Pioneer

I loco. Men and "Combing." PROTEST AGAINST ACTION. OF GOVERN- MENT AND COMPANIES. In view of the attempts being made to weed out men from certain industries, the members of the Merthyr and Dowlais Branch of the Asso- ciated Society of Loco. Enginem-en and Fire- men at. their last meeting passed the following resolution: — That we view with gra.ve concern the at- tempts, being made to further deplete the rail- way service; and in view of the long hours now being worked 'by locomotive men through out the country, and the responsible duties I entailed, that any further depletion will only mean working still longer hours. We are of the opinion that it is not to the interest of the men, the companies, or the travelling pub- lic. that any further men should be released for military service. We further condemn the action of certain railway companies in dis- charging unattested men. in order to force them into the army.

I This terrible war is killing a lot of businesses, Make it a personal resolve that the Pioneer shall not he killed.

I Our Appeal for Ii Navvy Pal," As our readers are aware, Mr. Maurice Fitz- Gibbon, acting for the Bargoed Pioneer Com- mittee, last week penned an appeal on behalf of our old veteran. "Nævvy Pat," who in the "seer and yellow laaf is experiencing the usu- al hard times of the devoted agitator whose forethought for the morrow has been for the race of to-morrow; and not of his own individual self. Now, I find some sort of doubt as to whether the Pioneer" has opened a. fund for the oLd veteran, and also a desire to know the identity of him who for months has remained hid den behind the anonymity of "Navvy Pat." Of course, we have thrown our columns open to "Navvy Pat's" Fund, in the hope that a good- ly response will be made, and as an inducement to our friends the Pioneer Management Com- mittee has decided to make a grant of 2/6 per week towards the fine old fighter. Now, as to his identity, a. carefully guarded secret for so long. "Navvy Pat" is Mr James B. Grant, the veteran Democrat, who has undergone per- secution foir many years, as most of us can re- member, in his attempt to awaken the miners to the meaning of the figures most vitally bear- ing upon their own wages. Some there are who do not even remember the name of Mr James B. Grant, but invariably I have found they recall the grey-bearded enthusiast who toured the coal v allies with his board and easel lecturing and demonstrating the meaning of the figures he handled so easily. Now the days of that great workers' mathematicion are declining, and it looks as though his fight for the People, whom he loves so well, is to land him in the work- house. We who have been loudest in our de- claration of the treatment of old national war- riors stand a great danger of treating one of our Generals even worse, .than the Govern- ments of the past have treated the war battered j privates. There are many who know w/hat "Navvy Pat" has done and is doing to-day who will, I am sure, put themselves out of the way, well, if need be, forego some little luxury that lie may be spared that last dread ignomy of odl age. This week, I am sorry to say, the res- ponse is meagre. A soldier comrade, writing from "The Devil Know Where on. Sbak aspeare's Birthday after 1916 years of failure." sends 5/ and Mrs. Jones, one,-of the most ardent Pioneer- it es in Pant (S- the MeTtuyr District, has sub- in Pant and the Mertby district, have sub- scribed 1/ and to both -of these I express my own and "Navvv Pat's" sincerest thanks. THE EDITOR. Navvy Pat." s. d- "Thf' Pione2'1' 2 6 "In Durance Vile" I. 5 0 Mis. Jones, Pant 1 0 Tota,-t 8 6

I The Palace. Manager Hall-Jones has selected a. vory fine programme for the remainder of the present week—the principal attraction being a remark- ably fine society drama, in 5 parts, entitled An Enemy to Society," featuring some excel- lent Cine players, including Miss Lois Meredith as D-ecima Duress and ill-r. Hamilton Revelie as Stephen Adams. A synopsis of this fine play is to be had from the attendants, and is woll worth reading before, seeing the picture. Another fin# picture is the drama, "Out of Ashes," in 2 parts. A good Topical picture is also being shown, "Von Tirpit-z's Hiding Place." These are followed by a number of am- using pictures, and the Gazette, with the latest news, all supported by appropriate musio bv the Palace Orchestra.' On Monday next, a