Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
11 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
Llantrisant and District .Notes.,
Llantrisant and District Notes., Co-operative Society for Llantrisant. I An effort is being made to establish a branch of the Penygraig Co-operative Society at Llan- trisant. The matter is being considered by the various branches of the Penygraig Society, and a branch is not unlikely to be the outcome. It is not before its time. The working classes of the district are fully alive to the fact that it is not only necessary to organise to protect and increase their wages, but that it is also neces- sary to organise to spend them to the best ad- vantage. We wish tlw effort good luck. Llantrisant Soldiers and the Common. I During the last few weeks numbers of soldiers on leave, and demobilised, are to be seen in the streets of the old town discussing the pros and cons of the war. Frequently the question is heard; Now that we have saved the country from the Germans, what share of it are we to have; Amongst the demands for "their share which numbers of them are urging is the demand to be made" Freemen of Llantrisant," and thereby become entitled to the privileges which "Freemen" have of putting animals to graze on the Common and Graig. and of cutting fern for bedding, etc. The demand is a very modest one. We hope it will be—but we hardly expect it to be—realised. We would point out to the soldiers that whoever owns the means of work owns the-man himself, and that to be free- men in the full sense of that word, involves the transference of the means of production, from the class now in possession of them, to the workers. You have defeated the Germans, but you have not won freedom, and until, with your < lass, you own and control the means of life, you must accept slavery, or its modern equivalent— wage slavery. Councillor Llewellyn's Motion. 1, "1 -1 I councillor Jiiewenyn-s motion: TO pronirv.t Sunday meetings in Cinemas," was adjourned at the last meeting of the District Council. It is for the Local Labour organisation^ to make their opinions on this matter known to the Dis- trict Council as early as possible, and so ensure its defeat. Cas. The rumbling of coming trouble is to be heard amongst the penny-in-the-slot consumers of gas. Gas prices have been recently raised and meters have been altered so as to give less gas for a penny. The consequence is; there are yery I strong complaints, which might lead to public tneetings on the matter. Previous to the ri-se in prices gas consumers paid 3s. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet. Then bills and receipts were given the • penny-in-the-slot consumers showing the amount of gas consumed and the price per 1,000 cubic feet. Since the change in prices receipts are being given which do not show the price per 1.000 cubic feet, but only the total amount of gas consumed and the total amount paid, con- sequently many of these penny-in-the-slot con- sumers do not know what they are supposed to pay per 1,000 cubic feet. We have several such receipts before us. Here are two for the last quarter. One show s 6,74-3 cubic feet of gas con- sumed. total amount paid for it; jE2 2s. This works out at just a fraction of a penny below 3d. per 1,000 cubic feet. The second shows | 6,315 cubic feet, for £2 Os. 6d. This works out [at just a fraction of a penny under 6s. 5d. per 1,000 cubic feet. The other receipts show simi- lar differences. Why this difference in price P And why such a very exorbitant price" We should not be surprised to learn that this is the highest price for gas in the country. The con- sumers of gas are certainly justified in endea- vouring too obtain relief. Hut again we would point out to the workers that they have this matter in their own hands. If they saw that there was a majority of Labour men on the Dis- trict Council then a Gas Company such as this would meet with effective opposition in such matters, and either by taking the gas-works over or by the encouragement of opposition the price of gas would be kept dow n. We have it on good authority that the South Wales Electrical Power Company sought to supply Llantrisant with electric light, but owing to- the opposition of powerful interests were prevented from doing so. That Company now has to pass through Cross Inn and to take their cables to Pontyclun and C'owbridge, where they have electric lighting power, but are not allowed to come on the Llan- trisant side of the railway from crops Inn to t'ontyclun, for lighting purposes. Possibly it is not too late to get this altered at the present time, and the Trades Council, together with the consumers of gas, would be doing the town a service if they supplied the Electric Lighting Company with evidence of the great demand which exists for electric light. Every attempt should be made to break down the monopoly of this Gas Company. As there appears to' be a prospect of pits being sunk in 'the neighbour- hood before long, probably the Gas Company would fight hard to maintain its monopoly. The Trades Council should take the matter up re- solutely. Prices must come down.
