Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
7 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
Aberdare Trades Council. I
Aberdare Trades Council. I PROTESTS AGAINST CHARITY FOR I WOUNDED FIGHTERS. INTERESTING REPORT ON MUNICIPAL I ACTIVITIES. At the T.L.P Institute, on Thursday last, the monthly meeting of the Aberdare Trades and Labour Council was held. The chair was occupied by Mr B. J. Brace, supported oy Mr Matt Lewis (vice-chairman); Councillors Wm. Rees and D. E. Davies: Guardians John Prowle John Davies and John Hughes; and Mr T. I Mardv Jones (Miners' .Federation Registration Agent). MI'rers' E.C. A letter was read from; the Miners' Federation as to the holding of a monstre meeting at Aberdare to deal with the subject of the Con- scription of Wealth. The Federation asked the Trades Council to make arrangements for such a meeting. Guardian John Davies said that he was in favour of such a meeting, and believed that resolution should be passed asking the Govern- ment to raise the Old Age Pension from to 7/6 Mr Davies said that a number of resolu- tions had been sent to the Government in re- gard to the Old Age Pensions, but Mr Asquith had sa id that no case had been made out to the Cnancellor of the Exchequer in favour of rais- ing the standard of the pension. He (Mr Davies) thought otherwise. Everybody knew, or at least ought to know, that it was impossible to live now on 5/- per week. It was resolved to hold the meeting, the Exe- cutive Council to make the arrangements. Pensions for the Disabled. Mr Mardy Jones addressed the delegates on the Government's proposal of giving pensions to disabled soldiers and sailors. The Government, it was reported, intended asking for subscrip- tions to form a fund for that purpose, but the majority of organisations were against the charity clause, and it was with that intention in view that he appealed to the Aberdare Trades Council to aid in gettincr a conference at Aberdare representing the Trades Unions and Churches to protest against such a clause. Mr Jones said that our sailors and soldiers deserved better treatment at the hands of the country. They had given of their best in the interest of the country: therefore they should be well looked aftei-, zliit the money for their upkeep shon Iii come from the coffers of the State/ Mr Braes (the chairman) said that the local committee of the Naval Society had passed a resolution against the charity clause. Ir was decided to hold such a conference, and invitations to be sent to all Trades organisa- tions, the churches, etc. Conference Report. Mr J. H. Bruton (treasurer) one of the de- legates to the Soldiers' and Sailors" Conference at Pontypridd, in reporting on the work of that body, said he was glad that Mr Mardy Jones had addressed the delegates on the pro- poser] Pension Scheme. The conference had dis- cussed the proposal and were not favourable to such a scheme. At the conference, in addi- tion to trade organisations. 66 churches were represented. That showed to him that the churehes were waking to their responsibilities, &ad he felt proud to see the churches so strongly represented, and hoped they would still further support the onward march for the well-being of all workers.—Mr Bruton was thanked for his report. Council and Guardians Reports, Conn. VVm. Rees, J.P.. gave a very interest- ing report of the work done by the District Council. His report dealt chiefly with the elec- trical works and tramway system. The whole undertaking was a credit to the Council, and especially to the Labour Councillors and the Trades Council. When the Trades Council and its Labour members, said Mr Rees, some years ago suggested these improvements, there was strong opposition in the town but to-day the oppose rs were proud of the work. of the Coun- cil The works were paying as well as any of their kind in the kingdom. They paid their workmen top wages, and that added to the credit of the Council. They did not believe in the policy of low wages and huge profits. The destructor had during the past year destroyed over 13,000 tons of refuse, and he hoped that the Council would soon be able ifo destroy all the refuse of the district. It pained him to see t'heo refuse tips in the outlying districts it was a source of danger to the health of tlie district, and they must enlarge their underta- king so as to clear all the refuse. The power at the station is almost entirely got by the des- troying of the refuse—very little coal being