sensational drama m five parts and which features the popular Olga Petrova, as Martha Redmond, an artist's model. This, the second of a series in which this gifted and versatile actress appears, is en- titled The. Heart of a Painted Woman." Olga Petrova is one of the handsomest women of the stage. She is not a dainty ingenue, but her beauty stands the. test of the camera. The story is good as to basic points, and the character which Mme. Petrova portrays carries with it a strong.synippathetic The 15th Epi- sode of the "Broken Coin" also appears. Am- ong other pictures in this programme is an inte- resting Topical, Scenes Around Erzerum." On Thursday next the change for the week includes another exceptionally ifne exclusive drama entitled The Labyrinth," m which appears the well-known screen artiste, Miss Gail Kane. in the leading role. This picture possesses the happy combination of a powerful and arres- ting, storv, fine dramaticaciion, thrilling scenes and perfect finish in production. Tho actual stage scenes were taken at the Plaza Theatre. New York, with a h"1J company placing and I a crowded audience in attendance. The rescue scenes after a train -.mash, the life of a minis- ter working' among the poor, the operations of a wealthy theatrical magnate, are portrayals of splendid realism. A Ohaplin comedy will be shown in this seection, "Tlis .Favourite Pas- time." Another fine dramatic picturg in three parts will be shown, "'When Fate Was Kind;" An interesting little picture, "Typical National, Dances," will please &M. As usual, the child- ren's entertainment will b* held on Saturdavs at 10.45. Wo might- mentioa in advance that Mr. Hall- Jones has secured Sir Rider Haggard's famous novel. "She," ?dapt?d a8 a Cin<p?ay; as pro- duced by Will Barker, Thia win be a great attraction a.nd will h. welcomed by tit? r?ad" I ing public.

Conscription and the Guard Room. SEE PAGE 3

Conscription Night at Merthyr. I SPEECHES BY THREE "PRIVATES." I SPEEDING THE RÈD FLAG OF SOC!AUSM   OF SOCIALISM .„ Tho meeting addressed by three of the Mer- thyr Conscripts under the Military Service Bill, at Bontley's Hall on Tuesday night, was unique ?v?n m the annals of the historic borough. The Attendance was far bigger than anyone e«-I pected the spirit of the meeting was contagi- QU3, and the calm utterances of the three who STOOD OH the verge of unknown trials of their faith had a poignant note for those over whom the cloud of Conscription is just beginning to cast its shade a note which vibrated the chords of being and created a link that may yet, nay will yet, have far-reaching effects in staying the hands of the militarist caste. The chair was occupied by Mr. T. ENTWIS- TLE (evangelist), who said he was not propos- ing offering any advice to the men on the platform, because he would not have to endure the results of the advice given. They had taken bhear stand, and he honoured them for it. (Loud applause. )And he was there that night to show his sympathy with the stand they were taking for liberty. He believed in liberty of every kind—liberty of speech, and he was pre- r-ared to endure whatever might fall to his lot for speaking the truth that was within him. (Loud applause.) No power on earth had the Power to violate any man's conscience. (Ap- plause.) They could not cure the disease of conscientious objection by coercion. The only remedy was education. (Applause.) If a man was wrong in his views, but held those views conscientiously, then the only way was to edu- cate him into right view: Even though he j-a,n absolutely wrong from his stand- Point he would allow him the fullest liberty un- r til he could persuade him into his way of think- Inf" He had had letters from two young friends who had come under the Act, and who had hunger struck, had refused to drink, and had refused to obey orders, and who had been discharged from the army as medically unfit af- ter a week. These men were now free men again, but that did not raise his objection to this conduct, which was the very spirit of mili- tarism. He was opposed to war now, and had 11 before ever this war vv:: dreamt of on Principle, and he did uQb .see wlv. he should Change his long-held views and opinions simply because the Government thought fit to go to war. (Hear, hear.) War was futile; it was a disease that aggravated the very diseases it was supposed to remedy. The only remedy for these diseases was the peace and liberty