The l.L.P. in West Wales.I
The l.L.P. in West Wales. I The Llanelly district has been spurred to re- newed I.L.P. activity by its phenomenal result a fc the recent elec-t-ioii. Miss Minnie Pallister (South Wales Organiser) has addressed a series of excellent meetings, and has been received with enthusiasm everywhere. A branch has been formed at Trinsaran, and groups have been addressed at Kidwelly, Pwll, and Dafen. It is hoped that these will shortly form part of the new Llanelly Federation. Miss Pallister has ad- dressed two meetings at Felinfoel, which is ra- pidly becoming one of the best centres "in the division. There are signs that Llangennech will shortly revive. Six or seven years' ago Llangennech possessed a very strong I.L.P. branch. Pontardulais, Hendy, Gowerton and Penclawdd are also to be visited. West Wales is determined to show the movement that it is really worthy of the high poll recorded for IiH- hour at the recent election. The public meeting addressed by Miss Pallis- ter at the Athenteum Hall, Llanelly, last Sun- day night, was crowded and a huge success. Comrade Glyn Evans, the new branch chair- man, presided. Miss Pallister dealt with Women and Labour" in her usual masterly manner. At the close of the meeting the mem- bers, remained to discuss future plans. Seventy men and women attended. Any groups desirous of forming or reforming branches will kindly write to the Federation Secretary, Oliver Harries. S Prospect-place. Oorsemon. D.G.
Tonyrefail Notes.I
Tonyrefail Notes. I Coed Ely Meeting. I- A general meeting of the Coed Ely Colliery workmen was held at the Institute, Tonyrefail. on Sunday, when the chief question up for dis- cussion was the discharged soldiers, and employ- ment. There has been since the commencement of the Colliery about three-fourths of the work- men working double shift, and since the outbreak of war 470 men have joined the army. During the first three years of the war the places of the men who joined the army were filled by men coming from elsewhere. In January, 1918, the Coed Ely workmen thought it time for the man- agement to stop employing fresh hands on the coal. Clearly seeing that trouble was bound to ensue when demobilisation began, steps were also taken to abolish the double-shift system prevailing at the colliery. An agreement was arrived at between the works committee and the management, clause 3 of which reads; That no fresh hand shall be employed as a wilier until the present double shift has been abolished, and the single shift established, except when no collier at present employed will take a place which it is requital to work." This condition does not apply to returned soldiers who were previously employed at Coed Ely Colliery. By this clause the hauliers and repairers are de- prived of the opportunity of going on the coal when they desire, and this caused" considerable dissatisfaction among the company men who are continually requesting the committee's permis- sion to go on the coal. Clause Ii confers the right on the collier boys, when they become of age, to have a place on the coal. Quite a num- her of the returning soldiers are hauliers and are demanding their places back. and it has be- come necessary for the substitute haulier to try and get a place on the coal. There they are up against the agreement, also there are soldiers who were liauliei-s *<)re they enlisted, prefer- ring to go on the coal than back to their old jobs. Thus, while the old workmen are deprived of places on the coal the returning soldiers and boys a.re privileged. This has caused a great deal of controversy, and now that the Executive Council has issued an agreement on the method of employing discharged soldiers and stopping the employment of fresh hands at the collieries, tliere is a very strong feeling that the agreement arrived at between the manager and the work- men should be shelved for the time being, and equal rights given to all men employed at the colliery until such time as the demobilisation is finished, and the works begin to open out. It was finally decided that a meeting should be held at Llantrisant and at Tonyrefail, so that all the workmen of the Coed Ely Collieries should have a chance of discussing this question, which is so delicate, before arriving at a decision what to do with this agreement. It. is to be hoped that the six-hour day question will not be pro- longed. With a six-hour shift, something de- finite will be done to remedy this state of affairs.