us- ed. During last year the number of passengers carried. on the trams was over 3 million. The tajtings being nearly £ 17,000, and after paying everything, left a profit of £ 3,470. Mr Rees dealt with the work of the Education Com- mittee and the interest taken in the life of the child. He made references to the good work of the dentist, nurses. Clinic and medical staff. Guardian John Prow le addressed the dele- gates on the Assessment of Collieries, etc. and to many present it was an eye-opener. Mr Prowle is admitted to be one of the experts on the Guardians on this subject. masterly way he dealt with figures, etc.. only proves that he had well studied his subject. Representatives. I The Aberdare Valley Choral Society asked the Council to select two representatives on the committee of the society. The choir, which numbers 500 members, intend performing St. Paul shortly, the proceeds being towards the proposed new hospital.—Coun. D. E. Davies and Mr J. H. Bruton wer select.ed as representa- tives Asiatic Seamen. I I The Southampton Trades and Laurotm uouncu asked for the support of the Council re Chi- nese labour on British ships. The circular pointed out that the employing class wished to impress upon the Government and the pub- lic that there was a scarcity of British seamen; that was not so. The Britisher was paid RS IDs. per month, while the Chinese and Asiatic men were; only paid from R2 to £5. The employers were only out to make profits at the expense of their fellow men. The following resolution was passed, and it ■wj&s resolred to send copies to the Prime Min- ister. President of the Board of Trade, Labour Party and the local MP.-— That the Aberdare Trades and Labour Council views with great alarm the great increase in the numbers of Chinese and other Asiatic seamen now being employed upon British ships, and considering that such in- crease is a menace to the workers calls upon the Government to at once frame laws which shall prevent the employing class from using the workers of other countries to lower the Wages of the workers of this country.
MERTHYR
MERTHYR DIFFICULT TO COLLECT.—At the monthly meet- ing of the Merthyr Watch Committee the Chair- man (Coun. D. W. Jones) suggested that a pro- and -f;,nes in Education per return of proceeding's and fines in Education Committee prosecutions should be prepared, so that the Council might know exactly where it stood, and correct anything which might call for it.—The Chief Constable said that there had never been so few arrears for some years as there were now. In the cases of school fines for women—soldier's wives—now being proceeded against, it was impossible to get the commitment to send the women to prison. It was only by continuous dunning that they could get the fines.—The Chairman The Magistrates' Clerk commented very audibly one day on the non- collection of fines, and that opened my eyes to it. and made me suggest that we should have a proper return.—The Chief Constable explain- ed that many of these fines were collected by instalments, and the sums retained until the total was to hand, when it was Handed over.— The Chairman said the Education Committee had had to wipe off many pounds for actual costs of summonses which should not be at all if the work was properly done between the M .agistrates' Clerk and the Police. He did not know who was to blame. MOUE DRUNKENNESS. At the Merthyr Bor- ough Court on Tuesday, the Chairman (Dr. J. L. W. Ward) observed, after hearing several cases or drunkenness,. It seems to me that there have been more oases of drunkenness with- in the last few weeks —.since the Restriction Or- der came into force—than before."—The Chief Constable: "It is a fact. sir- we have more." I Yes. I can see it distinctly." pi:11!KCIATING THF. SPEOIALS.—Over 400 hours' ¡ duty weekly have been given by the Special Constables of the Merthyr Borough, says Chief Constable Wilson in a well-meritted tribute to the SpeCIals in his monthly report to the Watch Committer. 'With the force depleted by over 45 per cent, of its authorised strength, and special extraneous work during the quarter, it would have been impossible without their vo-I luntary aid to carry on efficiently. The Watch Committee agreed with its chief of staff.—Coun. .Fenwick said the specials were doing good work, and Conn. Lloyd said they were utilitarian ra- ther than oi-netwiental.