Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
4 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
Advertising
THEATRE ROYAL & EMPIRE PALACE, Medhyr I Licensee—Mr. Will Smithson. Managing Director—Mr. William Firth. S General Manager—Mr. Fred Dry. 5 ) 6.30 TWICE NIGHTLY. 8.30 ? ROTH PFRFORMANCM PRECISELY THE SAME. I j Week commencing MONDAY, JANUARY 27th, 1919. I = —— —-— I- Messrs. H. Armitage and Arthur Leigh's Popular Company I N WILL PRESENT I t Monday, Tuesday & Wedneaday Rex Beach s Romance— I THE BARRIER. >  { I Thursday and Saturday—Charles Klein's Masterpiece I { THE LION AND THE MOUSE I Friday OnIY-HaddOnpASŠ1ERSY- BY I j PASSERS BYE  I CIRCLE STALLS PIT GALLERY I I Pr!cesofA?!sstM:&r!Mn?DMrs— Is. 5d. 1/- 7d. 4d. I Tax, 4d. Tax, 3d. Tax, 2d. Tax, Id. I Booked and Reserved-Circle, 1j8-Tax 4d.; Stalls, 1/2 -Tax 4d. J  I Merthyr Electric Theatre r" It commencing Monday, January 27th. '1' I Mertmm!d!aua!:eatre I I: CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE FROM 2.30 TILL 10.30 P.M. DAILY. 1= t ? Monday Tuesday, and Wednesday- I Versatile GLADYS BROCKWELL in I 1- "FOR LIBERTY!" j I COUNT BERNSTORFF'S SECRETS, Part 1. I — The Story of the German Spy-Plots in America. — 1 I Charlie Chnplin in CHARLIE THE PERFECT LADY. Pathe's Coloured Pictorial and Pathe's Gazette. I Thursday, Friday, and Saturday— I "LEST WE FORGET" I The Magni¢ Super- D rama of Love and Danger, introducing the Memorable J Sinking of the" Lusitania." S ■ I THE PICTURE' WRITER-Short Drama. I Charlie Chaplin in THE FLOORWALKER. II I THE ROMANCE OF OLIVE, Part 3. N Pathe's Gazette, &c. m (PRICES: 5d., 9d., 1/3 including Tax. Children: 3d., 5d. & 8d. I N Children's Performance at One o'clock on Saturdays. I S Ordinary Saturday Performance starts at 3.30 o'clock. Other Days 2.30 as usual. g It .It' .i — nV"*7C« ?'? unrivalled for all Irregularities, etc., they LBLLAAN'CHARD"S speedily ord relief and never fail to alleviate a" suffering. They supersede Pennyroyal, Pill Dil l W Cochia, Bitter, Apple, &c. Blanchard's are the ■ best of all Pills for Women. Sold in bOxOS, <?2, by BOOTS' Branches and all Chemists, or post free, same price, (romi LESLIE MARTIN, Ltd., Chemists, 34 Dalston Lane, London. Samples and valuable booklet sent free, 1d. stamp. A Note to Parents Your chief consideration is the welfare of your sons and daughters. Do you know that your child will be assured of a good situation if W trained by us ? LOVIS'S COMMERCIAL SCHOOL IS THE PREMIER SCHOOL OF ITS KIND. It is the open door to the BEST BUSINESS POSITIONS, and guar- antiees permanent and lucrative employment to all its Students. The demand for highly trained and really competent Shorthand Typists is very much greater than the supply. We make a Speciality of every Student Special SHORTHAND AND TYPEWRITING classes are now form- ing. Lessons are given daily at all hours, the times being arranged to meet the oonvenienoe of Students. FEES MODERATE. SUCCESS GUARANTEED. Call and see the Principal- J. HENRY LOVIS, P.C. T., F.C. T.S. (Inc.), (Author of the Progressive Correspondence Course in Pitman's Shorthand), 9 Cross Thomas Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Hours of Enrolment 9 to 11 a.m. Daily. Pff* SPIRITUALISM. OW Visit of the Queen of Orators to Merthyr. SPECIAL SERVICES will be held in connec- tion with the above cause at St. Tydfil's Spiritualist Society, Angel Buildings, Merthyr, on Sunday and Monday, January 26 and 27, 1910 when Addresses will be given by Mrs. JENNIE WALKER (Late of Canada). Meetings to Commence:—Sunday, 11 a.m. 2.30 and 6 p.m.; Monday evening at 7.30 p.m. Clairvoyance at each meeting. SILVER COLLECTION AT ALL MEETINGS. A Treat for all who come and a Hearty Welcome. MERTHYR DISTRICT MINERS. CENTRAL LABOUR COLLECE CLASSES. ECONOMIC CLASSES under the above aus- E pices will recommence at AnP} Buildings, FRIDAY XIGHT NEXT, at 7.15 p.m. Teacher: MR. NOAH ABLETT (Miners' Agent). HOPE CHAPEL, MERTHYR. SUNDAY, JANUARY 26th, 1919. Preacher- Rev. J. Morgan Jones, M.A. SUBJECT-" SLEEP." Servloes to begin at 11 o'olook and 6 p.m. nrAnimO CATARRH, HEAD NOISES, easily cured !!hAhNr\?? days by the new ("FRENCH DEAFNESSO RiLENE." 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 hear as well as ever I equid 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 age." Many other equally good reports. I Try one box to-day, which can be forwarded to any address upon the receipt of money order for 2/9. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER AT ANY PRICE. Address, ORLENE Co., Railway Crcscent, West Croydon, 8urrey, Eng MERTHYR I.L.P. Course of Economic Lectures AT BENTLEY'S HALL, by Mr. J. T. WALTON NEWBOLD, M.A. Lecture 1-Monday, February 27th— "THE BECINNINCS OF CAPITALISM" (Industry and Commerce before 1760). Lecture 2-Tuesday, February 28th— "THE INPUSTRIAL REVOLUTION" (Its influence 011 the Iron Industry of Mer- thyr and District). Lecture 3-Wednesday, February 29th— "THE CLASS STRUCCLE IN MERTHYR AND MONMOUTH (1796-1848). Lecture to Commence at 7.30 each evening. THE MERTHYR TYDFIL WAR PENSIONS COMMITTEE R EQ l IRE an additional malt. Clerk at their Central Office. Salary 1:2 10s. per week. Must be an efficient Correspondent and Account- ant. Preference will be given to a capable dis- charged sailor or soldier. Applications, with particulars of age, quali- fications and not more tlian three testimonials, endorsed Clerk," must reach the undersigned not later than first post Thursdav, 30th January, 1919. r TREVOR THOMAS, Secretary. Victoria Chambers, Merthyr Tydfil. SWANSEA I.L.P. PRIZE DRAW INC. WINNING Numbers: 7304, 881, 3460, 7138, (32(H), 3804, 7024, 2038, 2394, 3463, 4525.— Applications for prizes to be made to the Treasurer, I.L.P., Central Hall, Swansea. WANTED a Checkweigher at No. 4 Main Colliery, who must be a financial member of the South Wales Miners' Federation. -Apply to John Ware, 14 Dynevor Road, Skewen, not later than January 31st (first post). SITUATIONS VACANT. GENERAL Servant wanted; small family; no children; wages t40 a year; each even- ing free, 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday afternoon and evening off; private house, and very com fort- able home help given; fare paid.—Apply, Cox, 44 Barrowgate Road, Chiswick (near London).
A Query To You!
A Query To You! WE are reproducing elsewhere in this issue the latest information available from American sources respecting our Californian comrades' fight for the life and liberty of Tom Mooney and the punishment of his brutal capitalist persecu- tors and their tools. We join with those com- rades in demanding not the gift of liberty and life to Mooney as a gracious condescension to Labour's persistence and determination, but as a matter of bare justice. And our demand fits in with theirs. Our attitude is not that of in- terfering and meddlesome neighbours. Our re- cognition of the class basis of society has de- molished the narrow boundaries of nationalism which partition the peoples. The war that the wage-earning masses of California wage on their opposing capitalists—a war in which Mooney's case is an incident—is our- war. They are but a battalion in the same battlefront as the South Wales Miners and the Clyde engineers, and our support and assistance is necesary to both of us. At the same time we are aware that the apathy of our own workers in the matter of the equally brutal persecutions of our political pri- soners, who are suffering penal impositions not less, but rather more, horrible in their effects on the individuals than the more romantic and con- spicuous sentence that has been passed upon Tom Mooney. Whether it be better to die quickly at the hand of the public executioner after a fort- night's knowledge that that fate is impending, or to be subjected to a malicious persecution that dogs like a haunting spectre through long weeks and months until the health slowly fails, and the mind weakens in its grip on reality, and a dawning consciousness of physical and mental decay adds its horror to the knowledge of the individual, is a theme upon which we need not dwell, except to point out that the picture is a true reproduction of the position in the two countries. Mooney is sentenced to die, and pre- sumably receives the benefits of the condemned in San Quentin Prison. Guy Aldred and a thou- sand others are merely sentenced to periods of imprisonment after ill-treatment of varying de- grees of intensity, in the military camps of the country, and are then subjected to treatment that breaks them into sad travesties of their former selves, if they are fortunate enough to be rugged enough to escape the scythe of King Death, or his more horrible brother, the Prince of Mental Darkness. Tom Mooney's offence was his sincerity in the cause of Californian trade- union organisation; Guy Aldred's his sincere conviction that war was an evil thing with which lie could not treat. The method of their convic- tion was not dissimilar. In Mooney's case the law was set aside by the false evidence of bribed perjurers; in Aldred's the legal safe- guards .were ignored and brushed aside. The same test of loyalty has been applied to each, and they have both stood the test. Both are the victims of the class-interest and class-prejudices of the class that the workers the world over have to fight. And we are indignant in the case of Mooney, and determined to aid in the fight the while we are smugly unconscious of the infamy that hides behind our own prison walls, or breathes a mouthful of freer air only under the iniquitious cat and mouse act and after the horrors of hunger strikes. How long are men whose sincerity but gains lustre from comparison with that of any in the nation, whose courage will not be dimmed by any test that courage can bear, how long shall they be called upon to suffer fates worse than those re- served for the worst of society's felons? Just so long as you who rage over the fate of a Mooney or a Nurse Cavell are content to shrug your shoulders and turn away when the case of the C.O. is mentioned. You are impotent only because you choose to be. Yourllove of freedom, your earnestness for a new state of things, your sincerity for democracy and progress are asses- sible by your attitude towards those whose sincerity so markedly contrasts with your own. When you will it they will be free. When they are freed by your efforts you will wield more power in your demands outside the boundaries that have been set for you by your masters, who are your masters by grace of your will that they shall be. Hands off Ru ssia! Oh. yes, you cheer' ) Give Mooney a new trial! Good j Those things are hundreds of miles away. What about these others at home ? What about Guv Aldred and his like? l ✓
