Pioneer

[THEATRE ROYAI "j I T AND EMPIRE PALACE, MERTHYR. L I  Resident Manager Mr. R. T. REA. I I 6.45. TWICE NIGHTLY. 8.45. j Week commencin g MONDAY, June 25th, 1917. < The Great Detective Dralna of London Life, entitled, I The Ticket of the Leave Man 5 Written by Tom Taylor, and played by the Watson Mill Full Company. ■ I Undoubtedly one of the most Stirring and Sensational Plays now being played 1- in the Kingdom. 2 This piece is being presented owing to the numerous requests received from patrons. • I POPULAR REDUCED PRICES- I ) ?-C!rc!e, 1/- StaHs, 9d. Pit,6d. Gallery, 3dL? t L- Entertainment Tax Extra. Early Doors to all Parts. I. II II II r" II II II Merthyr co!une!heatre I ? Week commencing Monday, June 25th. s I S CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE FROM 2.30 TILL 10.30 P.M. DAILY. I I Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday- /J THE DESERTERj IT HE D.!=RTERI J SONS OF OUR EMPIRE-Parts 7 6 8. I I THE TWO O'CLOCK TRAIN, Triangl. Keystone. | 5 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday- I I Should a Mother Tell I I Fox Drama. I I A TALE FROM THE "DECAMERON." I • SHE LOVED A SAILOR. Triangle Comedy I2 I Prices as usual-3d., 6d., and Is. Government Tax &nra. I • Children's Matinee on Saturday at 10.15—Id. only. I! L.. II II II .i The action taken by, the Joint Board and the f Stat*nent" Issaed bY' it* Labour Party, which are referred to In the following pages, deserve a reply. Here it Is. It is addressed to the entire Labour, Trade Union, and Socialist Organisations of Great Britain. Study it well, and discuss it in your Societies, for the future well-being of the Werklng-class Movement depends upon your verdict. NnW Pp?dv Price Sixpence Now Ready, Post Free SeveD,ence 'THE TATTOOED MEN,' OR LABOUR LEADERS THE AND WORKERS' MONEY: The full story told by FREDERICK TEMPLE, (Author of Interest, Gold and Banking," War Finance and the Worker," &c.). London THE COMMONWEALTH PRESS, 118, Cannon Street, E.C. BLANCHARD'S PILLS Are unrivalled for all Irregularities, &c., they speedily afford relief and never fail to alleviate all suffering. They supersede Pennyroyal, Pill Cochia, Bitter, Apple, See. Blanchard's are the best of all Pills for Women. Sold in boxes, III by BOOTS' Branches, and all Chemists, or post free, same price from LESLIE MARTIN, Limited, Chemists, 34 Dalston Lane, London. Samples and Valuable Booklet sent Free, Penny Stamp. THERE 18 ONLY ONE OINTMENT THAT CURES And this Is supplied by Chemists and the MANNINA OINTMENT CO., FISHGUARD, And is sold in Three Strengths-I, 2 & 3. 'Phone 597. 'Phone 597. WILLIAM TRESEDER, Ltd. THE NURSERIES, CARDIFF. WREATHS, CROSSES, CUT FLOWERS, &c. BEDDING PLANTS. Asters, Stocks, Dahlias, Marguerites, Lobelia, &c. Tela TRESEDER, FLORIST, CARDIFF." W MERTHYR PEACE COUNCIL. DR. SALTER (London) Will address a MEETING (under the auspices of I the above) in the OLYMPIA RINK, MERTHYR, ON SUNDAY NEXT, JUNE 24th, !917. Chair to be taken at 2.45 p.m. ADMISSION BY SILVER COLLECTION. WORKMAN'S HALL, YNYSHIR. A pUBLIC MEETING (under the auspices of the C.L.C. League) will be held ON SUNDAY NEXT, JUNE 24th, 1917, at 2.45 p.m. Speaker MR. SIDNEY JONES (Mon. C.C.), ex-C.L.C., London. Subject: THE WAR AND ITS LESSONS TO THE WORKERS." ADMISSION FREE. LADIES INVITED. Come in Crowds to the coolest hall in the district. PRELIMINARY NOTICE 1 Soldiers' & Sailors' Fund A GRAND HORTICULTURAL SHOW New Hall, Peatrebach, August 23rd. Schedules to be obtained from Mr. J. B. REES' Berry House, ABERCANAID. Saturday, June 23rd. N.C.F. CONFERENCE Jr In BENTLEY'S HALL. Conference of Delegates at 2.30 p.m. OPEN SESSION AT 4 P.M. DR. SALTER will Address the Meeting. All N.C.Fers., I.L.Peers, Members of the Peaee Council, and Sympathisers, are invited to attend. Literary. UNITARIAN PAMPHLETS on "The BiMe," u Heaven," and Hell," given pwt free.- Mus BARMBY, Mo?nt Ple'&Mnt, SidMOUth-

I Which Weapon Shall We Use ? I THE criticism of political democracy preached by such a sincere and able protagonist of industrial action as our Comrade Tom Mann to such vast audiences on Sunday, cannot fail to produce effects that may very well be far-reaching in their import, coming as they do at a moment when a new psychology is animating the crowd, a psychology of discontent with things as they are, and distrust of the powers that be—the natural product of war weariness and irritation over the constant inroads on our economic and industrial liberties made to the vantage of the possessing class at the dictates of a class- governed state. The new spirit of militant De- mocracy that is rapidly co-ordinating its thought and machinery, may in its entire detestation of the machinery which has brought the world to its present pass, very easily overstep itself, and by an act of destruction on impulse deny a prin- cipal weapon towards freedom, when only re- vision and amendment are actually needed. We