Briton Ferry Notes -
Briton Ferry Notes Trades Council. At the Trades and La bour Council meeting on Tuesday, January 14th, it was resolved to sup- port the appeal from the Blind Federation. Ad- herence was also given to the policy of Presi- dent Wilson's 14 points. At a previous meet- ing it was resolved to run Labour candidates both for the Guardians aad the Urban District Council. Mr. Sid Southcott was elected presi- dent for the year with Messrs. D. Watkins and Tlios. Hughes as vice-presidents. The retiring president (Councillor E. Hutchinson) returiiefl thanks for th? support given him during his term of office. Unsettled. The Welsh foundry I strike remains unsettled. The Subject of Debate. At the I.L.P. Debating Class last Wednesday the subject was Soviets v. National Assem- bly." Affirmative (the former), Abraham i Waters; negative (the la.tter). Massie Waters. Good Converts. On Sunday, January 19th, we had our old friend from Llanelly—Dan Griffiths. The build- ing was crowded out., and for nearlv I:k hours we received some startling information regard- ing prison life. The speaker, of course, re- A s 1' giii- counted actual experience as a C.O." A signi- ficant statement revealing tlie leavening in- fluence of the I.L.P., was when Dan lay in the hospital ward. He was purposely placed among wounded soldiers just returned from Salonika. The intention being to humiliate him. but thl) fact is that when he left, he had converted that ward into an I.L.P. branch. Mr. Ivor H. Thomas presided.
IThe Theatre Royal
I The Theatre Royal The announcement that Messrs. Armitage and Leigh's splendid little repertory company is pay- ing a return visit to the Theatre Royal next week in a trio of plays that includes the ever- popular Lion and the Mouse," is one of the happiest it has been my pleasure to make in connection with the cosy little house for some time. Of course, there will be the difference that Mr. Hector is now out of the company, but a company with the excellent reputation of this, going back over a considerable number of years during which they have been the standard of comparison, would, draw to them a fine list of successors to the popular principal, and the same artistic care that has seen that every member of the caste was a sound histrion can be relied upon to have shown discrimination in fill- ing the vacancy. At all events, the company is assured of good houses SO' long as they offer such fare as The Barrier," and Lion and the. Mouse —both old favourites—with a brilliant comedy like "Passers By" for a Friday per- formance. "Telling the Tale," which is filling the bill this week ought to he playing to much better houses than it is. There are at least three of the cleverest songs that I have heard these long years in its ensemble j it has a well thought out plot, rich in farcical situations, and its staging leaves little to be desired. Mr. A. E. Story, who plays Marcel with snap and go, is un- fortunately suffering from a severe cold, and the male voices generally are weak. Lily Vining is a capable musical comedy actress, but her voice is not quite right for her songs. The two best ladies of the company are easily Gladys Archbutt, who couples an excellent "legitimate" style with the freshness that has-' made vaude- ville such a favourite and Yve.tte. de Lineuil who to the part of Člaudnp" lia^ brought th, chic abandon of h?r Parisian home. Miss Arch- butt has imported that great song of Miss Tate, ?tli(? CaJiforniuu fÔd_. innocent BeSgI (? Brown," with good effect. There is a chorus worthy of a London show. Altogether, 1 can heartily recom- mend Telling the Tale." PTAygokh. I
I 1120 in Fines.
I 1120 in Fines. DRASTIC PENALTIES IMPOSED ON DOWLAIS GROCERS. STIPENDIARY'S COMMENT. Fines aggregating !:120 were imposed by the Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith) on. Friday in a case arising from alleged infringe- ments of the Food Control Orders. The defendants were David Lewis, grocer and provision merchant, of High-street, Dowlais, and David Lewis (junior), his son. Lewis (senior) was summoned for overcharges on the retail of condensed milk, bacon, jam. flour and rice to a customer, Mrs. Catherine Gwendoline Williams, Lewis-oourt, Dowlais- also a tenant of defendant—and for attempting to impose a condition of sale on sugar. The younger man was summoned as aider and abet- tor in each instance. Mr. J. A. Wilson (chief-constable) called evi- dence that Mrs. Williams on giving her weekly order for groceries which included sugar was asked by the elder defendant Don't you want any tea? The woman queried How do you sell it?" Ninepence a quarter," was the re- ply. I can get it elsewhere for M. was Mrs. Williams' rejoiti(l(,i-. Olt," t-heii remarked the senior defendant, We have two lots—nine- penny and eight-penny," and turning to bis-son. added, Give