Pioneer

The Mines For The Nation I LABOUR PARTY AND CO-OPERATIVE I UNION. I THE PROPAGANDA RESOLUTION. 1 In the joint campaign for the nationalisation of the mines, inaugurated at the special Trade Union Congress, the Labour Party and the Co- operative Union are co-operating with the Par- liamentary Committee of the Trade Union Con- gress and the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. The resolution embodying the nationali- sation proposals is as follows:— (1) That the coal of the country forms an ob- vious necessity to national life, and that its ownership should, therefore, be vested in the community. (2) That the mines, machinery, and other means for the production and distribution of coal, being essential to the industry, should also be owned by the community. (3) That the direction and conduct of the coal- mining industry, being of vital importance to the workers in the industry and the coal-con- suming public, should be under the control of National District and Pit Committees, repre- sentative of the National Government and the various clasises of workers, including those en- gaged in the managing, technical, commercial, and manual processes. (4) That, the objects to be sought by National ownership and joint control on the lines indi- cated are:— (a) To produce the maximum output of coal consistent with the provision of adequate pro- tection for the workers engaged in this most dangerous employment. (b) The introduction of labour-saving ap- pliances on the widest possible scale. (c) A more economic working of ooal mines consequent on the elimination of the interests of private land and royalty ownership. (d) The remuneration of the workers in the industry on a scale commensurate with the dangers endured and sufficient to provide -a healthy natural life for all concerned. (e) The co-ordination of the distributive ma- chinery of the trade by the elimination of ex- isting private interests and the substitution of municipal and co-operative supplies at prices sufficient to cover costs of production and dis- tribution. This meeting therefore calls upon the Govern- ment to bring forward legislation for the Na- tional ownership of ooal mines and minerals on the lines indicated, and in accordance with the recommendations of the Majority Report of the Coal Industry Commission.

Consumers and Decontrol. LABOUR PARTY EXECUTIVE DEMAND I CONTROL. DISCONTINUANCE FRAUGHT WITH I GRAVEST DANCER. The National Executive of the Labour Party, at its meeting on December 8th, gave oonsidera- tion to the demand tor the decontrol of food supplies, especially meat, against which the Oonsttmers' Council has entered a vigorous pro- test. The Executive gave its endorsement to a resolution, declaring that the effect of decon- trol at this juncture would be fraught with the gravest danger to the consumers with regard to prices, supply, and quality. In support of this resolution, it is urged that to abandon* control of the meat supply at this moment would simply place the general public at the mercy of the American Meat Trust. This Trust controls over 60 per cent. of the imported beef supply of the United Kingdom, and prac- tically control also the South American as well as the North American meat trade, while their- Australian interests are considerable. Under the system of control, Great Britain, France, and Italy have been able to buy from this com- bine on more favourable terms than would be possible in the case of individual buyers com- peting against one another, and thus running up the price. This question was also considered at the Joint meeting before the special Trade Union Congress last week, and referred to the Congress itself. In the debate -on the cost of living at the Congress, Mr. E. Bevin made a strong protest against the decontrol of meat, and the question is one that will be urged upon the Prime Minister when the deputation from the Congress goes to lay its resolutions before him.

Swansea Valley I.L. P. Federation. I TO BRANCH SECRETARIES: Dear Comrade,—May I appeal to you on be- half of a. project which we, of the above Federa- tion, consider to be worth- of the heartiest sup- port of all rebels and peace-lovers. The Rev. T. E. Nicholas (Llais), the I.L.P. candidate for Aberdare at the last general elec- tion, is known throughout the Labour Move- ment in Wales as a poet of outstanding-ability. He has published several books of poems in the past, including Salmau'r Werin," Cerddi Gwerin," Cerddi Rhyddid, etc., and has be- come known as Bardd y Werin (Poet of b Ü-I mocfEtcy) During the war he made a stand for Peace in the pulpiit, on the platform, and in the Press. He also composed a great number of striking and masterful Peace Poems," and the Swansea Valley Federation feels that these should be brought out in permanent form. He has there. I fore been induced to publish a book of these poems under the title Dros eich Owlad." Owing to war conditions the difficulties of pub- lishing, etc., have been greatly increased. We, therefore, appeal to the I.L.P. branches through- out Wales to send in a list of subserioorsassoon as possible, in order to overcome this difficulty, i The I"?k will be printed by the Educational Publishing Co., Cardiff. It will contain a num- ber of satirical poems, viz., Dros each Gwlad," Can y Gwaed," Angylion Mons," etc. Also, it will contai-n a number of choice cartoons, viz., The Angels of Mons," The Call of the King," The Hell of War," "The Soldier's Reward," After the Battle," The Image of Mars," etc. The book will be published at 1/6 in paper covers, and 2/6 in cloth. We may say that the book will be published for .propaganda purposes, and copies will be sold to the I.L.P. branches at cost price. Will you, therefore, bring this matter before your branch as soon as possible, and ascertain the number of copies you will be-responsible for, and send on the order to me at once. Dolycoed, Ynysmeudwy.

