laughter.) The Party for which we stood opposed that idea of personal violence, but the calibre of thousands of our supporters was such that if the lamentable ad- vice of Sir Edgar Jones was follewed there would be two Mdes to that also. (Cheers.) He did not advocate that kind of thing, because he be- lieved its adoption would be to the detriment and degradation of the political life of this country.
A Labour Protest.
A Labour Protest. SEQUEL TO THE COMPILATION OF MER- I THYR'S VOTINC RECISTER. I It was reported to the Merthyr Finance Uom- mittee on Tuesday that the compilation of the new Parliamentary and Municipal register un- der the Representation of the People Act, 1918, had cost £ 757 14s. 6d. A request being made for the circulation of a report giving details of the accounts, the Town Clerk (Mr. T. A. Rees) said that it was not necessary for him to submit the expenses provided he kept within the scale, governing the charges. Counsel's opinion that he had taken confirmed this view. Thereupon, Mr. L. M. Francis objected to what lie called secrecy. There was an impres- sion abroad, he went on, that some people were "making a pile" out of the register. If that was incorrect then the impression should be removed. As an overseer he was not going to levy money on the ratepayers unless he knew how that money was spent. There was a feeling in the town that money was being squandered so far as the Town Hall was concerned, and that there were people engaged in the Town Hall who were making a considerable amount of money out of these things. That was not good for the town or the members of the Corporation who were often told that they were in collusion with the officials. The Town Clerk, in reply, remarked that a de- tailed account of the expense had been prepared and could be inspected and checked by the members of the committee. I have nothing to hide," he added. I should not be such a fool as I am appointed by the Local Government Board and have to submit a statement of every penny expended to the Treasury and the Local Government Board." Ultimately it was agreed, with the assent of the Town Clerk, that the statement of account should be circulated amongs the members.
Russia's Protest.I
Russia's Protest. I The Soviet Government has sent out through I its Wireless Stations the following protest t against the Allied intervention, the t:> text of which is published in the German Socialise Press:— "At the moment when the armies of the En- tente are crossing the frontiers, and its navies are approaching the coasts of the former Rus- sian Empire, the Government of the Soviet Re- public once more raises a solemn protest, in face of the wide masses of the people of the Entente countries, the misled and misguided soldiers and sailors of their armies and navies, and the la- bouring brothers of the entire world. Against this wanton attack to destroy the. liberties and the political and socia l life of the people of an- other country, the Soviet. Government protests. The Russian Republic had offered peace to the countries of the Entente, but their Governments ignored this offer, and the present attack is their reply. The Socialist Soviet Republic is still prepared to make peace. Tt relies on its faithful and gallant Red Army to repel fliesc- attacks, and throws the responsibility for re- newed bloodshed upon those who are about to attack its frontiers and who continue the policy ef oppression in the occupied territories.
I Newport Water Supply.
I Newport Water Supply. IJOINT BOARD WITH MERTHYR REJECTED BY CORPORATION. I POLL TO BE TAKEN ON TALYBONT SCHEME. The question of a water-supply from Merthyr has been discussed again at length by the New- port Town Council. At a special meeting on Monday the Newport Corporation decided to obtain a poll of the ratepayers on the question of proceeding with the Talybont water scheme. Alderman T. Parry, chairman of the waterworda committee, who proposed the motion, said he thought it was a matter of regret that the rate* pajers' meeting did not give the corporation the necessary powers to proceed with the Bill. That meeting was thoroughly orga.nised by the Labour- Party, which voiced two main objections to the scheme, viz., that they thought the cost of he water scheme would jeopardi a housing scheme, and they wanted an extension of the tramways from the existing terminus on Corporation-roa4 to the Channel Dry Docks. The Labour repre- sentatives had since told him that it was in- tended to construct a new dry dock and build new workshops on the east side of the River tTsk, which would give employment to about 2,000 hands. The alternative schemes spoken of to Talybont were impracticable, and it was im- possible to re-open negotiations with Merthyr. The Newport Corporation had already spent £2,000 to £3,000 upon the promotion of the Bill, and this would be lost unless the ratepayers gave their support. I" PULLING THE STRINCS." During a discussion at a further meeting of the Town Council on Tuesday, Mr E. A. Charles, referring to the offer of the Merthyr Council to form a. Joint Water Board with Newport, said that Merthyr could supply them with water at 4d. per thousand gallons, but because the New- port label was on the Talybont water they were going to pay Is. a thousand for it. Mr. W. A. Linton said Merthyr was very anxious to take up Newport. There was a time when Newport waited eighteen months or a re- ply from Merthyr, and that when Newport were possible customers of Merthyr for L24,000 a year in perpetuity. Now Merthyr realised that she had spent one-half of her authorised capital, done one-fourth of the work at the reservoir, and would find that the rest of the work would cost them a good deal more than their estimates. Now their remedy was to rope in Newport, having discovered that they had 4,000,000 gal- lons to spare, and he heard that day there was another 3,000,000 gallons from somewhere. He did not blame Merthyr. If Newport joined them it would be Merthyr's salvation. Mr. C. Thomas asked whv were they continu- ally bringing up Merthyr. Tliev were all against joining Merthyr. Someone. was pulling the strings for Merthyr. Only two voted for Mr. Charles' motion in favour of a joint board with Merthyr. It was decided to adjourn the resolution con- firming the propriety of proceeding with the Talybont scheme until after the result of the poll of the ratepayers o ftlie town.
Labour and The Peace Conference.
Labour and The Peace Conference. BRITISH CONFERENCE CALLED. Although it is uncertain at the moment whether International Labour will meet at Lau- sanne to discuss the Peace Treaty, it is none the less important for Labour to watch very car&- fully the proceedings at Versailles, and to have a clear and definite policy on the terms of peace and the questions arising therefrom. The La- bour Research Department Conference on In- ternational La-boui "Legislation and the Peace Treaty, which is to be held on Saturday, Febru- ary 8th. at 3 p.m., at 23 Totliill-street, West- minster, is therefore of particular importance and urgency to all who are interested in the matter. Among the speakers will be Mr. Sydney Webb, Mr. John Turner (Secretary, Shop Assist- ants' Union) and Mr. L. S. Woolf (anthor of "In- ternational -Government