ourselves maintain, and have always maintained that the material progress of Democracy depends upon the intel I igeni- wielding of both the political and industrial weapon, and we would welcome the formation of the committees to which Tom Mann so clearly called attention as giving more sensitiveness and greater mobility to the indus- trial weapon, and thereby creating a better con- trol of the political weapon, and Parliamentary representatives than we have ever had hitherto. But not even our disgust over the maladminis- tration of the present statesmen, and our hatred of the apostates who have sold the principles which gained them their seats for a mess of pot- tage, has convinced us that the political weapon d*es not possess tremendous potentialities, which properly used and. directed by a democracy such as a true organisation on the trades union field should give, would greatly hasten the transition through these final stages of Capitalist dissolu- tion, and the dawn of International Democracy We do sincerely trust that those responsible for the new thrust forward of the peoples in their workshop organisation, will not follow the in- stinct of the moment and cast aside as a broken wand the political weapon. If this insti.i rt is to be followed in this nation by reason of the condition in which the times have found us, ve fail to see how a contrary movement can be avoided in France, which has been brought to a similar or worse pass, despite the aggressive paci- fism; anti-Parliamentary action and entire re- liance on the industrial weapon which character- ised the Confederation Generale du Travail be- fore this wa.r proved that it was as weak a weapon in times of real emergency as our own political weapon has proved. No one can doubt that the Confederation did represent organised Democracy in France as effectively, or more effectively, than our own Labour Party repre- sented organised Democracy here nor can any- one who has paid any attention whatever to its philosophy and advocacy deny that it proclaimed for Pacifism as distinctly and as loudly as our own Labour Party; yet it has failed, as complete- ly and uttterly as our own Parliamentary action has failed to evade the clash of arms when the clash came. If we revolt against the one, and the .French against the other, because in the time of emergency both have apparently failed, we shall follow an instinct that will operate against the co-ordination of our forces, and will thereby leave ourselves open to attacks in vulnerable places. We shall have blamed a weapon when the fault lay in the wielders—ourselves and our brothers of the shop, the mine, and the ballot box. We sincerely hope that before we rush headlong into tthis re- version of policy, we pause and think. And in the process of thought time should be taken to look at Russia, to which our eyes almost in- stinctively turn these last few weeks, in matters appertaining to Democracy. The Lettish Social Democratic Party, one of the strongest and most active in the ante-bellum revolutions in the Baltic Provinces, that laid the foundations for the splendid victory of the Russian proletariat, that has electrified international Democracy, was The product of real Marxian teaching, and pro- duced real Marxian Socialists, and their pro- gramme finds scope equally and amply for the i exercise of both political and industrial weapons, and is constructed with the strength of co- ordination of parts, where both we and the French produced more or less water-tight com part men ts. The organisation of the Party in units of tfen's or twenty's gave them a sensitive- ness of touch with the individual that has a strong family likeness to the Committee of Shop Stewards, or Workmen, that Comrade Mania ad- vocates. An example that will give a clear idea of the inter-relation of the parts in the Russian system will be seen in the following extract from the rules of the Rubber Workers Union of Riga, published in 11905: -(111) About strikes, (a) The strike in a certain factory branch can be decided upon by the Committee of the union with the assistance of the branch representative; (b) The strike of a whole factory can be decided upon by the Council and all the factory branch representatives; (c) A general strike in a whole industry can be decided by a general members' meeting at which two-thirds of the members must be present. The political general strike can be decided only by the Social Democratic Pairty." Let us by all means revise both our weapons, let us strengthen our parts and force the fight; but do not let us fall into the error of dispising a part because we have not had the intelligence to put it to its best uses in the past. To forego political action would, at this stage, 'be as foolish as to fail to organise on the in- dustrial field. Above all let us recognise the inter-relation of the two; and let us use both to our emancipation.