Teachers' Salaries. MR. COVE VISITS MERTHYR N.U.T. Mr. W. G. Cove, the Executive member of this area on the National Union of Te.-Oiem- in succession to the late Mr. W. Harnis-visitoo Merthyr on Saturday and met, the teachers in discussion of their own affairs. The meeting was of a priv-st-e character, but it is surmised that the chief object of his visit was to talk over the findings of the Standing Joint, Committee which has been discussing the question of a na- tional wage scale for the profession and the re- port of which will be submitted to a conference of the N. U T. on December 30th. There are several objections to the committee's findings; a consideration of which has led the London teachers, for instance, to refuse iit; and another objection that is current is the fact that the N.U.T. membership was never con- sulted in the appointment of its 22 representa- tives, who with 22 mprest-ntatives of Education Authorities made up the personnel of the Joint Standing Committer. In their report, issued to- wards the end of last month, based their sug- gested salary rates, on the male assistant scale, starting from 9160 per annum and rising by in- crements of £10 per year to R350. An objection- able clause in the Report that is finding great disfavour amtsngst teachers is that destroying the right to strike; and another, and related clause, that will meet with strong opposition is that proposing the setting up of a, Standing Committee of Seven from each body forming the Standing Joint Committee, under the presidency of Lord Burnham, as a Committee of Disputes, with the power of compulsory arbitration.

Mr. Mills & Nationalisation A CAMPAIGN FULL OF DOUBT AND DIFFI- CULTY, IF NOT DISASTER. Mr. Fred Mills, of the Ebbw Vale Company, was one of the principal speakers at the "Peace Dinner" of the Engineers and Shipbuilders of Bristol Channel, held at Cardiff on Saturday. Mr. Mills' theme was the nationalisation of the coal-mining industry, which, he rightly reminded his audience, would not stop at the nationalisa- tion of coal-mines if successful. The policy of the Trade Union Congress was to nationalise all the means of production, distribution and ex- change-,a, prospect which every man in the room would agree was fraught with doubt and diffi- culty, if not with disaster. Unless something was done he was afraid we were in for a very disastrous si-tuafi-on in this country, and to threaten a campaign was not to offer the prospect of an improvement in the great. industry. The result of that campaign could only be that ooal was going to be high in price and short in quan- tity. Industrial peace was needed. Some kind of a peace had been patched up in the railway world, and he thought it not impossible that some more joint councils could be established which would have for their purpose the regula- tion and sharing of profits, and distribution. What was the use of charging ;£12 a ton for coal that was supplied at a loss That sort of thing was coming home to them. He was inclined to say to the miners' leaders who had won two great victories this year, to be content with those victories for the time and have some sort of in- dustrial peace so that good results may wait upon all the industries of the country. Probably rthe miners' leaders will pay attention to Mr. Mills.

