Pioneer

LABOUR'S BIG FIGHT A Win All Round Means A Labour Majority. I Workers Optimistic In All Wards. I The Only Danger—One of Apathy. The progress of the elections in the six 11erthyr Wards in which contests are being Avaged for possession of scats on the Council, has this week stimulated the op- timism with which Labour entered the fight. Nothing but laxity on the part of Labour supporters in taking too much for granted and refraining from exercising the iranchise on Saturday call defeat us in any "()lie of the seats. A significant index to the Coalitions Tealisation of Labour's rapidly growing strength and determination is to be found -in the number of independent (?) working ttien candidates who have been put forward -to fight the authorised candidates of La- bour. As a device for splitting Labour, this particular one has served its purpose admirably in the past. But since the days ^f the old contests of pre-war days the eyes 'Df thousands of workers have been opened wide to the reality of facts, and in all the 'Yards where this old camouflage is being attempted there is a strong feeling of soli- darity to Labour principles and policy Manifesting itself, that augurs well for the burial of this hoary old fraud tactic so far 3s the Merthyr borough is concerned. So far as the active work in the wards is Concerned it has taken the form of a steady -lid persistent canvass in which the candi- dates themselves have endeavoured to make a personal call on the burgesses to give 'them an opportunity of questioning them Personally on their views and policy, and .n the holding of street and indoor meet- ngs, at which a host of effective workers, deluding amongst many other eminent trades union leaders—Messrs. Noah Ablett (the Merthyr miners' agent), and S. O. Da- vies (Dowlais miners' agent)-have briefly dealt with the necessity for and purpose of Labour representation from a multitude of angles, and at which the candidates them- selves have elaborated their views and sub- mitted themselves to the questioning of anyone who cared to address their difficul- ties to them. Both meetings and canvassers have wonderfully enheartened all con- ■cerned. Probably the three keenest fights arc going to be in Park, Cyfarthfa and Merthyr Vale. In Park the sitting member, Mr. H. M. Lloyd, is striving to retain his seat against Mr. T. J. Evans, an ex-Park La- bour member; and the issue is complicated by the candidature of Mr. Sam Davies. As 'the residential ward of a large section of ^ferthyr's middle-class population, Park Probably presents more difficulties to La- bour than any other district in the town, but a careful canvass has convinced the Workers that the Labour candidate is going to poll more than both his opponents to- gether. The candidate is Mr. T. J. Evans. In Cyfarthfa, Mr. John Williams, the Labour member, is called upon to fight Mr. Sen Jones, an independent ex-postman candidate whom the opposition have in- "duced to stand. Here the fight will be fairly keen because both men arc popular person- -alities in their area, but the excellent work that Mr. Williams has contributed as a councillor during the past year is telling in his favour. The big thing, however, that is being recognised is that "independence" is a meaningless word in municipal politics. A member must be either for- or against the Labour policy, and when the opposition is to a Labour candidate it is easy to write against over his probable course of action in the chamber if returned. Consequently. :\1r. Jones' working-class' status is not Making for anything, and the canvass shows a strong movement towards the duly accredited, democratically selected Labour ,candidate inir. John Williams. In Merthyr Vale the possibilities of a win are more' evenly balanced. Mr. Thomas Williams, the retiring candidate, has had a long turn of office, and Labour as a political clement having only recently began to thoroughly organise itself there— there is a bare possibility that possession of the seat may just weigh down the scale in the favour of the retiring member. This is not the view of the workers on the spot. They are working hard for a bumper win for Mr. J. W. Watkins, and are confident that short of gross- treachery and supineness 011 the part of known Labour workers they are going to achieve their end. The vote -of everv trades unionist in Merthyr Vale should be cast for the Labour Party—for the winning of this seat is absolutely neces- sary to the Party if it is to have the clear working majority of one that success in every poll on Saturday will give it. In Penydarren where there is a triangular contest between Mr. Lewis Jones (South Wales Miners' Federation) representing La- bour, Mr. Nelson M. Price and Mr. John Davies-the outcome is regarded as a cer- tainty for Labour. This is the liveliest con- test of all. In Dowlais Mr. Dai Davies (Pant) seeks to retain the Labour seat against Mr. David Jones and Albert Henry Minchinton-and here again no change is anticipated. bL ¡ In Town Ward, Mr. J. E. Jones (N.U.R. —Labour) is fighting a great fight against Mr. D. Cope Harris, and the workers pro- phecy a big ballot that will be overwhelm- ingly Labour. Mr. J. E. Jones will be a strong man on the Labour benches for the next three years. Of the eight seats to have been contested in the Merthyr elections two have fallen, without opposition, to Labour representa- tives. The unopposed candidates are Mr. Enoch Morrell, J.P., Troedyrhiw, agent to the Taff and Cynon Miners, and chairman of the Merthyr Education Authority, and Mr. Andrew Wilson, J.P., Treharris. To gain a majority of one on the town council it will he necessary for Labour to win all the remaining six seats contested. Of the re- tiring members, Mr. William Lewis (Peny- 'darren Ward) and Mr. Gomer L. Thomas, J.P. (Town Ward) are not seeking re-elec- tion.. The ex-service men are running two Il' candidates. Nominations were received on Friday, and Saturday saw the withdrawal from the contests of Mr. Richard Lloyd ■ from the Cyfarthfa Ward and Mr. David Evans from the Town Ward. Both came forward in the Independent colours and their fall out leaves a straight issue in each of these two wards between the Labour and Coalitionist candidates. Those who go to the poll arc Dowlais Ward.—David Davies (Lab.), railway signalman, 5 Pant Cad, Ivor-street, Dowlais; David Jones (Co.), builder, Mae- log House, Cross Ivor-terrace, Dowlais; Al- bert Henry Minchinton (D.S. and S.), post- man, 1, Regent-street, Dowlais. x Penydarren Ward.—Lewis Jones (Lab.), miner, 51, Bronheulog, Merthyr; John Davis (Ind.), draper, 8, Tynycocd-terrace, Penydarren; and Nelson Harris Price (D.S. and S.), colliery shotsman, 2 Broad-street. Dowlais. Park Ward.—*Henry Morgan Lloyd (Coalitionist), chemist, The Walk, Merthyr; Thomas John Evans (Lab.), miner, 4 Cara- doc-street, Merthyr; Samuel Davies (Ind.), tailor, 19, The Avenue, Merthyr. Cyfarthfa Ward.—*John Williams (Lab.), miner, 9, Pantycelynen, Heolgerrig; Ben- jamin Jones (Coalitionist), retired postman, i-Sa, John-street, Merthyr. Town Ward.—David Cape Harris (Coali- tionist), grocer and provision merchant, 1, King Edward-villas, Merthyr; John Ed- ward Jones (Lab.), railway signalman, o, William -street, Merthyr. Merthyr Vale Ward.—*Thomas Williams (Coalitionist), mining engineer, Troedyrhiw House Mountain Ash; John William Wat- kin (Lab.), colliery checkweigber, 26, Car- diff-road, Merthyr Vale. There will be no contests here Treharris Ward. An drew Wilson (Lab.), miner, 4, Brynteg-place, Treharris. Plymouth Ward.—* Enoch Morrell (Lab. miners' agent, 3 Brynhyfryd-villas, Troed- yrhiw. :igiiifies Retiring member.