Labour Notes.I
Labour Notes. TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP. It is impossible as yet to obtain anything like lull figures as to the growth of trade unions in 1918. But already from what figures have been published it seems pretty clear that the high rate of increase of the years 1916 and 1917 was well maintained 1a.st year. With the cessation of wartime employment and the probability of large numbers beitig out of work, a diminution in num bers will now have to be guarded against. In this connection it is interesting to note that the Government's scheme for Emer- gency Donation Benefits (in the administration of which the trade unions have been allowed no say) is likely to prove an adverse factor for the acquisition and retention of new members. NO NATIONAL FACTORIES. J he Government is dispelling the fears of pri- vate traders by disposing at top speed of all its factories, some in the open market, some (and t-Hese generally the best) by the far less eredi- ta ble method of private treaty between The Ministry of Munitions and the large firms, "ft was feared, said Sir Eric Geddes on demobili- sation, "that the Government proposed to em- bark on industrial ventures, but. there was no foundation for that. The Cabinet had decided that it would manllfactun in national factories no articles requiring sales organisation. A cer- tain number would be maintained purely for munitions and special Government purposes there was no intention of retaining them for the manufacture or sale of trade articles. Some of the factories wore being sold to industrial con- cerns. co-operative societies, trade unions, if they wanted to take up manufacture, and local authorities. (Those which are being offered to trade unions, if any, are- as the Times was kind enough to point out for us a little while ago, those which would be of no use to private manufacturers). So much for the thoroughly soc ial and practical demands of the shop stew- ards at Aintree. Waldon. and elsewhere. SWEATINC IN ACRICULTURE. I he agricultural minimum rates, which run between 30; and 33 in the ma jority of coun- ties, are so low that it must still be regarded as a sweated industry. Even >0. however, farmers in several cases have forced' on the la- bourers' yearly hiring contracts providing for payment at less than the minimum wage. This is. of course, quite- illegal, and the Agrc-ultural ages Boaif! draws attention to the fact. In certain trade union quarters the opinion is pi- press*ed that a. series of prosecutions followed by smart penalties would W a better means of bringing the farmers into a proper state of mind. WHO IS TO PAY FOR THE WAR? I lie AssiHiation 01 ,Cha mbprs of Commerce have decided that they at any rat? are not ?gi)ltlg to pay. rhey may have profiteered and made a good thing out 0/ it, but footing tho bill is another matter. The German working- class is to pay for everything. Incidentally, the bondage which this entails upon German workers would react unfavourably upon British workers. But, leaving that apart. it is clear from the Chamber of Commerce programme that thev will be able to get rid of the Excess Profits Tax (if Germany pays all). and perhaps the super- tax too. This sort of proposal is to be carefullv watched. It simply uses the cloak of patriotism to disguise the commercial objection to any capi- tal levy or other method of refunding the swollen profits of the war period. NO RAILWAY NATIONALISATION. years an increasing demand for nationali- sation of our railways has. been voiced by La- bour. It was demanded on many grounds, amongst them being the \Lstt> and inefficiency of the present system by which the interests of the shareholders arc considered first and the public last. In August, 1918, a select commit- tee of the House of Commons was appointed to inquire into Transport. It reported before, the close of the last session, and even in its tepid report it. was forced to the conclusion that "uni- fication" wa.s necessary, though it carefully al- lowed for this unification" being carried out by the formation of one big railway trust, under Government control and possiblv with Govern- ment subsidy. Was this last wha.t Mr. Churchill meant when lie said in his electioneering speech that the Government had decided to