her half a pound of eightpenny." The woman, thereupon, said she wanted none. and the elder Lewis told her: "You can't have sugar unless you have tea." I don't want any tea tnd you can keep the lot," retorted Mrs Williams leaving the shop without any pur- chase. TECHNICAL ERRORS. A subsequent investigation of her shop-book revealed the following items and overcharges: Condensed milk, 1/3 per tin (instead of 1 '2') bacon 2fU per Ih. (controlled price, 2/4) jam 2/3 per 2 Ih. pot (overcharge of 4d.) flour 9d. per 31 lbs. (instead of SId.), ijict rice, 2Id. excess charge on a small quantity. In respect to flour the Orders allowed a small charge for credit. but the overcharge of id. on 3} lbs. calculated on a weekly account- was equivalent to 300 per cent. per annum. Mr. St. John Francis-Williams (instructed by Mr. F. S. Simons. Merthyr) admitted on behalf of defendants that technical breaches of the regulations had been made in respect to rice, jam and bacon owing to stress 6f business, but in regard to flour and condensed milk he con- tended that under the Orders it was permissable- to place an additional reasonable charge for de- livery or credit. The Stipendiary, commenting on the case, re- marked that though the Merthyr magistrates had from time to time before them serious cases, under the Food Orders and resulting in substan- tial and drastic fines, they had never had such a serious accumulation of cases arising from one week's transactions. The evidence," added his worship, "points to the conclusion that these things have been done systematically by the defendants." Lewis (senior) w as fintxl £ 50 (or 31 days' im- prisonment) and the younger man £ 10 (or 31 days) on the summonses relative to the attempt to impose a condition of sale. Each defendant was also fined £ 10 (or 31 days) for the bacon overcharge, tl-) (or 31 days) respecting the jam offences and t.) 11 days) on the rice sum- monses. The summonses respecting the flour and condensed milk sales were dismissed. On an application for the forfeiture of doubly the excess profits made by defendants the Sti- pendiary granted an order for the examination of their books. of account with a view to the matter being brought before him again. A WHISKY ERROR. On I uesday, John Harris, licensee ot tIlL: Park View Inn, Brecon-road, Merthyr, was fined Clf) (or 31 days' imprisonment) for selling whisky in the public-bar at a price exceeding the maximum allowed in the Spirits (Prices and Description) Order, 1018. The alleged over- charge was a. penny on the dash of whisky, the controlled price of which was 6d., and the de- fence was that in a rush of business the smoke- room price had been charged for the spirit which, was served in the bar.
I COLLIERY FATALITY.
I COLLIERY FATALITY. John Lewis (21) a ripper, of Alwrmorlais-ter- race, Merthyr. was fatally injured by the fall of a stone, weighing 20 cut., from the roof at t-he Hills-Plymouth C().' No. 2 South Pit, Aber- canaid. Accidental death was the verdict at the inquest on Wednesday.
Merthyr Notes I
Merthyr Notes I The Need of the Moment. I Although the Rank meetings of the Merthyr l.L. P. have been held weekly since the General Election, titey show no signs of falling off in public favour, and Mr. Bart- presided over a crowded meeting last Sunday when Mr. E. C. Fairchild, of the B.S.P., filled the platform. Mr. Fairchild expressed his pleasure as a member of the B.S.P. in coming to Merthyr to support the L. L. P. In his opinion the crying need of the country in the near future would be one Socialist Party and no more, and he was always ready to do ail in his power to give support and furtherance „to every movement calculated to consolidate the Socialist Movement. He thought that if we in Britain so organised the Labour and Socialist Movement in conjunction with the trades unions and presently, he hoped, with the Co-operative Movement also, so that the three great sections of the one great movement worked in harmony against the common enemy, then in a short time we should transform this country from what it is into something worth while for every man. woman and child living in it. N.U.T. President. Mr. Hugh Jories is the new president of the I Merthyr Branch of the National rnion of Teachers. Merthyr Teachers' Salaries. I Mr. James Price (secretary) at the annual meeting of the Merthyr Branch of the National Union of Teachers on Saturday described the members of the teaching profession in Merthyr as the most badly paid in South Wales. It was decided to press on with the new claims for salaries' increases. Musical. Mr. Canaid Thomas wa-s recently successful in I obtaining the F.V.C.M. Diploma of the Victoria College of Music, London. He also has been ap- pointed adjudicator at the fortheoming spmi- national eisteddfod at Mountain Ash, Easter.
Bargoed Notes.