A Game That Was Spoiled I CILLtNCHAM'S DOUBTFUL TACTICS AT I MERTHYR. FOUR COAL DEFEAT DESERVED PUNISH- I MENT. The four-goal thrashing that Merthyr gave to Gillingham on the Penydarren Park last Satur- day, although a gross exaggeration of the for the most part uninteresting play, was to my mind an excellent thing for Gillingfram. Like the stomach-ache that comes to the Mttle boy for over-indulgence in green apples, it was a visita- tfon for their sins of commission, somewhat heavy sins they were, for if there is one thing in football that rouses my ire it is to see a team dropping the science of the game, when victory recedes, to adopt the tactic of taking the man and not the leather. Not only is it not football, but it is devoid of any element of sport, and, if I were a referee, I should punish it quickly and severely with rapid banishment. In that respect Mr. Austen on Saturday disappointed me, for whilst he was quick enough .in most respects, he did not even (riii,tion A. Steele, for two glaring cases against the Merthyr men. Steele was about the worst offender on the field, but his col- leagues of the visiting defence were equally will- ing to take a hand in the game. Occasionally that kind of play may accidentally bring a goal or two, but in the general run of cases I believe that duos that adopt it as a. resugar part of their play, are tremblingly in fear of relegation to se- cond divisions and other Leagues when the end of the seasons come around. On Saturday all that suoh play did was to enlarge the score against them, and give Merthyr a needed oppor- tunity to improve their goal average. As for play in general, taking due note of the bad conditions of lighting, of driving rain and of slushy going, I am still compelled to confess to a lack of enthusiasm that the exciting last- ten minutes only succeeded in shaking. The open- ing was fairly brisk, when pro-fitting by Nicholas' holiday freshness two free kicks came to the visi- tors, and was followed by a really pretty attempt by Reid on Gibbon; but a miss is as good as a mile, and Nock and Davies evened that up when they burst down field, only to have their attempt stopped by the off-side whistle, when the inside right was swinging his leg to take the goal kick from a good position. The game having thus been evened so far as misses were concerned, it began to even in re- spect to raids, and from end to end the ball went with-pendulum regularity. Edwards, who was again shining at left- wing extreme, wa-s tripped on one run, and Nicholas, who was working well with Poulton, after his rest, shook the upright from the resulting free-kick. But for the most part -the ] were never more than the backs could handle, until with fifteen minutes gone Davies, showing a needed touch of opportunism that he afterwards re-emphasised, darted in and banged a cross from Edwards that the rest of the line had missed, past Bower and into the back net. For the rest- of the half there was not much danger to either goal, and my admiration was spent- in watching Chivem- play a really good game at centre-half, Probert working cleverly with the left wing; Ireland's stopping with a oool judgment was exhilarating; and in laughing at the neat way in which Cart-wright was playing the Merthyr line off-side when they crossed the centre-mark. When the ball did get down near the goals Merthyr was much more deadly than their opponents, whose finishing was not worth mentioning. Only once did I .think they would equalise, and that was when Read and Steele weDlt off down the oentre of the field, and be- tween them and Gibbon not a red-and-green shirt showed. It looked like a certainty, and I am still wondering how Probert managed to get in front of them and force a hasty pass to Kelly, who was rushed by Brown and compelled to forego aim if he was to shoot at all, with the re- sult that the leather sailed well over the cross- bar. The one-goal lead that Merthyr was shar- ing at half-time, was a fair comment on the play till then. With the minimum of time off the field Mr. Austen hustled the twenty-two back, and some- how I date the deterioration of the Gillingham play to their disappointment on being ruled off- side when they managed to beat Gibbon in the first two-minutes of the change-over. It cer- tainly fired their keenness for a time and Gibbon was wise in running well out of stop a move by Nash and Redpath, though as a. rule I strongly favour in-field work being left to the men for- ward of goal. Poulton was twice caught by Cart- wright with off-side when he was just in Gilling- ham quarters, but on the whole play was of a poor quality, as it hung just over the home 'half- line. Yet with play persistently in his half, Gibbon was a sumch a spectator as Bower. In- deed more, for when Edwards passed to Nicholas at the end of 20 minutes, that player drew the defence and then sent across to Poulton, who, from a grand shooting position, made Merthyr two ahead. It was after that that Gillingham in- tensified their dubious tactics. For ,ten minutes nothing serious happened, and then Merthyr be- gan a series of raids in which the Gillingham de- fence failed absolutely to stop the leather from converging on Bower, although .their new play found men down in quick succession. With six minutes to go Nock, from one of these ralids, made it three, and Davies just later again picked up ,a cross by Edwards, to whose credit a great deal of the initiation of the revival was due, and from an oblique shot from well out beat Bower with a beautiful thigh-high drive. Near as it was to the whistle I expected Nicholas to make it five, when he was brought down on the line. Result: Merthyr, 4; Gillingham, nil.