nationalise th^rrailways? If so, it is not go<xl enough. But whatever he the Government Measure, we are now told that it must be postponed, indefinitely. Wliat does this mean? And what has caused this evasion of Mr. Churchill's pledge? We do not know for certain. But it is significant that a railway manager. Sir Albert Stanlev, is now at the head of the Board of Trade. We note. too, the signific.ant sentence in which the South Eastern :alld Chatham Railway. in announcing that Sir George Younger has become a director, say that he will be useful because of his posi- tion in Parliament. Sir Georce Younger is the Unionist Chief Whip. >, WHAT ABOUT THE PLEDGES TO WOMEN? I The Government Committee, on Equal Pay seems by all accounts to be working very hard; but as to its conclusions and when they will ap- pear, we are left entirely in the dark. We learn that the Committee are taking into con- sideration the pledges made by the Government to pay equal rates to men and women on skilled work, and the way in which these have been ful- filled. Among all who have any acquaintance with the subject it is a matter of common know- ledge that the Government has quite impudently broken its word, both by allowing deductions to be made, and by refusing to the women advances granted to the men since May, 1917. But there is a very large number of people who have no acquaintance with the subject, and for this rea- son we are very anxious that the Committee's views on the Government's actions should be put on public record at the earliest Possible oppor- tunity, not delayed until everyone has forgotten all about them. If the Committee's Report on the whole principle of equal pay cannot be pub- lished soon—and from all we know of the sub- ject the last trumpet may well have sounded before they have reached any conclusion—an In- terim Report on the pledges is perfectly pos- sible, and we would urge all Labour men to press for its publication without delay. In these days, when Coalition promises have re- cently been handed out as largesse by irrespon- sible ministers trembling for their seats, it is as well that all should be reminded that piecrust is made to be broken. MILITARISM IN THE AIR. I The Report of the Civil Transport Com pi it tee makes very disquieting reading. The Commit- tee sceni to have- bowed on almost every point to the wishes of the military authorities, and it seems likely that, if they have their way, the- development uf the air service in this coiinti, v will be made entirely subordinate to the Jun- kers. The sovereignty of each State over the air above1 its territory -Is to extend right up to the sky, lest foreign aircra-ft Qiould have un- I, desirable opportunities for espoinage," a-ad on this point the Committee understand that "th views of the Foreign Office and of the naval and military advisers of the Crown are unchanged." Similarly, the Draft Bill which they present. provides that no person shall own aircraft who is not a British subject or naturalised. The | Committee. wish to emphasise the need that all established commercial air routes with their aerodromes and landing-stages should be suit- able for strategical and tactical use in the event of war, and the need of the rapid convertibility in the same event of types of commercial air- craf t to military use; and they think it essen- tial that the output of military and naval air- craft should be kept up after the war. With re- gard to the means and methods to lie used for the development of the industry after thenar, the Committor could not make up their minds; they realise that some State action is necessary, and apparently incline to the view that it should be given in the form of State subsidies to un- lettered private firms-lest the firms should be angry and refuse to make aircraft. Labour, in their eyes, .presents no special problems, except, that much of the labour now employe! will have to be discharged (what is to happen to it then they do not state), and that there are too many Unions concerned. ITieir own participation in the problem, they think, should begin and end w ith the recommendation that in the considera- tion of the subject the parties should have in mind the principles underlying the Whitley Re- poit, and should approach the problem in the spirit of that Report." The only good thing in the whole document is the Minority Report of the Chairman of the La- bour Committee, Mr. H. G. Wells, who soundly rates the whole Committee for timidity, weak- ness, and indecision, accusing them of failing to appreciate the importance of the Labour prob- lem, or to bring any imagination to bear upon the prospects afforded by the development of this great new service, and offers them a series of suggestions. This is good reading. But if, as the Committee actually state, it is to be clearly understood that military considera- tions must, override all others in the matter of aerial transport, then the prospects of a League of Nations and of any universal peace are black indeed.