Political Notes. I BY F. W. JOWETT, M.P. I How far Britain has fallen from its previous standard of liberty and freedom may be gathered from the following record extracted from the Official Report of Parliamentary Debates: — MR. MOLTENO asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state whether there are treaties with Great Britain and any other and what countries, and their date, pro- viding that neither country would conscript the nationals of the other living within its dominions ? THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord Robert Cecil): There are treaties to this effect between this country and twenty- two other countries. I can send the hon. Mem- ber a list if he so desires. MR. MOLTENO asked what is the date of the treaty with Russia that neither country could conscript the na,tionals of the other country living in its dominions. LORD R. CECIL: By Article X 14 of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation of 12tb January, 1859, between this country and Russia, it was provided that "the subjects of either of the two high contracting parties in the dominions and possessions of the other shall be exempted from all compulsory military service whatever, whether in the Army, Navy, or National Guard or Afilitia." A temporary agreement, however, is now in course of negotiation, which., if con- cluded, will h,ve the effect of modifying this 1** article. did. -tiot Lord Robert Cecil, It will be observed, did not say whether the negotiations referred to were commenced before the revolution in Russia. Pro- bably they were. Be this as it may I shall be astonished if, after consideration, the new Rus- sian Provisional Government consent to set aside previous agreements in regard to this matter. In the first debate on proportional representa- tion one of the recepients of the recently be- stowed titles, Sir H. Jessel, took part in the de- bate and distinguished himself by delivering a magnificent peroration. I place it on record as an illustration of the remarkable profundity of the newly honoured orator's contribution to the debate on that occasion. One, two, three, mother caught a flea, Put it in the teapot to make a cup of tea. First she put the milk in, and the flea began to hop. Then she put the water in. end the flea went pop." I couldn't for the life of me say what was the bearing of the peroifetion on the subject under discussion. But there it is, a sample of the wisdom bestowed by the elected member for South St. Paneras on the Mother of Parliaments. A deputation composed of members belonging to every party represented in the House of Commons waited upon the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer (Mr. Bonar Law) to-day (Wednesday) to press for an extra 2/6 a week for old age pen- sioners during the war and so long afterwards as the cost of living remains abnormally high. Some old-age pensioners are receiving the extra 2/6 already under an arrangement made some time ago, but on grounds of special hardship. It is estimated, however, that about 300,000 old age pensioners have been unable to claim the extra 2/6 under the conditions at present .insisted on. The object of the deputation was to secure the extra amount mentioned, unconditionally, on the ground of the general increase in the cost of living. Mr. Bonar Law did not say whether the request of the deputation would be granted or not but he expressed sympathy with the request] and promised an earlv decision; by the Cabinet, Such a reply, given as it was without reserva- tion, should mean that Mr. Bonar Law intends to recommend the proposal to the Cabinet; in which case the extra 2/6 is almost sure to be granted. For this exceedingly small mercy the old age pensioners will be duly grateful, but it is pitiful to think that such a. small concession will be regarded as a favourable result of a long agitation. If those who are responsible for air raids over open towns had any conception of the effect of such barbarities on the public mind thtey would stop them. This is true, however, of all raids and not merely of enemy air raids. The news- papers in each of the belligerent countries take good care to make use of such acts to inflame the public mind whenever the enemy attacks one of their own towns. This they do irrespective of all their previous comments, which the public are expected to have forgotten. In this connection it may be useful to recall a. remarkable passage in the Times of August 27th, 1914. The first Zeppelin had then passed over Antivarp and dropped bombs on that city whereupon the Times commented as follows "It marks the beginning of a new epoch in NT-ue 'h the conflicts of mankind. Much indignation was expended yesterday, much of it was misdi- rected. Antwerp is a formidable fortress, pro- tecting a strong army, and its bombardment is permissable. Bombs dropped from aircraft are not more destructive than great shells from siege howitzers. IN ALL BOMBARDMENTS OF DEFENDED PLACES THE CIVIL POPULATION IS NOT EXEMPT, AND EVEN THE BRITISH OFFICIAL MANUAL DECLARES THAT IN OPERATIONS AGAINST SUCH PLACES "THE TOWN AND FORTS FORM AN INDIVISABLE WHOLE. How is the commander of a. hostile airship to give notice of bombardment? This week one of the leading provincial news- papers in the course of an article strongly cri- ticizing the use of aeroplanes oy Germany in- stead of Zeppelins as heretofore, said: — "But raids by aeroplanes are. quite another matter. Verv fast machines are used, which fly at a great height. They can easily scatter if attacked by our own aircraft, and so long as they remain high up—a scarcely visible glint in the sky—our gunners have a poor chance to hit them. A few minutes suffice for them to work tremendous havoc in an attack on a large city, THOUGH OBVIOUSLY THEY CANNOT HIT A DEFINITE MARK."—" Yorkshire Observer," June 18, 1917. But when the writer of the above passage re- minded the public that aeroplanes could'nt aim at and hit a definite mark he did not think fit to add, in the interests of truth and fairplay, that from the early days of the war all the air raids carried out by the Allies have been con- ducted by aeroplanes. Before the end of 1914 Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Cuxhaven and other Ger- man towns had been raided by the Allies; in every case by means of aeroplanes. Moreover, it is important to direct public at- tention to the fact that nOI single British news- paper so far as one can learn thought fit to men- tion last week that on the occasion of the, second allied air raid on Karlsruhe on June 26th, 1916, 82 children were killed and 72 other children were carried maimed and bleeding to the hospi- tals. Each succeeding outrage of the kind per- petrated on London last week, and the one on Karsruhe I have just mentioned, is made use of to foment hatred, although the writers who lash the public into fury know full well, to whichever nation they belong, that bombs dropped from the skies kill women and children whether the raid is on a German town or a British town. But if the newspapers said so, honeetly, public feeling would turn against the whole inhuman 'barbar- ous business and people would want to end the war.

