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Political Notes By F. W. Jowett. THE FIRST WOMAN M.P. ( The Viscountess Astor, who took her seat in Parliament on Monday, is the second woman Member to be eliected, iiid the first to take the oath. Countess Markievitz was elected in De- cember, 1918, but being a Sinn Feiner, did not take her seat. Viscountess Astor was introduced by Messrs. Lloyd George and Bonar Law. The papers are full of descriptions—in the manner of the "Fashion Notes" writers—of her dress, her appearance, her gift and her manner. Lady Astor, I am told, is a thorough reaction- ary, and an expert at bringing "dra",ing-rOOom I iiihue-n,e(-. to bear on important matters. "The Nation" describe.s her election campaign as "the most vulgar in our remembrance." It is not I good to think that such a one is our first woman M.P. THE CHARMED CIRCLE. I If Lady Astor treats political questions no more seriously in Parliament than she did during her election, she will hardly assist the women's cause. There is, however, a certain class in the House of Commons which relies con- siderably upon social influence to achieve its ends. To this particular cla.s.s Lady Astor will be a god-send. On the Terrace, w here society foregathers with rich Members of Parliament on fine summer days, the qualities displayed to ad- miring crowds a.t Plymouth will be greatly ap- preciated. They will lend attraction also to the fashionable gatherings in the dining rooms in winter. At these functions the talented young members who show signs of being powerful in the political arena are decoyed They are flat- tered and (Anwrta-ined. and drawn into the circle. For this kind of game, women of Lady Astor's type are invaluable. And to show that she plays it, and plays it successfully, 1 quote the Daily Chronicle :— Lady Ast-or has been more of a force in politics than most people imagine, fL was one of her hobbies to hold a kind of salon at Clivedon. to which she invited all the young lions of the Socialist and Labour Movement, and she delighted to be the patroness of the young bloods. The Chronicle" puts down the fact of Mr. Thomas introducing the bill to relieve Viscount Astor of his peerage, to this kind of covert in- fluence. But w hatever may be the truth of that affair, the game is not a one.; and decent men arc liable to be rendered Itostile to the idea of women in "Parliament, when the first woman M.P. is of the type of Lady Astor. I MORE WOMEN WANTED. I It is, therefore, for all those who care about women taking an active part in politics, and for all tho&e who arc concerned in clearing our na- tional affairs from backstairs influence and social intrigue, to see to it that women of t'he right type are returned to Parliament. Labour especially ought. to fortify its benches with some of the intellectual, keenly public-spirited women who abound in the movement. THOSE TEN SHILLINGS. I The Labour Party's motion to appoint a select committee to inquire into the administration and function of the Department of the Coal Control- ler and the position of the coal industry with regard to selling prices, profits, cost of produc- tion and output was rejected by the House of Commons by J'o I votes to -J. Notw ithstanding this crushing defeat of the motion the debate fully justified the demand for a committee of enquiry. If such an enquiry were held it would most certainly support the case of the miners for nationalisation of mines. Probably that is the reason which compelled the Government to re- sist the motion in the interests of the capitalist system which above all things else it intends to uphold. Hie Government has been driven from one extremity to another in its mad effort to preserve private ownership in the coal industry. At one time to serve the purely temporary ob- ject of carrying an election fought on tihe na- tionalisation issue and discrediting the miners in the estimation of the public an advance of six shillings per ton was put on the price of ooal. When the Miners' Federation exposed the facts and proved that there was no justification for the advance, the Government at first refused to acknowledge that the advance was not justified and then within a few weeks, suddenly reduced the price of house coal by ten shillings a ton. The result is that some of the mines that pro- duce house coal only will probably cease produc- tion, whereas if the average cost of the reduc- tion were spread over the whole industry the margin of profit would have been amply sum- cient to bear an even larger concession to the consumer. PROFIT'AND LOSS. I Under public ownership this difficulty of non- paying services is overcome quite simply. It is the common practice of local authorities to carry their tramways into districts which do not yield a profitable return on their outlay. The Post Office carries letters -and parcels into remote parts of tlie c-oii-ntrv at the same rate of postage as for parts of the country which are oea,sily accessible and thickly populated. The whole service pays, hnt pertain portions of the user vice do not pay and are not expected to do so. It is this prohlem of adjusting the conflicting inter- ests of private owners some of whom own pro- perties which yield a handsome profit when sell- ing prices are too low for others to make any profit at all, which baffles the- Government at every turn. All the coal it is possible to get out. of the mines is required and the nation can- not aiford to be deprived of available supplies whether they are financially profitable to the ■owners or not. On the other hand, although -supplier of coal are insufficient, and either for home or foreign consumpt ion prices could be