Miners' Grievances.-
Miners' Grievances. THREATENED STRIKE ACTION AT DOWLAIS. FICHT FOR UNION RECOCNITION. Strike action is threatened by the Dowlais miners if certain of their demands to their em- ployers, Messrs. Guest, Keen and Xettlefolds (Ltd.) relative to the position arising from de- mobilisation of soldier-miner.s and to wages and working-hours conditions of workmen engaged at the company's washeries in Dowlais are not conceded. After discussing the various matters of griev- ance a mass meeting of the miners of the dis- trict passed this resolution :— I hat we insist upon re-instatement of evel-v QI.]t.;¡,,<'d soldier ?ho entered the army from the Dowlais an'a (?)])('ries irresp?tive of the date of previous employment, and we, further, offer full and effective protection to all of our mem- bers (members of the Dowlais district of the South Wales Miners' Federation) who are (or may be) served with notice to leave until we are satisfied that every other available means have been adopted to secure the reinstatement of our returned soldiers. We also request the owners of our local collieries to withdraw the notices now- pending, failing which we ififi-n. our detei mi nation to withdraw our members from these collieries on the first dav such no- tices become ojjerative. We would point out to the employers the general state of extreme dis- repair. both underground and on the surface, of these collieries which necessitates the imme- diate employment of a large number of miners." The men under notice are .workers who en- tered the mines after August, 1914, and were, due, to finish employment to-morrow (Saturday). Mean while, however, Air. S. O. Davies (agent to the Dowlais miners) has made representations to the management the result of which is that the notices have been suspended. The conten- tion of the miners and their leaders is that were the repairs, alleged to he necessarv at the various collieries, taken in hand, there would be a sufficiency of employment for all men alreadv engaged, together with those who mav Iw dis- charged from the forces. NO OVERTIME OR SUBSTITUTION. In addition To the above resolution it was de- cided: Pliat alK- overti me shall henceforward cease in this district, and that no workman em- ployed regularly in one class of work in any dis- trict of a colliery shall substitute any absent- workman in iny otlici- class of work or in any other district of the colliery. Similarly, no un- derground workman shall substitute any absent surface workman or vice-versa. WASHERY WORKERS' POSITION. The dispute regarding the wagas and working- hours of washery workmen shortly resolves itself into a fight for union recognition Originallv the men engaged at the washeries at the Dowlaas Works were members of the Workers' Union, but in November last fliev-regaixied as colliery worknwll in —were admitted into the South Wales Miners Federation, and as such they claim to be regarded as parties to the Surface Workers' Hours Agreement, and thus to be en- titled to the benefits accruing from that reform measure—a 49 hours' week and a minimum weekly wage of £3 4s. 9d. The applicatibn of that agreement to this class of workers was re- sisted by the employers, who declined to recog- nise the validity of their claim. Washerv work- men's full week consisted of 63 hours (inclusive of meal times) and those on tonnage rates earned from £ 2 14s. to t3 10s., and day-wage men from t2 9s. 3d. to £ 3 3s., the majority in each case being on the lower grades." EMPLOYERS DECLINE TO CONFER. Lltimately the men took the matter into their own hands, the employers (although invited to do so) having failed to make the adjustment of hours, etc.. in consultation with the miners' officials and are now working 49 hours a week. But 011 being paid for their week's work thev were remunerated according to ;'5} shifts per week instead of six. On the 49 hours' week tonnage men are getting £2 10s. (inclusive of bonus) and day-wage men .t2 5s. lid. These facts were also laid before a mass meet- ing of the miners of the area, and after consider- ing the situation they decided:- In the event of the demands of the washery workers not being granted and the house-coa l grievance not satisfactorily .settled'this week we again re-assemble next Sunday with a view of ceasi ng work on Monday next." 111 respect to the house-coal difficulty it is un- derstood that the grievance—one of arrears in delivery—is being al ready remedied by-the com- pany who are stated to be making efforts to re- duce the arrears. m