Re-Organisation of Coal Industry. Supporting at a Ton Pentre demonstra- tion on Wednesday a resolution demanding the immediate adoption by the Government of the majority report of the Coal Commis- sion, Mr. Frank Hodges (general secretary of the M.F.G.B.), said that in six years coal production had gone down 70,000,000 tons, In 1913 it was 287,000,000 tons, while it was now down to ,217)000,000 tons, with no prospect of the balance being restored. In- creased production must of necessity be ob- tained. Human happiness and leisure, the social amenities of life, housing- and good clothing, and higher education depended upon industries producing goods in the necessary quantities. They could not have leisure unless they reduced industrial oper- ations to such a fine point of science that they could produce the material means of life in the shortest space of time. Therefore, the coal industry must be put on a scientific basis. Nationalisation was the only thing that would save the country from economic and political disaster. Humanity would suffer this winter from a shortage of coal, and perhaps out of that suffering would grow a great social impulse to assist the miners. He was going to invite all the colliery managers of South Wales to meet him to discuss this need for the scientific reorgani- sation of the mining industry, because the colliery managers, with the colliers, must have an effective voice in the governance of the industry. He wished to show the col- liery managers that their status would be improved under nationalisation, and that they would have greater opportunities for initiative and for the application of their ac- quired science and natural ability. Under the scheme of nationalisation the official for the first time would have a real status, not in the eyes of a directorate, but in the eyes of the nation.