-Ald. Jolm did not like Aid. Thomas' allusion to them as ornaraentis," an observation of Aid. Thomas- which the Chair- man (Coun. D. W. Jones) did not think was meant in a serious way. The Watch Commit- tee had on more than one occasion had reason to compliment the men OR their services. They were in splendid. patriotic body of workmen and they were no slight services that they ren- dered, for it was a very unpleasant duty to have to appear in court and give evidence ag- ainst those who had committed offences. Per- sonally he should like to see the number of special constables increased in the borough; for there was ample work for them to do, whilst special duties were falling on the regular offioera under the Defence of the Realm regulations. If there were any townsmen who would oare to join, the Committee and the Police would great- ly appreciate their services.—The Chief Con- stable We shall, sir. SET TO PELHAM C()OMnTTBB.- When two Oal- vinistic Methodists ware before the Merthyr Tribunal ON. Thursday last, Major F. T. James made a remark to which exception was ta- ken oy a section of the public present at the sitting.—"Mr. Chairman, I protest," cried the Rev. -T. M. Jones, of Hope Church. "Hear, hear," came several voioes. Mr W. Griffiths (Chairma-n): If I hearlfnv observations like that again. I wiH have the court cleared.—Mt- Jones: I apologise, Mr %aii-inan.-The Chair- man I must ask yo. to suppress your feelings. The committee was empowered to hear the eases in private, and it was only by privilege that tht% public was admitted.— Here the incident closed.—" As far as you are concerned. you prefer someone else should run the risk, a.nd not yourself, in this wa,i- the fact of it," tl*tt the fact of i t '? a Christadelphian C.O. was told by the Military Representative.—A young man of 18, of the same sect, also with religious scruples against being in the Army, said he left the Baptists two years ago.—"it was better you did. [ fancy," was Major James' dry retort, and his concluding cut at the C.O.'s, when the last of the batch of seven came up, was: Well, the public will judge you and the rest of the Con- scientious Objectors."—All cases were referred to the Pel-ham Committee.
ITROEDYRHIW-I
TROEDYRHIW I DOCTOR FINED.—Dr. John Ferguson (Troed- yrhiw) was summoned under the Infectious Dis- eases Notifications Act for not notifying a pa tient suffering from diphtheria, he being the medical man in charge of the case. A fine of 40/- was imposed. KSLEYAN CHAPEL—A very sucoessful concert was held on July 6, the chapel being packed with a delighted audienee. The prime mover in the matter was Mr F. II. Condie. of Dowlais. AL the request of the people Mr Condie under took to gather together a number of popular art istes to provide a concert in aid of the funds. The following artistes took pait:-Miss O. Davies; Mr W. Evans; Miss Jones, Trehar- ris Mr W. Williams, ventriloquist; Mr Jones, Treharris Mr and Mrs. Owens; Mr G. Wil- liams. elocutionist, Aberaman; Mr Thomas; Mr Trrscott. Mr Phillips, of Parnywern. was the ac- companist, and Mr Condie occupied the chair. All remarked on the excellence of the concert. The other artistes, as well as the audience, ag- reed in giving special praise to the singing of Miss Jones; to Mr Jones (violinist), and Mr G. Williams, elocutionist. Messrs. Tiley and Far- ley expressed the thanks of the audience to the artistes and the chairman for their able atad generous assistnince. All the artistes gave their ae-iwices free. It is hoped that a concert on a larger scale will be attempted in September. BKETUAND RUSSELL'S MEETING.—QA Tuesday evening bsta crowded meeting was held under the auspices of the Merthyr and District Peace Society at the Tabernacle Hall. The speaker was the Hon. Bertrand Russell. The chairman (Mr F. Jones) opened the meeting with a good exposition of the purpose of the meeting, and before calling upon Mr Russell to speak, read the Peace Society resolution. Mr Russell, on rising to speak to the resolution, was given a fine reception; and judging bv the enthusiasm shown, the need of an honourable and lasting Peace was evidenced. Mr Russell proved to his hearers the futility of war. Mr D. J. Lewis, in moving a vote of thanks to the speaker, made a few inspiring remarks on the need for Peace, and dealt with the sacrifice being made by the Pacifists. Mr Russell responded, and the meet- ing closed with the Chairman putting the reso- lution. which was carried unanimously.
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2MT HELP THOSE WHO HELP 19MI YOUR PAPER!
I CORRESPONDENCE.