obtained which would make the least economical mines profitable, and the better mines immensely no, the Government simply dare not allow prices to be charged which would make the unprofit- able mines pay. MORE PRODUCTION. f There is also the question of transport which intejferec seriously with the rate of production of coal at the present time. Mr. Brace gave particulars, relating to Cardiff, Newport, Swan- sea and the anthracite coal area, of shifts lost from the 1st of April to the end of September which deprived the nation of 523,000 tons of coal. In addition to this loss he referred to another loss of 210,000 tons of Welsh coal tlhrough the same cause. Only two days before Mr. Sitch called attention in Parliament to the case of two Staffordshire miners where the men were only working three or four days a week owing to the scarcity of trucks to remove the accumulations of coal already raised.. The men were willing and anxious to work a full six-day week but could not do so for the reason stated. And vet, on the other hand, the Ministry of Munitions refuses to allow the Government fac- tories to be used to their full capacity to supply the trucks that are so urgently required and in so far as the factories have been used to a. very limited extent for this purpose the policy has been the subject of histile questions by members who represent Big Business in the House of Commons on the ground that Government fiic- tories should not be allowed to compete with private firms. MORE ECONOMY. The Government does not hesitate to spend money on the publication of misleading figures relating to coal or railways, but when asked last week by Mr. Lunn to publish some really useful information regarding the powers of local authorities for the guidance of members of those authorities it refused on the ground of economy. What Mr. Lunn asked for was an official state- ment respecting the powers of local authorities and local committees ove rthe control and distri- bution of food-, particularly milk, the running of municipal kitchens, etc., with special refer- ence to the method of proceedure under exist- ing Acts, Regulations, or Orders. This request was made to the Food Controller, Mr. G. H. Roberts. Mr. Lunn made a similar request with regard to the acquisition, distribution and sale of coal to the President of the Board of Trade. This also was refused. MARTYRDOM OF MONTENECRO. I Of all the Balkan States there is not one with a record so clear of rapacious and criminal adventure as that of Montenegro. In the early part of the war Montenegro threw in its lot with the Allies without waiting, as Ron mania did, to see which side would offer the biggest price for its support, and when the remnant of the Ser- bian Army which escaped destruction by Au&tria retreated through Montenegro, the retreat was covered by the troops of Montenegro and there- by saved. Serbia is at present rewarding the services of Montnegro by burning its villages a.nd killing its inhabitants, and is taking steps in the usual manner, by promoting a bogus Par- liament fayourable to Serbian plans, to secure annexation of Montenegro. Montenegro has appealed in vain to the Allied Council in Paris for protection and for compensation for the burning of over 3,000 dwellings and the assas- sination of large numbers of Montenegrin peo- ple. Mr. Winston Churchill may well say there never was a time when more complete callousness and indifference to human life and suffering was exhibited by the great community all over the world," and that we have estab- lished almost Balkanisa,tion" in Europe. 4t was a confession of the criminal folly which lie shares. SMILLIE WELCOMES BLACKLEGS. Sir Basil Thompson is apparently the person who is at the head of the department at the Home Office which lul." been established as a sort of secret service department on the lines adopted by the late Cxarist Government of Russia. The Home Secretary when questioned on the matter stated that Sir Basil Thompson's staff consists of li(i police officers of various ranks and a certain number of temporary officers. He refused, however, to give any par- ticulars a-lwut persons who occasionally assist the police hy furnishing information. In other words the Home Secretary declined to say any- thing about Home Office spies in workshops and elsew here. Mr. Shortt, the Home Secretary be- fore mentioned, on being requested to say whether his Department is engaged or has been engaged in c6mpiling a register of persons to take the place of stri kers, declared that the Home Office had taken its share in this work and was making arrangements to do similar work in future. He declined to commit himself, when he was asked bv Colonel Wedgw ood if the Home Office were going to provide volunteers for work in the coal mines in the event of a strike— ex- cept to the extent of saying that it would be done so far as possible. In this connection one is reminded of Smillie's remark to the effect that if the kind of superior persons who varied the monotony of tlwir useless existence by doing, or pretending to do. railway work, during the rail- way strike venture to try coal-mining during a miner's strike, one of the usual conditions at- tached to a strike settlement might be changed to meet the case. Instead of the miners insist- ing on the blacklegs being discharged Mr. Smillie sugggested that a condition of settle- ment should be that the superior persons should remain in the useful occupation of their choice and share in doing the necessary work of the world. COMINC RENT RISE. I There is much uncertainty among tenants of I small houses concerning the date from which I (Continued at foot of next column).