which would enable men to work out their own salvation from the evils bv which they were beset. (Ap- plause.) He believed that the force that would ? make a man violate his conscience was an evil, i sensuous and devilish force. (Cheers.) r Mr. FRED PUL LINGER said that the fight against military service. which was the forerun- Tier of slavish class hatred, and resulted in na- tional decadence and undying shame, was the fight for which they stood. There was no prob- lem that had so affected him. so nearly, that had demanded so much self-sacrifice as the cris- is which he was facing then. But he had taken r into consideration the cause for which they were s fighting—for liberty of conscience and freedom of wilL (Cheers.) This was a. fight which went. i to the very basis of life that attached itself closely to the evolution of humanity towards perfection that involved liberty of conscience to fulfil their religious and moral dictates, the dictate which says. "Thou slialt not kill." It ;• Was a fight- which they were sure to win (ohpers)-and by that winning would strengthen the very foundation of social life and bring the wcwld nearer that International Brother- hood by which alone peace could be ensured for hood by 'He was sure the cause he had espoused, ever. ,iglit and iiist one. Wlille tli.ey iiiight wa.% a right and just one. While they might be taken away and have 4o suffer, they were prepared to face all that was before them, and ■: it behoved those who were left to do their little bit outside to see that this hellish business which was now proceeding should come to an early close that the Peace for which they were all longing might be set on' a sound basis; not a peace that would serve the ends of its }■ manipulators—but a peace that would have forl its aim the peace of the whole world. (Cheers.) Mr. T. G. WILLIAMS said lie believed that before they became debased in the game of legalised murder, the Privates in the Conscript. Army would become convicts. At the Tribunals the Conscientious Objectors had been asked, "How long have you held th.(,se cpeculiar' views?" As though it mattered whether a man had held them for five years, a month or a week, so long as he believed them. (Cheers.) There was not the slightest doubt that when the war broke out and high sounding appeals had been made to their moral sense by the Jingoes, young men like himself had no fundamental basis t for their outlook on life but those appeals had compelled them to take stock, to measure and seek for truth, and the fact that they had fin- ally flpf'ided that they were soldiers on the side ( of peace and righteousness had been amply jus- titled to-day when all the high-sounding appeals of those first few months had been repudiated. Militarism and freedom of conscience could never exist side by sida. ^Thev must have one t. or the other, and it was generally ruthless milt-; I taurism that predominated, «, militarism that knew but the use of rnrce in dealing with its adversaries. And in this respect they could L. not differentiate between militarism and mili- r tarism; French militarism might not be better ) than Prussian militarism, and Prussian militar- ism no better—or worse—than ours might be- come. (Cheers.) Mr H. A. DAVIES. M.A. (Hons. Oxon) was proud to be a Conscientious Objecrfcor. (Cheers:) Conscience was superior to appetite and passions superior to anything; because, as Oioero said, it was the God in man." (Oheers.) They of the N.G.F. believed that all war was wrong, because they considered that human life was sacred. War was the negation of reason; it was a crime against God, civilisation and Hhrisfcianijiy. (Cheers.) Waa- wo-LI1,41 never end war. It might be a very glorious thing for kings and statesmen, diplomatists and capitalists —but it was not a glorious thing for the people whose only consolation for its ravages was the naangled corpses of the battlefield and the nig- gardly charity of the governments. (Oheers.) They believed that the only way to end war was for men to refuse to fight. (Cheers.) They were never going to end war—despite the asser- tioss of BE. G. Wells—by war. In the words of that great Teacher who lived in Palestine nine- teen hundred years ago, "Satan cannot cast out Statan" evil could not be overcome by evil; evil must be overcome by good. (Cheers.) There was nothing more revolting in England to-day than the attitude which the churches and chapels