I CORRESPONDENCE. I CASEY'S SON. To the Editor of the PIONEER.) Sir,—I noticed in the July 1 issue of the Pioneer an account of Miss Pallister's en- quiries re Casey's son. I am proud to say I met him at. Abergavenny do. the 8th instant, he having been brought down under an armed es- cort from Chester the previous night. He looked haggard and weary, and seemed as if he had been having a rough time. He was handed over to the 3rd. Mons. Regimental Authorities, and is to proceed to Oswestry on Monday (the 10th), having accepted a place in the band.—Yours, PIONEERITE. July 9, 1916. A MOTHER'S COMMENDATION. I (To the Editor of the PIONEEn.) Dear Sir,—Last week the Tribunal at Aber- tillery granted one of our Comrades exemption un Conscientious grounds. I think this is the first case which our local Tribunal has proved to be genuine. We all know our exempted com- rade's sincerity, and are glad the worthy gentlemen of the Tribunal have found one wor- thy of saving from the fate of the others. I was afraid we were all like Sodom, with not one who would be accounted righteous or sincere so we commend the members of the Tribunal on finding one.-Yoiii-.s, etc., MOTHER O.F ONE OF THE BOYS IN GAOL FOR HAVING A CONSCIENCE. Abertillery. A READER'S REPLY TO THE REV. W. DOCKERAY. (To the Editor of the PTONEER.) Sir,—I take up my pen to reply to the letter of the Rev. Mr. Doeliet-ay-not because the Editor is not capable of taking care of himself —but because I think a reply is necessary from the working classes. The Pioneer" "fflpresents the working classes in Wales. The Rev. Mr. Doekeray does not, nor never will while he talks like a boy with a new trumpet. And cer- tainly no Wesleyan journal can claim to repre- sent anyone but its own form of religion. Mr. Doekeray evidently wants to turn the "Pioneer" into a pamphlet representing prudes and tem- perance fanatics. He has become excited be- cause the Pioneer," In- the midst of the most awful cataclysm of history will not devote its columns to a subject which old women are fcwi-d of discussing over the tea table with their noses tilted at an angle of 45 degrees. Wonder- fuh! Prodigious The "Pioneer" devotes its columns to the exposure of the military authorities' brutal and inhuman treatment of the Conscientious Ob- jectors. I think 38 of these men have been sentenced to death because they had more cour- age than the Ministers of Christianity. I have not heard that Mr. Dockeray lifted his voice in protest against these things. Not a murmur in his whirlpool of words ag- ain* a system which allowss soldiers a pension which is not adequate to meet the cost of liv- ing. Not a word against the men or devils who control the fool supply of this countap. Mr Doekeray is annoyed because the "Pioneer" exposes these people, and naively submits that it does not represent the working classes. I thank the gods that be that it does not re- present Doekeray. Does he want us to embrace a man who makes thousands of pounds by cornering milk or wheat and bacon and pour rivers of tears down his neck? Would he have me to go to such a man and ask hhn to sing the "Hallelujah Chorus" or the "Golden Hair was hanging down her bak" ? I do not hate the capitalist, but I do not love him either. A man can see the awful evils of intemper- ance. but he cannot see the more terrible evil of war. They talk of a man's country as if Christ had a country. He came to the Jews, but they would not have Him. He died for the world, aad He was accepted. The fact of the matter -is that the pro-war ministers are in the biggest muddle that they have ever been in. I will argue with any of them from the teachings of Christ, and prove that He was anti-war always. The Serbians have a. saying to the effect that God did not make heaven until he saw the woes of the Serbs. Per- haps He did not make Hell until he saw the hypocrisy of his ministers! Does he want tin's terrible conflict to continue until the warring nations decided to abolish in- temperance? The Bishop of London does not want Peace umtil the Archbishop of Servia lias had his church back. It is a matter of wonder to me when I sate how bloodthirsty these minis- ters are who are not in the firing line. Does Mr Doekeray believe in fighting to give Cons taut inople to the Russians? Because that is what the Russians want—-according to one of their leaders. The most pathetic sight of this war has been the sight of the pro-war ministers of England and Germany. They have soreamed. Fight to the death." Christ said, "Love thy neigh- bour." And if there is anything left of the thousand shivers that Christianity has been splintered into, we can thank the Peace cranks, and not the ministers of the Gospels. If the Pioneer does not represent the wor- king classes of Wales, how is it that its circula- tion is increasing so rapidly? And if its princi- ples are not popular how is it that they are ill- ways carried unanimously in the Rink meet- ings? Press opinion is not public opinion. The newspaper3 Qf this