Tonyrefail and The Medical Question I It is very amusing to see the local doctors energetically opposing the workmen in their de- sire to set up a Medical Aid Society for the Ely Valley. In pressing forward their claims, the doctors have not spared time, or money, and this fact alone clearly shows that the doctors' job in the past has been a very lucrative one, and a fairly easy one, or they would not be so anxious to keep it. MEDICAL COMMITTEE & DOCTORS. J It has been said that the Medical Committee wish to oust the doctors from the district. This is wi-oiig! We have sent a deputation to the I doctors asking them if they were prepared to take a position under the .Medical Society, and got a refusal. We have made no complaint against the doctors as such, but we do object very much to the obsolete system under which they are paid for the service which they render to the w orkmen. This is one of the reasons why we are establishing a Medical Aid Society for the Elv Vallev district. I PROGRESS OF DEMOCRACY. All over the world the working class are en- deavouring to gain control of their own affairs. They are fast realising, that, too long they have left control in the hands of their exploiters, to the detriment of themselves. In Politics, Indus* tn-, Art, Literature, Commerce and Health, con- trot is pa-ssing into the hands of the people who are most concerned with these things, viz., the workers hy hand or 'brain, who prod uce all wealth, are now claiming the right to control their own business in the way best suited to themselves. We seek to ga.in control in industry in order to rid ourselves of the parasites who ride upon our backs, and fatten on the result of our labours. We seek democratic control of Art and literature, because for centuries they have both been prostituted to the interests of the capitalist class, whose venomous touch has so polluted them, that they are in their present form totally unacceptable to the workers of the 20th Century. And just as we see the need -of working-class control in these things so we see the need of it in matters appertaining to the most vital thing of all-Hoalln. AN OBSOLETE MEDICAL SYSTEM. We have already state-i that, we do not ob- ject to the doctors, but to the system, and we w ant to point out some of its disadvantages. One of the first necessities, vhen accident or ill- health overtakes us, is, immediate, constant, and capable attention by the doctor. Is the present system conducive to this? We say No! Under this obsolete system we arc entirely in the hands of the doctor, we have no remedy if they fail to do their duty (a by no means un- common occurrence) but only to pay our pound- age, and take what attention we can get in re- turn, whether it be good or bad. Another re- quisite to the restoration of health is, the very best of medicines and appliances. Is the old system conducive to this? Again we say No! Under this system every pound spent in medi- cines or appliances means a corresponding reduc- tion in the amount of poundage retained by the doctor, the higher the cost of medicine, the lower the dootor's salary, therefore the present system encourages the doctor to supply inferior drugs, and holds out the inducement of an increased in- come by neglecting to supply expensive remedies to his patien ts when needed. Oases of this kind have been known in South Wales, and only goes to prove that some doctor's at least are not proof against the inducements of this pernicious system. The doctors build surgeries and houses with the money collected from the workmen, but the workmen do not own them, and have absolutely no control over them or their contents. We do not expect our local doctors to be specialists! but the present system makes no preparation for treatment by a specialist when the need arises, and some of our workmen have been compelled to pay large fees to specialists in addition to the ordinary poundage. DEMOCRATIC CONTROL. Under a properly organised medical system, controlled by the workers, all those evils of the present system would be abolished. Attention by the doctor would be assured, or he would court, immediate dismissal by the Society. All medicines and appliances would be provided by the Society, and however costly the remedy or- dered by the doctor, it would not reduce his salary one penny and the committee would be compelled to supply the requirements of the doctor, or be struck off the roll of approved societies by the ministry of health. If the medical society builds surgeries, institutes, or purchase appliances of any description, they will belong to the members, and will be at their dis- posal nt ,any time rion cases of accident or ill- health. The time has come when the workers must take an interest in these things for the benefit of themselves and their families. The day of exploitation is passing, the daw n of democra- tic control in all things is upon us, we must move with the times, and demand control of life's greatest necessity, the means of health, thus ensuring for us and our a larger mea- sure of happiness than we have been able to ob- tain hitherto. TIFONRY.