or HELP THOSE WHO HELP Ion YOUR PAPER I

Beautiful Bermondsey. 1 AN INNOVATION IN MUNICIPAL AD- j MINISTRATION. J A REAL PROGRAMME OF AMENITIES. I Many of the South Wales municipalitills il'OU do well to emulate the action of the Bermondsey Borough Council by appointing a Beautification and Public Amenities Committee, an innovation in Municipal administration. The Committee was set up on the motion of Dr. Alfred Salter, who is an alderman of the borough, and trea- 1 surer of the London Labour Party. The terms j of reference for the Committee include the care of existing open spaces, and the acquisition of new open spaces and playgrounds; the planting -j and care of trees and shrubs in the sti-eets and highways; the improvement of waste spaces, in- cluding vacant and neglected strips of land, 1 broad thoroughfares, triangular oases, corner | places, and other suitable spots, by the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, and the provision of tub and box gardens, rockeries, fountains, statuary ,ornamental arbours, seats and the like. The Committee will also offer to take over, temporarily or permanently, by agreement with existing landlords and tenants, the fore-courts and front gardens where flowers, shrubs and ciimbing plants may be cultivated. It will pro- vide boxes and plantis for window gardens, if occupiers desire them, and promote under muni- cipal auspices public exhibitions of lfowers, gar- den product, poultry, domestic pets, hobbies and handicrafts and the like. With a view to the de- ;■ velopment of healthy physical excercise, the v Committee will provide winter-gardens, gymna- J sia, bowling alleys, and open-air swimming j baths; as well as municipal ooncerte, lectures, and other forms of public recreation, co-operat- ing with the London County Council in providing bands in the local gardens and open spaces.

A General Amnesty. LABOUR PARTY DEMAND FOR IMPRI- j SONED SERVICE MEN. I DEPUTATION TO DIRECTOR OF PERSONAL <| SERVICES. j Y 5" Mr. Ada mson and Mr. Ben Spoor represented the Labour Party in an interview last week with Major-Goneral Sir Wyndham Childes, Director of Personal Services at the War Office on the question of .the release of soldiers undergoing imprisonment for purely military offences. The question has given rise to much feeling among Service men and ex-Servico men alike, and the demand for an amnesty for all men sentenced for military offences has grown very strong. All ex-Service men's organisations are unanimous in asking for the release of those offenders. The Government has already released all conscien- tious objectors and the Labour Party will not- rest. satisfied until they have obtained the re- lease of military offenders who "did their bit" in the great war, but who fell from grace in the doing of it. Sir Wyndham Childes listened sym- pathetically to the Labour representatives, but the decision realls with the higher authority and the Labour Party will therefore raise the matter in more important quarters.

The Land For Heroes! SWANSEA DISCHARCED MEN VISIT BOARD OF GUARDIANS.. JJ The Swansea branch of the Discharged Sol- diers' and Sailors' organisation attended before the Swansea Board of Guardians at its last meeting, and Mr. Francis (their secretary) ap- pealed to that body to assist the men in making the Ministry of Pensions shoulder its proper re- sponsibilities with regard to men suffering from the effects of service, and tha.t without the stigma of pauperisation which the men resented. Mr. Francis also pointed out that,many of the widows of Service men, whose death was not due to service, were being forced to .seek parish re- lief now that the 12 months' pension allowed had lapsed. The Guardians were appealed to for as- sistance in remedying this. The Board expressed full sympathy with the deputation and that a deputation should, jointly with the Hospital Committee, wait on the Minister of Pensions.

Pails of Free Milk a INTERESTING CARMARTHEN STATEMENT, j The growing sense of communal responsibility *1 in these times of dear food necessities is reflected in the decision of the Carmarthen Town Council to vote .£30 towards a scheme for the supply of cheap milk in necessitous cases, and on the re- commendation of the Child Welfare Committee. At the meeting at. which the decision was arrived at the Town Clerk said that it had been stated that the poor people were allowed to visit the cattle m'arket on Wednesdays and milk the cows, and that they took buckets full of milk home.

Merthyr Schools' League. RESULTS-SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13. Dowlais, 3; Pant, 1. Dowlais R.C., 5; County, 0. Gellifaelog, 2; Penydarren, 0. Castle, 7 Pentrebach, 0. Merthyr Vale, 3; Abermorlais, 1. Abercanaid, 10; Merthyr R.C., 0. Georgetown, 1; Penrheol, 1. Troedyrhiw, 4; Mount Pleasant, 2.

are much more troublesome to grow, and so are often disappointing, particularly to novice growers. Whatever the roses grown, they are naturally heavy feeders, and need a, rich and moist soil. The ideal soil is a well manured and nicely- drained clay. In many cases roses can be grown nicely on their own roorts, in which case the suckers from below ground will be of the same kind as the flower-bearing shoots. This obviates the danger of the dog rose or manetti sfcock of budded plants growing from the roots and ultimately killing out the less robust growth of the budded rose. Pruning must be done in the spring, and con- sists practically in removing all weakly and dis- eased growths, and in cutting- the balance well back. Practically all roses bear their flowers on new wood. E. Kemp Toogood, F.L.S., F.R.Met.S., pro Toogood and Sons, The King's Seedsmen, Southampton.