had adopted towards the war in general, and the Conscientious Objector in particular. The preachers and ministers of the Gospel had been content to become sycophants, and to oppose the very principles for which they stood. The war was holy. but they were too holy to take any part in it. (Loud cheers.) In the words of Philip Snowden: (TJley hide them selves behind their holy profession, and urged other men to go and fight." There were people who said that the Conscien- tious Objector had no right to exist; that the minority should always fall in with the wishes of the majority but Lord Acton, he believed, it was who said that the respecting of the wish- es of the minority was one of the essentials of human freedom. He admitted that there was no wisdom so great as the collective wisdom of the majority—when the majority was right; but there was no folly so great as the collective folly of the majority when the majority were wrong. (Laughter and cheers.) It was the ma- jority who cried, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him I" I It was the majority that gave the cup of hem- lock to Socrates; it was the majority that exe- crated John Bright for opposing the Crimean War; and it was the majority that called for the South African War. Yet to-day we knew that John Bright was right-, and that the South African Campaign was wrong. And in the future the people, would recognise that the Con- scientious Objector had been right in this war. (Cheers.) The continuance of this war was a perfect scandal and disgrace. He was quite cer- tain that the great majority of the soldiers of all nations did not want it to continue. Every- one knew that there had been a great deal of fraternising between the soldiers of England and Germany; but all were not aware that the same spirit. had been prevalent- on many occa- sions between the soldiers of Austria, and Rus- sia on the Eastern Front. Did it look from this as though the soldiers wanted the war to con-j t;iiue? (No!) Hatred did not, exist among the soldiers only in the chan cèHories and. courts of I Europe. And if chancellories and courts could find nothing better to do than breed hate, then it was time that they were swept into the limbo of forgotten things. (Loud heers.) It might be asked, What was the conscient- ious objectors' attitude to war? The answer was passive resistance! (Loud cheers.) Wars were possible because the governments were able to make excuses to the people to get them to fight. (Cheers.) With a nation of passive resistors no excuse was possible. Even supposing that the Germans came, there would be* no glory for them, or Iron crosses to be gained; they would not be opposed bv the people in any way. so that acts of barbarity and ferocity would not happen. But even supposing they carried it out, and occupied London, they would dissolve Parliament, but government was a, com- plicated affair, and without the assistance of the people's representatives the., could not car- ry on the Government. That would be refused. The railways would be taken possession of and the men would strike. Industry would be para- lysed. and the Germans would be forced to con- sult the people of the covinti- Government could not be carried on without the consent of the governed. It was sheer nonsense to say that if all the neople believed the conscientious i objectors, the country would be in a hopeless state. Passive resistance was far more effective than war. (Cheers.) He hated militarism, and was going to fight it in the only effective way--by refusing to obey ill ilifary orders. He knew that the task was a hard one that militarism was ruthless and oarbaric; but they were fighting for right, and they knew that it was infinitely better to fail in tne cause of right than to triumph in the cause of wrong. (Loud cheers.) But they were not going to fail; their cause could not fail. (Cheers.) They had only to stand firm, and then, in the words of Hugh Latimer, they would have "lit stich a candle in England a.s, by the Grace of God, shall not be put out"; and they would have done something to speed the day when there was but one fhl O' throughout the world, and that not the Union Jack but the Reg Flag of Socialism. (Loud-and continued applause.) I

PRINTING SENT TO PRIVATE COMPANIES means Profit for IÙiriducl Owners. WmeJl. WE do your work, the Profit comes in the PROPAGATION iF SOCIALISM AND TRADES UNIONISM. Think it Over!