country represent the opinion of this country as much as I represent the Manchester School of Economics. The newspa- pers want war; the people Peace. Shall Caesar tell a. lie? Mr Dockemv is mot the only man obsessed by the terrors of Socialism. Many people who never understood it liave said worse things than "Drat it." I do not admit that it only ap- peals to asmall section. But if only a small sec- tion believed in it they should not let it die. If Christ had listened to the Doekerays of his time He would have died before His Mission was ended. And if that had been so, perhaps Mr. eit( l e,, d And if that had been so ihe "P i oneer" Doekeray would be the Editor of the "Pioneer" to-day. He could not be ,t Christian minister. To the fact that Christ stuck to the minority when the whole nation was against him, Mr. Dockeray owes his present situation. Long after worms have tasted the most suc- culent parts of our bodies, we and our German comrades will have known the everlasting sec- ret. And not all the blundering governments or diplomatists can reach them. Thousands be- lieve that to-day, because a few Peace cranks are holding that tattered banner high. If they followed its ministers, the last shreds of that hope ould 'be scattered to the wind. Said an old matnto a boy, "What are you o-oing to be when you grow up, my "I am going to be a soldier, sir, to kill all Ger- man?. You see they have killed my fatflier."— Yours, etc., IOAN. I 4
The Slave, the Serf and the…
The Slave, the Serf and the Modern Wage- Worker. By MARK STARR, Often, when complaining of the amount of work which falls to the lot of the modern worker, one is met with the assurance that work has always been necessary to support life and will always be; and with an air of as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be," and of the last possible word on the subject having been said, your listener goes away and makes of his necessity to lab- our a virtue and feels proud that he is doing his bit of this ever-increasing toil. It is quite true tha t labour has always been necessary, and that, since civilisation began, there has always been a, working class. This fact, how- ever, does not justify resignation to the pre- sent scheme of things. In the present article, an attempt will be made to make a brief exa- mination of the various classes of workers who have existed, and to compare them with the modern working-class. The Slave. T'he probable origin of slaverv was in war. There came tt' time in the economic develop- ment of man when he found that it was more profitable to him to retain the prisoners of war- as slaves than to eat or destroy them. A slave would have been a useless burden before the domestication of animals and the de- velopment of agriculture had began. The pat- riarchs in the early books of the Bible had their bondmen, and there are many other re- ferences in its later books, which reveal the existence and growth of slavery in the Jew- ish nation. All the ancient empires were built upon a slave economy. Greece and Rome are the best known examples. In both it de- veloped as the einlyi-i-es decayed; the freemen the founders of their greatness were destroved. in the wars or became a landless mob whose former holdings were owned by large propriet- ors anfl worked by slave labour. The Grecian philosophers accepted slavery as a provision of Providence whereby they could be freed from the work of the world to spend their time in contemplation. Aristotle declared slavery to be a part of the law of Nature. The intellec- tual defenders of capitalism accept wage-slavery in just the same way, and try to sandbag the worker into the belief that, "this is the best of all possible worlds." At one time in Greek history, there were ten slaves to every free man. In Rome, the same story was repeated; the gentile bonds of kinship and the freeholders were destroyed. Some individuals possessed as many as ten thousand slaves. It is interesting to note that, while Alexanders and Caesars romped over the world with conquering arm- ies, the work of the world was being per- formed by slaves. The wealth of money and slaves those conquerors obtained only hastened the breaking-up process. Lecky says that slav- ery in Europe wts almost unknown by the 14th century it was displaced by serfdom. In America it disappeared after the American War of 1861-5. In England. slaves were adver- tised and sold for the Colonies in 1770; but in 1807 the slave-trade was made illegal in Bri- tish possessions. I There aip several differences between the slave and the wage-worker:—(1) The slave. while he was useful, had a guarantee of exist- ence in just the same way as a ma.n must keep his horse alive. There was no competition for work or unemployment among (2) The slave had no legal rights; he could not appear in the law courts; his marriages were not re- cognised and he was not allowed to own pro- perty. His master could crucify him or cut him up to feed the gold fish, or elevate him into being a private