LLOYDS BANK MQ LIMITED, with which is amalgamated THE CAPITAL & COUNTIES BANK, LD. HEAD OFFICE: 71, LOMBARD ST., E.C. 3. CAPITAL SUBSCRIBED 956,150,350 CAPITAL PAID UP 8,984,056 RESERVE FUND a 9,071,250 DEPOSITS, &c. 309,328,800 I ADVANCE', &c. 92,784,877 Auxiliary: I LLOYDS AND NATIONAL PROVINCIAL FOREIGN BANK LIMITED. :¡, -=- 'I

I Most of the theatres in Bordeaux are closed by a strike of theatrical employees.

Not Abused. THE UNEMPLOYMENT DONATION. Speaking this week at a City League of Help meeting, Mr. Oliver Mee, manager of the Manchester Employment Exchange, de- nied that the out-of-work donation is abused to any appreciable extent. + After explaining the safeguards which now exist, he said his own experience showed that the criticisms one ifaeard were unwarranted. There had beenf assertions, but no detailed evidence, of imposition. He had had cases in Manchester of ministers of the Gospel who had supported applications for the donation, and after doing so had written to the Exchange to say that the ap- plicant was an imposter. He had tried to follow up these cases, but had been unable to get any detailed proof. For a minister to do-that sort of thing was a gross injustice to the working man and woman. If there was fraud it was his business to disclose it, but not to slander such men and women. They had had cases of Manchester em- ployers who told their co-directors that they wanted thousands of workpeople, who could not be had because they were drawing the donation. Investigation showed that the employers in six months had only notified sixty cases altogether, of which thirty had been filled by the Exchange. Others had been filled by the employers themselves, and for the remaining vacancies they were not offering the standard wages. Employers had not given the Exchange all the assistance they should, and in some cases there had been the utmost difficulty in getting employers to say under what condi- tions a man left his work. The Exchange machinery itself was fairly water-tight, but unfortunately they were short of jobs, and hence could not place all the men. Out of scores of thousands of people who had claimed the donation in the country there had been less than 1,500 cases of sus- pected fraud, and many of those had to be dismissed after investigation. There was a higher percentage of wrong-doers in a higher class of society, and we said nothing about it. He had in his pocket a definite allegation against a man who was said to be working and drawing the donation at the same time. The complaint had been investigated the previous day, and it was found that the man had been working well for two months and was not drawing the donation. At present the Manchester and Salford exchanges were placing approxi- mately one hundred workpeople a day. There were 23,000 applicants registered in the area, including 18,000 men, and ifve- ?sixtlis of the men were ex-members of the forces. Out-of-work donation was being paid to 95 per cent, of the persons on the register.

Engineers' Wages. I ARBITRATION ON 15/- CLAIM. I The hearing was commenced on Wednes- ,I day before a Court, of Arbitration, sitting in London, of the national application by between 40 and 50 unions in the engineer- ing, shipbuilding and kindred trades for, a general increase of 15/- a week on present earnings. The National Union of Railwaymen was also a party to the application, 011 behalf of its railway shopmen members. The engineering claims were heard on Wednesday, and on Thursday the court will deal with the ship-building and kin- dred trades. This is the periodical application allowed under the national wages agreement (from which the ironfounders withdrew) and the Wages (Temporary Regulation) Act. The last hearing was in June, when a claim for a similar award was rejected, as was also the employers' counter-claim for a reduction of The employers now make no claim, and the men have in their favour the fact that in the past four months the cost of living has risen considerably.

NOAH DEPUTISES.—Mr. Noah Ablett was the lecturer at the Merthyr I.L.P. rooms on Sunday afternoon last—deputising the In- dian Nationalist speaker who was unavoid- ably detained on important business else- where.