I Features of the Week. I By THE LOUNGER. I The A.G.G. Letter. I The bomb-shell of the week-end was undoubt- edly the Open Letter in the Daily News last Saturday. When thieves fall out, honest men come into their due," is an old proverb which has come to many minds in these circumstances. The question of how the body of Liberals view the whole episode has exercised the Conservat- ive minds very greatly, and many are the haz- ards of the wizards of North cliff e and Hulton. The Sunday Herald" goes into deep philoso- phy and comes to this conclusion Either Mr. A. G. G. was wrong when he held up Mr. Lloyd George as the democrat of democrats, or he is wrong now when he hurls at him all the abuse he is capable of hurling. And if he has been wrong at either time, then Mr. A. G. G. can no longer claim to be a man of astute judgment of pers onality. Similarly one might suggest to the Sunday Herald" that either the Conservative view was wrong in the days of Georgian finance, or it is wrong now; and anyway, they, too, can scarcely claim to be astute in personal judg- ment. In short, it seems strange to find the only praise given to a democrat coming from the hereditary enemy of Democracy. The general view held by the rank and file Liberals as I come in contact with them is that Mr. Lloyd George is one who wants his own way; when he gets it everything goes with a swing as far as lie is concerned, but directly he is opposed, then "the band begins to play." I The Conscript Meeting. I it was a novel proceeding in the history of tlie country, and certainly of Merthyr, to have a meeting m which the platform was held by some of the young men awaiting their fate un- der the Military Service Act. I understand that someone described the procedure as going to see the animate before they went to the Zoo. As one of the speakers said, perhaps it sheds a different light on things when we describe it as going to hear and see the young men before they went to be coerced into besng animals. That is how I regarded it. Apart from all this, the tone and the spirit of the meeting was ele- vating. There was verv little of the abuse which has b&ea her-; c- <y;+.!?•• > tribunals and the men dressed in little brief I authority" who administered. the Act—not the Military Service Act--but on of their own Bfnaking. There was instead of this a clear, firm stiateinent of their beliefs, a meeting of argument with argument, and ,a gentle ifrmness as of a steal rod which may bend, but will not break. The Government is laying up for itself I a store of trouble. They have made the un- thinking multitude think, and the result of this thought UD to now is "The Conscientious Ob- jector." What will he the result of the think- ing that will take place during the ensuing monthsf Perhaps Mr. Asquith will still "Wait imnog nths ? hut what he will see will, peTbaps. disturb his equanimity. "1 he Herald View." I There is no beating about the bush" in this I week's issue, and the views expressed there should be cordially endorsed and acted upon by the Labour Movement throughout the land. It is time for Labour to smash the whole dastardly scheme of the militarists of this country. That is the epitome of the issue of last week. It would not be difficult to fill an issue of this paper with reasons for that suggestion. Labour knows enough of the nauseating story of the campaigns for Conscription in the past; is the w hole game to be played again? Every time Labour yields it is despised the more. I The I.L.P. Conference. I The closing words of the Chairman (Mr. Bruce Glasier) at the Conference of the I. L.P at Newcastle should give the public something to think" about. He said "If a new instalment of the Military Service Act is passed, probably half of the Independent Labour Party Move- ment will be in prison before we meet again." There is another sicte to that statement. They are not going to prison for nothing. They will have done something, ere that happen, in spreading their views, and the ground on which the seeds fall in these days is particularly fer- tile. Nothing helps a cause more than persecution; it is sufficient that the main body of the I.L.P. fears nothing in the way of persecution; it will not be the first time that members have had to face trials and tribulations and the fruit is to be found in the fact that to-day when two-thirds of the world is mad with the blood lust, there still floiurishcs a body opposed to all war, hi which life and limb are treated as dirt. j Preparation tor War Brings War. -1 t i was speaking to an old Sergeant, who had I gone through the South African War. He is now time-expired, and belongs to the Labour movement. Listen to our conversation. U would have shot Hardie and Lloyd George at that time," he said. "1 could not under- stand their madness. When I came back I heard Hardie say, Preparation for war brings war it stuck to me somehow, and I could not make" head or tail of it. Preparation for war, I thought, made one ready for war. and once the enemy saw that the foe was ready. war be- came impossible. v We were out one morning riding over the kopjes, and we raided a farm whore 30 Boers had taken refuge. We captured them— there were ten of us—and we took their bandoliers and rifles from them. "Four of our fellows went on. leaving six to guard and escort the prisoners. "On the march the poor beggars looked weary so I took out a cake of tobacco, cut it in two and offered half to the nearest Boer. He said, No pipe.' 'I say, Bill. lend this chap your pipe; he'd like a smoke,' I said. Biil undid his too*, and took out a spare pa.ir ofsocksand gave them to another Boar whose shoes had broken so that the nails made his toe bleed. Then he took out his pipe and gave it to the other. The rest now looked for smokes, and bet- ween us we gave them all something to go on with. "Then it came tome in a flash. There had we been hunting those chaps night and day cursing them, calling them everything. We had sniped at them—and lo! now here they were, unarmed, and they were to us then merely men." Aye! True did the "Old Man" say, Prepa- ration for war brings war."