Bargoed Notes. Browning. On Thursday, January 9th, in one of the Vooms of the Bargoed Institute, Mr. J. Owen gave uk a lecture on Browning. It turned out to b(, oii Browning's ",Paracelsus," his first im- portant work; giving us a study of cap poem rather than scraps of many. Our Elocutionist. On Friday, January IlJth. at thel.L.F. rooms. we had a return-visit from Jock Beilby (Ada Beilby being unable to come, to the regret of all concerned). Besides Jock's recitations (some of them in the Lancashire dialect), we had songs) and violin solos, from local talent. We are ex- pectin <5 SaTinus Oil the evening of the 26th. Morgan Jones. "I On Sunday, the Lth, we had the second ot Morgan Jones' monthly lectures in the Insti- tute; this time on the Peace Conference. The Hall was so well filled that he had to ask some of the young men to stand, so as to free seats for the strangers who had come and many of the sit ()it the edge and steps of the the c( i g(, -111 1 platform. Moses Price, in the chair,, quoted tlw ddillitioll or an ambassador as an honest Illan sent abroad to lie for his country." Morgan told 1h that, just after tllo hegiunillg of the M ar. prominent fellow-townsmen told him that the LL. P. had done for itself" by opposing the war. Whereas, by now, they had doubled or trebled their membership; they had accepted finalwjal and other obligations which before the war they would have been unable to; and of all their meetings in the Institute, the only one that had been disturbed had been W. C. Anderson's, about which he intended to speak some other time. And this election, over which the Coalitionists had been crowing so, was a scratch election, in which the soldiers, \rho of' all people ought to have been supplied with facilities to hear both sides, to discuss them, and to vote with knowledge, had been, in many cases, only supplied with ballot-papers, with the names on them of people they knew nothing; about, not even which party they were. As for the results of the general election, the "Times" stated that proportional representation would have given the Labour Part. lla seats. It was now, indeed, the strongest single party, and the official opposition, with the right to he called on to forlll an alternati ve government, in the event of the defeat of the existing government. Its exact numbers are uncertain, for one thing, no- body knows what Stanton is nowadays. But, throughout South Wales, Liberals and Tories no longer da re to oppose each other. As to the C.O.'s, he was going to appeal in that character i(o tile sol(lief-S, when more of them came back But since the armistice has been signed, 62 C.O.'s have been sent to jail, some for the fifth and even the sixth time. Some have been in jail now for three years, with hard labour two years used to bo considered the heaviest punish- ment for the worse criminal, and the utmost they could bear without utterly breaking-down. OVer thirty have been driven to suicide, or are now in asylums, and this has been done, not by Germans but by English people. Two died last, week in one jail, so weakened by low starvation, that the first touch of influenza killed them and numbers more areina like condition. TIIP Cermans have released their political prisoners, so has every European government but the Bri- tish. As for our supposed freedom during the general election the Press Bureau forbade the Press to discuss the terms of peace; every cable is still censored especially those from Russia, and he had a copy of a Sinn Fein elec- tion-address with large portions blacked out The alternative to a League of Nations was that for which Clemenceau still stood—the old idea of the balance of power, which made the war. President Wilson stood for a League of Nations, or America would simply r etire. The choice, was ours. As for the means of making ourselves) felt, direct La-hour representation on the Peace j Congress was hardly worth while. One Labour representative would he sure to be out-voted j and Labour would be held to have pledged itself: to submit to whatever decision the others might come to. So, instead, we must have an Inter- I 'national Labour Conference and put an end to the idea that when kings fall out, peasants have nothing to do but to faH in. We must have no repetition of the 1871 settlement that had pro- dueed this war. As for Sa/onoff, whom the governments looked like accepting as the re- presentative of Russia, it came out. at the trial of Sukh.omlinoff,/that the two of them, and other officials like-minded, had diddled the Tsar into war when lie was trying to prevent it. Only Democracy could make the world safe for Demo- cracy. As an alternative to the end of Mili- tai-isiii, Daniels was already demanding, for the United States, a bigger navy than our ow n. That meant a race in naval armaments which for us would he hopeless, even if we were not exhausted by tile war and loaded with debt. America was self-supporting for everything, with population and resources far greater than ours. Wilson offered us the alternative. and, for Lij tlik, Rockefellers. Wilson was the highest character at the Peace Conference. If we didn't consent to total disarmament, our girls as well as our ) boys would be conscripted for the next war everybody would be pigeonholed for work of national importance," if it was only driving billiards the la.1: vestiges of liberty would be stamped out (of course, all in the name of Liberty), and at the rate aviation was being de- veloped, no place on earth would be safe from air-raids. Afterwards he remarked that the cri- I ticism lie objected to, that almost maddened him at times, was the ill-informed criticism which showed the critic had not tried to get at the facts.