secretary or confidential friend. Romaa laws, later, interfered with this absolute power of the martc-r. (3) The slave did not sell his labour power; he was himself sold by a life-long sale, and apparently all his labour was unpaid, though of course, his master had to provide his maintenance. (4) The slave could be made free by his individual master giving up his personal ownership. Maniv slaves were liberated by their masters as a reward of faithful service; some purchased their liberty when they were allowed to acquire property, and at times of national and per- sonal thanksgiving, and on their death-beds, slaveowners, for the good of their souls, gave liberty to their bondmen. This practice of "manumission" so increased tha-t Cicero estimated that a well-behaved slave could ob- tain his freedom in six years. This state of affairs was not, however, universal, and whwri kidnapping and wars provided a plentiful sup- ply of slaves, theft lot was very wretched; there is nothing in slavery to warrant "han- kerings after the past." The Serf. The serf existed under the Feudal System, which superseded the old commune or mark. In Rome the freed-slave and the beggared freeman became the feudal tenants of the bar- barian invaders, who had no system of slavery. As in Geology, where a certain stratum or layer of rock may be missing,, yet never oc- curs out of its proper rotation, so in History. a nation may skip a stage oi development, through which other nations have passed, yet that stage never occurs out of its proper place. There is a controversy among historians as to whether or not tke feudal system was developed in England before the Norman Con- quest in 1066 at any rate, the Norman Con- quest made it general and it lasted until the 17th century. In return for the protection of the feudal chief the serf bad to work a cer- tain portion of his time upon his lord's estate. Tnere are several points about his position that are worth notice. (1) Unlike the slave he could not be sold. He was fixed, not to an individual, but to the soil and he could not leave his birth-place without consent. Like the slave, he had no fear of competition or unemployment, and his livelihood was secure. (2) His political status was low like the slaves, and his feudal lord's word was his law; only the wage-worker receives equality in the ey.es of the law—a boasted equality which soon disappears in experience. (3) The serf did not sell his labour-power or receive any wages. He owned the means of production, which consisted at that time, of the land; and the labour he had to put in upon his lord's estate stood out clearly and distinctly as Unpaid labour. (4) Like the slave, the serf had a chance of obtaining freedom. He could escape into the town and become a wage-worker in the guilds which were gradually growing, or he could get hi." services changed into payment in kind or in money, and become a tenant-farmer. Considerations of space forbid an outline of the development of the various kinds of capital, usurers' merchant and industrial; and how their development undermined feudalism and made possible the modern wage-worker. and, the capitalist class. The guild handioraftmen of the town and the rural producer—who had his. loom in his cottage, and who also cultivated a small far,rri.wei-e types of workers who bridged, [ the gap oetween the serf and the wage-worker. The Wage-Worker. The chief points of interest about the mod- ern wage-worker are as follow (1) unlike the slave and the serf, he is a froe >> labourer and bound neither to an in- dividual master nor to the soil. He is "free" to work or be idle; "free" from the soil free from the ownership of the means of production and from a secure livelihood; and often "free" from employment because of the competition for the job. At an hour. a day. or a week's notice from either side. lip- and his employer can sever connections. (2) The modern wage-worker has a higher status in society than slave or serf. The same- law applies to rich and poor till the rich man charters a clever lawyer, and the judge., swayed by the unconscious bias of his cjass, gives his verdict, The slave and the serf were without the political privileges which the wor- ker has; but political rights are only useful to. him (the wage-worker) in so far as they are used to bring about economic rights and solve "bread-and-butter" problems. (3) The wage-workeir sells his power to labour in the labour market at so much per hour, day or week. He owns neither the means of produc- tion nor the finished product. He receives the wages that were agreed upon, and while in the case of the slave, all the labour seemed un- paid, in the case of the wage-worker, he ap- pears to be paid for all his labour this is an- other illusion which needs explanation by the- tÍIcory of "surplus-value" (4) While the worker as an individual appears, to ne (as mentioned in the first point) free, he. is bound, as a member of the woj-liji)(,- cla,s. tc the capitalist class, through which he can alone find employment, and to which alone he can, sell his labour-power; therefore, his individual: f reedom resolves itself into freedom to starve if hL?c,.aiinot fitid an he cannot ifnd an employer. The breaking of one relation emancipated the serf or the slave, but to emancipate the wage-working class, it is necessary to change all property relations, and substitute the common ownership of the- means of production for private ownership.. 