Union Notes. By TRADE UNIONIST. Last week, in these notes, I referre d to the retrograde steps that have already been taken m this country since war broke out. and to the ease and facility with which erstwhila Democrats consented to and even helped such steps to be taken. It was the leaders of working class organisations, the natural champions of Democ- racy. that I had more particularly in view when writing those paragraphs. It named me beyond measure that the men who, in days gone by, have fought gallantly, and not without a mea- sure of success for the rights of man, and-for the working man in particular, should fail us at such a. time as this. But this week I want to refer, not to the lea- ders,. but to the men themselves. The workmen —trade union workmen—are apostates to the cause of Democracy no less than Trade Union leaders. What can we say of Trade Unionists who refuse to work with their fellows who have not attested ? Such a thing actually happened in England recently. It would be interesting to know how it is that men violate Trade Union principles by abstaining from attesting. To at- test was a voluntary business entirely. We have complained before now of the devious and often tyrannical methods adopted by employers of la- bour to get their employees to attest, but these Trades Unionists are even worse than the em- ployers, because as Trades Unionists they are organised not only to further their own craft interest, but t,be interests of the Democracy as a whole. "1,¡: "1 >t. 'or' — wo- men, led by Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, proceeding from the East End of London to Trafalgar Square to advocate the extension of the fran- chise to all women and men over 21 years of age. But a crowd of working men, amongst whom there were also numbers of Australian, New Zealand and Canadian soldiers, prevented the meeting being held. These working women were called traitors and pro-Germans, although the meeting had nothing to do with the war. This action of the patriots—God help them 1 is particularly disgusting owing to the fact that no one in this country has worked harder than Sylvia Pankhurst to help the poor depend- ents of soliders in the East End of London to get their allowances and pensions, and in every way possible endeavouring to make their hard lot easier. It was a crowd of working men, mixed with soldiers, who broke up Miss Maud Royden's meeting some time ago. and this meeting was of a purely religious character. It is quite true to say that Avar is not good for Democracy. War and Democracy can never agree. We must not expect them to. You cannot wage war. and retain inviolate your de- mocratic principles. The sooner this war is brought to an? end, the better it will be for the j cause of freedom an4 liberty. I welcome the many signs now manifesting themselves/which indicate that the workmen are getting anxious '1 for Peace. I would greatly rejoice if the power- 1 ful Trade Union movement of this country would help to develop that feeling, and take the lead in a great National Peace Campaign. j So many strange things happen in these days that we are not really surprised at anything. Mr. Arthur Hederson, M.P., the President of the Board of Education, has recently appointed a Departmental Ooommittee to enquire into the "j condition of school children who are engaged upon war work. The Committee is to report on how to give back to these children the edu- cational advantages they have lost by having to leave school and to deal generally with the changes in education made necessary by the war. Interesting terms of reference these, and Labour men would have a chance to shine on a, committee like that. All the interests con- cerned are well represented except one, and that one the most deeply concerned of all, viz., Labour. Mr. Henderson, the LABOUR Minister of Education, has selected only one representat- ive of Labour on this Committee in the person a of Mr. Appleton, Secretary of the General Fe- -j de'1'atÏon of Trade deration of Trade Unions. a The South Wales Colliery Employers' Associ- ation are endeavouring to get the starting age of boys underground reduced from 14 to 13 years of age. I hope the S.W.M.F. will stren- tiously oppose any such retrograde proposal. It is a bad one from every point of view. Even 14 3 years of age is far too low an age to allow rooya to start work in the collieries. Nearly all boys underground are engaged as colliers' helpers, and anyone who knows underground conditions ,;j will agree with me when I say that no one < in the pit workers harder than the collier's boy. -} He works much too hard, and for one so tender J as a boy of 14 naturally is. In addition to that j I needhardl-v point out that to employ very J young labour has a. depressing effect upon the | Wage# o fadults. J The S.W.M.F, at its Anraml Conference, passed a resolution demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Clyde deportees and. further, that if necessary. e, down toolS policy should be adopted by the M.F.G.B. to bring ab- out that result. A resolution was &1 ped demanding the repeal of the Military Aat (No. •*). J