:Lies and Other Things About…
Lies and Other Things About Russia TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Let me first refer to the lies about the Russian Revolution, in the capitalist press—the premeditated, malicious lies of the most popular papers in England—judging by their millions. of readers. Take this to begin with: The Fi-el- li(-it organ of the Independent Socialists pub- lishes a Russian Government wireless message announcing the formation of a Supreme National Committee of Defence, to unify the military efforts of the country against the Allied inter- vention. All Socialist parties including the Men- sheviks and Left Socialist Revolutionaries are represented on the Committee, and the president is Lenin himself." The capitalist papers, a few days ago, reported the arrest of Lenin by Trotsky! This lie therefore must be placed in the same category as the reports of Lenin and Trotsky being "paid German Agents." Now for another thorough-bred lie—I quote again: "The Zurich Yolksreclit reproduces a Russian Government wireless message categori- cally denying the report in the capitalist papers of the arrest of Kropotkin. Kropotkin, the mes- sage asserts, is enjoying complete freedom, and is in friendly relations with the Soviet Govern- ment." MORE LIES. Again, let us go in for a third capital lie..An- other quotation: "Maxim Gorki was at fii-,t an- tagonistic to the Soviet Government. He at- tacked the Bolsheviki in his paper. Novo Xjin.' and bitterly opposed the Soviets. The British capitalist press even reported that he had been executed by the Soviet Government. Later, however, he became converted to the Bolshevik [methods, and accepted a post under the Soviet Government, in order to help in its literary and educational work. He has now definitely joined the Soviet Government and has issued a mani- festo to the civilisetl world." Listen to Maxim Gorki speaking, though dead (according to the capital liars): "But a short time ago I was an opponent of the Soviet Government, and even now I differ from it. on numerous points, never- theless. 1 can say that future historians ill ap- praising the work accomplished by the Russian workers, during one short year, will have nothing but admiration and amazement for the grandmIr of the present cultural work. The torch of the Russian Revolution which is throwing a ligllt all over the world is firmly held by Lenin and the Proletariat. Rather lively words from a dead man Truth will out. gradually, though dammed in by all the power of the capitalist press and Governments. A few days ago the Daily News (Loudon) reported that the "Allied armies were about to cease their intervention in Russia," but to-day again (Jan. 14th). I read that the Bolsheviks are hard pressed by the Allied armies." In the light of the following truths it must be evident that the English Press—Liberal as well as Tory -is held together almost entirely by lies and lies and lies! Take the following At the end of August the Soviet Government Mid national- ised one thousand metal works and coal-mines. At the end of September tlie rubber, electrical and sugar industries had been nationalised. Owing to the intensive system of working and prevention of waste in the coal mines of the Moscow region, the threatened coal shortage in Russia 1ms been averted. The Textile Centre of the Counci l of National Economy is establishing in all the agricultural counties its own depots for the direct exchange of textile goods for corn. Schools of various types (Primary Schools as well as Colleges) have been recently estab- lished along the whole Moscow-Kien-Yoronask railways for the children of the railway workers. Instruction, classical books and fittings are pro- vided free of charge. Orphans and destitute children are admitted free of charge." But lis- ten to the following froth quoted from The Times" of October 6th: For aU-purposes pri- soner labour is regarded as superior to local, owing to the demoralisation of the workmen by high pay and Bolshevist ideas of working hours." This,bit from The Times is a full meal. Em- ployers might prefer prisoners' labour in this country also! Why the Bolsheviks are guilty of shorter working hours and higher pay than those that exist under capitalist governments. This crime must be of the very devil himself. I quote again: "The Bolsheviks are not angels from Heaven. They have like most revolutionaries executed a number of their enemies; but "these executions have mostly taken place since the in- tervention of the Allies gave encouragement to the counter-revolutionaries, and made them mdre formidable. Mr. Litvinoff, who is an honest man and a Tolstoy a n. puts the total number of exe- cutions since