The Need For A National Programme I A SURVEY OF THE PRESENT POSITION. I BY J. T. MURPHY. I The surging tide of demands from the indus- trial organisations <of the working-class grow no less in volume. From every section they are brought forward and usually without any re- gard for the demands of others or consideration of the ways and means of giving effect. to them. It is more often by accident that demands coin- cide than as a result of real co-operation of the various organisations. Indeed it is remarkable that they should manifest so many points of agreement as they do. Yet the fact that they are conceived in disconnected fashion is strongly empliasised by the sectional methods pursued in order to attain them. It is deplorable that such should be the case after the many grievous strug- gles throughout the centuries of trade union ex- perience. The rapid concentration of power in the capi- talistic organisations of the 8tat-e has now brought us to the stage when no big move can be made by any section of Labour without an immediate mobilisation of all the foroes at the disposal of the employing class. It can be safely asserted that the rabidity with which the Government of the day moves to prevent any strike is an indication of the power we can exercise to eifect our demands. To persist, therefore, in making sectional challenges to the powers that be is the height of foolishness. Moreover, the highly complex S'tage which we have reached in the development of the Industrial machinery of society makes it almost impossible for any section of the workers to be involved in strikes withbut the remainder being placed in the position of constitutional blacklegs directly or indirectly assisting the employing class in maintaining its domination over the workers. These facts, impressive in their significance, urge the unification of our forces and the drawing to- gether to formulate demands of a character which shall be generally applicable to all the workers, and only variable according to the character of the industry in which the different sections of workers are engaged. The relation- ship of the demands to the unifying process is all important.. We organise for a purpose, we rautst unify for a purpose. To "Jt""Staff te lead us to a wrong goal is equally intolerable. But no General Staff exists in the industrial army of the workers, nor has the unification of demands yet been accomplished. Even where the industries have become more or less clearly de- fined and the industrial orsanisations have ap- proximated thereto, a vanety of programmes exist. I CHAOTIC POSITION. Within the mining industry there is the San- key Report, the original demands of the Miners' Federation, the demands of the unofficial seation in the South Wales coalfield; demands re In- come Tax and the like. In the building in- dustry proposals are afoot for Industrial Coun- cils a.nd a variety of wages demands. A railway Shopman's programme exists, alongside of de- mands for part control. In the engineering in- dustry there are varying demands but little of a comprehensive character. And so we can proceed throughout the whole range of industry and find the sectionalised pro-I ductions floating hither and thither. But how- ever much these may vary, one feature of vital significance to the future of the working-class is contained in a number of the schemes I have mentioned. In the mining, building and railway programmes the demand for control of industry has exhibited itself. The form it has taken in- dicates the tentative, hesitant manner in which the trade union leaders have groped towards the great i&sues involved in the struggle of the working class towards freedom, the degree of Conservatism latent in their institutions and the influence of the revolutionary thought of the era we have entered. The mark of the "simple" trade unionist is upon all the schemes. Big things have been conceived in little terms. Class issues are approached piecemeal with consequences un- desirable and regrettable. So much is this the case that the idea of trade union leaders moving on to the management boards of capitalist en- terprises is doomed to be part-control by the workers, when in reality it means a combination of capitalists and trade union leaders for the ex- ploitation of the working class. I DANCER OF CONTROL. Control which leaves in subjection the vast army of labour is a snare and a Veritable danger to them in their struggle towards freedom. Any control which they may exercise, however, de- mands organisation which can function in the everyday operations of industry. This demand for the organisation of the workers in workshops, factories, mills and mines, in yards and on rail- ways, is recognised and perverted in the direc- tion of the stabilisation: of Capitalism. In order to challenge this process in every direction there- fore, it is imperative that the rank- and file shall themselves review these programmes, draw out of them all elements of a perverted character, and put into them such proposals that do not. detract the workers from the historic task they are now called upon to perform. Such a pro- gramme is urgent and necessary to guide and direct our efforts. With common objectives before the various in- dustrial workers, with a clear recognition of what such a programme will demand, the workers can be mobilised effectively, a General Staff be formed, and the surging movements of the w orkers be Converged towards the common goal. The conference of January 10th and lltli, 1920, convened by the National Administrative Coun- cil of the Shop Stew ards and Workers' Commit- tees, is asked to draw up such a programme, and every committee, whether in workshop, factory, mil or mine, is invited to elect delegates, send for the preliminary agenda, discuss the problems and make their proposals. No time should be wasted. Courage, initiative, audacity, clear thinking, a definite purpose—these things this hour of history demands of every member of the working-class. Inertia is fatal. Inertia must not prevail.