1 he guild handicraftman stood a good chance of becoming his own master, the individual slave might rise out from his fellows and es- cape from slavery; but the modern collier is in no danger of owning a modern colliery, and: the wage-worker can only better his individual position by joining in the united effort of. his class. Great progress in the means of pro- duction has been made since the days of Greece and Rome. In American wheat-raising, more- wheat is now raised in ten minutes than was raised in the time of Nero in U days. Leisure should no longer be the right of the cultured: few, but be for the enjoyment of all. History tells of slave-revolts and serf-rebellions which, were ruthlessly crushed by the ruling powers. The modem working-class, the wage-workers,, are not destined to fail so hopelessly. for it is their mission to lift society up the next step. in the stair of progress to where the necessary labour will be performed by all, and the fruits, of all past development will be enjoyed by all. So long as the industrial powers of Labour- were undeveloped, work was inevitably a bur- den for the mass of mankind. The developments- of those powers to their present prodigious, dimensions involved the ruthless oppression of .toiling millions. Chattel-slavery, serfdom and wage-labour are the three leading acts of that sombre drama—the Tragedy of Labour." Capi- talism has practically covered the world, and there is now no barbarian nation, outside its. influence, who would be capable of invading; the civilised nations and of sweeping them. back, for a while, into a lower stage of develop- ment. The Yellow Peril yields its terrors when after a lengthy period of stagnation—-Japan and China are touched by the magic wand of capitalism and are set developing at a, rapid: rate. French and English gold is helping to destroy the Russian commune and the serfdom which has persisted there up till now. The drama has become world-wide, and yet must still proceed. It is the modern wage-worker who must raise the curtain upon the next new act-tl-ll act in which the sombre-hued tra- gedy of Labour must disappear before its jovouf. triumph. disappea,i- be f ore its j oyotir-
:Abertillery Trades Council'
Abertillery Trades Council' MR TOM RICHARDS AND THE SNOWDEN MEETING BAN. llie above Council held their usual fortnightly meeting on Tuesday evening, the Chairman (Mr- J. Kingston) presiding; being supported by the- vice-chairman (Mr J. Hughes). the secretary (Mr W. Bowen), and the minute secretary (Mr 1. Owen). The meeting was well attended by delegates. In the correspondence, acknowledgments of the resolution forwarded protesting against the local polim-, actio-n concerning the visit of Mr. Ph:lip Snowden, M.P., were read from the- Prime Minister, and from Mr W. Brace M P Mr Tom Richards, M.P.. had written to ask for details of that matter, and a further letter- was read from him saying that owing to rea- sons given, he could do nothing in the case., This aioused discussion, and it was decided, that he be again written to, and more parti- cutars sent him of the visit of Mr Snowden., and that he be asked to do what he could in ths way Of Protesting at the County Council etc. The Council was asked to help in arranging a. town's meeting for the purpose of considering payment to the officials of the superseded Prince of Wales Relief Committee.—Resolved to dc" nothing in the matter for the time being; Mr W. Harris spoke of the position of af- fairs dealing with the claim of Abertillery and other Monmouthshire Urban District Areas to. become autonomous areas in connection with, the Statutorv Committee. Messrs. A Horler and J. Hughes, with Mr Harris, were elected as representatives to a con- ference on the question to be held at Newport, on the following day. The Pensions Committee (elected at center- ence on June 24) report was accepted.—With the co-operation of Mr W. Harris, Labour Party- Organiser, a County Conference had been ar- ranged for July 29 at Newport. Four important resolutions dealing with the method of provid- ing pensions for our brave soldiers and sailors, old age pensions, the housing problem, and the- serious increase in the cost of food, are on the agenda for that conference. Messrs. J. Kingston and W. Downs were ap- pointed delegates, and it was decided that they move an amendment to the wording of the re- solution dealing with foodstuffs, increasing it: im strength. Printed and Published by the Labour Pioneer Press, Limited, WiHiams' Square, Glebelan<& Street, Merthyr Tydfil, July 15, 1916.