the Bolsheviks came into power at 400. half of them ordinary criminals." I L[TVINOFF'S WORDS. Now let us quote a few lines from LitvinoffV own book (page 44) Not a single sentence of death has been pronounced by Bolshevik justice. Under Keren sky's regime, hundreds of Bolshe- viks and other political opponents languished in Petrograd Prisons, for long mouths, without even having had the charges submitted to them. As for sentences of death, thousand s of them were inflicted and carried out in the case of sol- diers, who refused to expose their bare breasts to the machine-guns of the Germans, and the death penalty was on the point of being restored even for civilians throughout the country when the Bolshevik revolution occurred. The cries of terrorism of the Bolsheviks which have been resounding from the throats of the Capitalist papers, who never raised a word of protest against the much more ruthless reprisals prac- tised under Kerensky, are partly hypocrisy, partly slander^ and partly the expres- sion of anguish, which invariably seizes the bourgeoisie, when the fortunes of history make it the anvil instead of the hammer. It was thus that the execution of two reactionary hostages by the Paris Communards sent a thrill of horror" throughout the capitalist world, while the murder in cold blood of 35,000 men. women and children by grape-shot against the wall of Pere Lachaise never for a moment (lis- tnrbed that world's equanimity." CORKI'S TESTIMONY. Again, let us have one final quotation from the manifesto of Maxim Gorki: In face of the danger of being crushed by the bandits of Capi- talism, the Russian people say to the workers of the world and to all honest men and women Follow us to a new life for the creation of which we toil, unsparing of ourselves, of anyone or anything save that ideal. We toil on amidst privations and great sufferings, ardently hoping! to achieve success. We leave our acts to the im- partial judgment of history. Join us in our fight against the old order, in our work for a i)"w structure and organisation of society, and for the freedom and beauty of life." 4 Now. if this appeal of the famous Russian novelist on behalf of the workers of Russia to the workers of France and Britain is allowed to fall unhealed, what shall we say ? I admit that we shall not, even so, be surprised, for it seems to be the order of the day. Anything that the (Continued at foot of next column).
:Lies and Other Things About…
workers of any country do or suffer seems to be utterly ignored. Our own Government will not "recognise" the Soviet Government in Russia, though it be the Government of the Majority. But being unrecognised by snobs does not mean death to them, hut though our snobs do not "recognise" them, they are not above in- terfering with them. And they call it "inter- vention for the restoration of order," when we can see that there is even now more order in Russia in one short year than ever there was under the old regime. And though our Govern- ment sends its armies to interfere with the peo- ple of Russia, which will mean the murder of many more young men qn both sides, yet. our churches with the ministers are silent! Our casiialities in this Russian Business" in the week-ending December 30th, 1918, were: Officers dead 7; men dead 043; wounded or missing 1,47.") total 2,125. Has Parliament had any voic-c, in the question of "intervention" in Russia Does Parliament get any voice at all in any im- portant tiling:" Will the voice of the British Parliament be heard at all in the Peace Confer- Why was a general election demanded, if we go to this Conference before Parliament sit-sp Who has the choice of delegates to represent Great Britain there? Is this important affair an absolutely private thing ? Who does all thesv- things? Parliament is not sitting, though we had the fuss of a general election thrust upon us when all the world was crying for peace, as if Peace could not be made without Parliament —and though we now have had a Parliament the Peace will yet be made without it! And so. the "int-ervention" in Russia—done without Parliament! Who governs in this country P Mr. Lloyd George at Carnarvon said that he is of the people—would not forsake the people. Now, all the people should give thanks for this—be. sides pay. But what people ? It is evident that he does not think of the Russian People. Yet the cause of the people in Russia is the same as the cause of the people in Britain. Let the workers here remember this. and intervene"" immcdiatel v. J), D. WALTERS, Congregational Minister. Woodlands. New-Castle-Emlyn. Printed and Published by the National Labour I Press, Ltd., at the Labour Pioneer Prese, Williams' Square, Merthyr Tydfil.