Colliers' Coal. CYFARTHA COMPANY CRITICISED BY MERTHYR STIPENDIARY. Charged before the Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith) on Tuesday with stealing from the Gethin Pit, Merthyr, half-a-crown's worth of coal, tw o colliers, David John Hughes, of Sunny Bank, and Henry Powell, of Trovethic-k- street, pleaded that they took the fuel because their monthly loads of coals from their em- ployers, Messrs. Crawshav Bros., were overdue, and tlieir supplies at home had run out. The two men were seen by Police-constable Davies leaving the colliery at the end of their shift, each with a bag containing three-quarters of a hundredweight of coal, and Mr. D. W. Jones (prosecuting on behalf of the colliery company) explained that proceedings were taken to pre- vent this custom of colliers carrying home lumps of ooal ucder their arms becoming a common practice, as the consequence to the owners would be serious, for several thousands of men were employed in the pit. Warnings had to be given and notices posted at the works, but the ?,ole still persisted in taking coal in this way. The company, however, did not press for a convic- tion, and considered the cases would be metrbyr the dismissal of each summons on payment of costs. The defendant Hughes told the magistrates he had been hard put," as his monthly 15cyt. of coal from the company had not been deliv. though it was due a fortnight previousl'y, and Powelt said that his ooal was three weeks late. Both men complained that they were unable to obtain coal from the dealers because of ration- ing restrictions. Mr. D. W. Jones interposed and said that, Ac- cording to his instructions, coal was detive,"A very regularly, but lie had no witnesses there present to replv to the men's plea. The Stipendiary: It can't, be very regular. There were three weeks overdue in one case aftd two in the other. Mr. Jones: That is the statement of the men. The Stipendiary They are as entitled to be believed as anyone eJse. Sou are not in a posi- tion to contradict them. The OOmpany are un- der contract to deliver so mudh coal to every man. How are they to live without it ? Mr. Jones: If we don't rrv it out thcy have tluar remedy. 1 r The Stipendiary: It is no good talking like that. They can't get food cooked to go to work without coal. Mr. Jones replied that in any event there was no justification for an action of that kind. -The Stipendiary: There is strong mitigation. Mr. Jones: Yes, if you believe them. The Stipendiary I do. Why shouldn't I (To defendants): You are bound over. Let the company carry out the contracts. Mr. Jones: They do that. The Stipendiary: There is no evidence. Mr. Jones: Except what I &ay. The Stipendiary: Well, I can't aooept that. Summonses against two other colliers for a similar offence were adjourned for the attend- ance of the men.

I A Government of Party and Interests THE TRICKERY OF CAPITALISM.- MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON'S DENUNCIA- TIONS. Speaking at a Labour social at Widnes on Saturday to celebrate the return to the House of Mr. Arthur Henderson, as representative of the division, Mr. Henderson said the House of Commons to-day was made up of a Government and a party that was not a national Government, but a Government of party and interests. It would be the party of interests that would strive to their uttermost to wrest from Labour that constituency, because they knew full well that if ever Labour got, suffioicni members returned t9 Parliament Labour would make it their business completely to revolutionise the political and economic life of this nation. When he talked of revolution he knew that he was exposing himself to the charge that was so freely levelled against them, not by minor poli- ticians but by those in high places, at the last j general election. They would also be charged with being Bolshevists, but the people were not fully aware of the tricks of the political trade. One was to divert attention and also to throw dust in the eyes of the people. They knew if the political consciousness of the masses was once properly developed there would be for ever an end to the disgraceful, the demoralising inequali- ties that characierised their social and economic life at the present time. He was prepared to re- peat the word revolution, but he wanted a revo- lution that would be bloodless; that would be based upon the sound principles of democracy; a deep spiritual oonception taking possession of the masses of the people. Once the Labour Party secured that unanimity and determination that ought to be forthcoming in any intelligent democracy that knew what it wanted and was determined to get it, what force could stand agrtinsft them? After referring to the great -success achieved by Labour in the municipal elections, Mr. Hen- derson said he was convinced that this country was nearer a general election than most of the politicians might imagine. He had had a con- viction for some time that the forces that snatched the khaki election would display some political and electioneering strategy just at the moment they thought could best serve the in- terest's of the Coalition.

The Paris Appeal Court lias quashed the judg- ment of the court-martial by which Berri and Laverne were condemned to death and other officers received various sentences for taking part in the publication of the" Gazette des Ar- dennes." The matter has been referred for a fresh hearing to the sct-ond Paris court-martial.

the increase of 10 per cent, on a standard rent which is allowed to landlords under the Increase of Kent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1919, commences. In fact, in numerous in- stance* attempts have already been made by landlords to get the increased amount of rent. It was, however, officially stated in the Honse of Commons last week tha.t the date from which the increase may be made is determined by the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act, 1918, whjfh provides that the War shaH be considered to" have terminated «fwvn an Order in Council has been issued proclaiming that the War has ended. This Order in Council is not yet issued and is not likely to be issued before the New Year. Four clear previous weeks' no- tice (in writing) of his intention to increase the rent must be given by the landlord to the tenant before the increased amount is demanded.