Discharged! i IMPORTANT C.O. CASE AT MERTHYR MAN RETURNED FROM DARTMOOR HEL TO BE NOT A SOLDIER. 1.. t t POint UJl- A case involving a most important P??pgj. der the Military Service Acts came up fOr hear' ing at Merthyr on Tuesday, when ? .?y Thomas, an ex-University student, was charged with being an absentee. HenryThmaB had Fh.e. viously been through the C.O. routine of altest, court-martIal, imprisonment, appearance befoe the Central Tribunal, and allocation r work-centres at Warwick, Lyme RegIs s?"? j moor; from which last place he v?L sent |j without any reason being given on May 2.50- He was called up" to rejoin the Welsh  ment four days later on the instructions f War Office. There were two previous aC^ ments to the case to enable the military ath J. ties to attend to prove their claim. Major^ P. McGaul, of the Depot Welsh Regiment, 'low attended; and Mr. G. Roberts (Dowla-is) fended. Major McGaul, giving evidence, said This man is a soldier. He was transferred to V*gJS W. Reserve, on December 2nd, 1916. We bad telegraphic instructions from the War Office recall him to the colours, and we wrote hilli letter and .?ent him a railway warrant to retl.. to Cardiff but he took no notice and we as?-e the police at Merthyr to arrest him." Mr. E. Roberts: This man wae transferred ? the Reserve, Class W. When a man is Pa"90d into the Reserve, he becomes a Reservist d4oe"l)t he ?—That has nothing to do with us. We oJ^ obey orders. Mr. Roberts: Do you know that he has nc before the Central Tribunal?—That is none ° f our business. I did not know it. Mr. Roberts: Do you know that he has bktil exempted from military service by the Oell;Jr8 Tribunal tl-iNTo. 1 You are not aware- that he has been workJ p'¡ under what is called the Home Office Schewe, —??' Thomas has been co'ùrt-martialled  Major?—Yes, I was the prosecutor, ..d ? Roberts defended him. rØ The Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffiths): Wii6. and when ?-A.t Cardiff on the 13th June, 1" He was also tried here previously for being a Rc? was a l so trie d h t.) 1- absentee and fined 40s. and handed over.. The Stipendiary: I will taIV a note of it is rather important. l » Mr. Roberts: As a matter of fact I do think he has served at all with theoolours:g That I do not know. We are only a transrnitog station.. The Stipendiary: Tell me, what was the  fence passed by the Court-martial P—I do not know at the moment. Be was found guilty ? disobeying an order and sentenced to a term of imprisonment which we subsequently, I supp<?' commuted to the minimum of 112 days. J Mr. Roberts said it was six months, comin?? ? to 112 days, *j Mr. Roberts: Major, do you keep a regis? under the Reserve Forces Act?—I don't q? follow. We keep a register and record of e? man who passes through our hands. 1 The defendant was then put in the box, :IV t stated that he was an University studeiit Cardiff. At the Merthyr Court last year he handed over, as stated by Major McGaul,  taken to Cardiff, court-martialled there, ?' committed to six months imprisonment, comP^ ted to H2 days, the whole of which sentence ser ved. Whilst serving his sentence he was t??j ferred to Wormwood Scrubbs, where he receive a circular dated August 24th, In which he wa? asked to appear before the Central Tribunal? ¡ion in which it was also stated that he would be  empted from Army Service, and the Army A?** provided he worked under the Home Od? Scheme. The Central Tribunal found th&t be, I was a genuine Conscientious Objector, and be was then offered and acceptad work under  Home Office Scheme, under which he worked a the Warwick, Lyme Regis and Dartmoor Centr^; At Dartmoor, on May 25th, the sub-awent tA,,Id him to go home. He had never broken any Of the rules of the Home Office Scheme, a copy of which he handed in, and he was quite prep{M'? to work under that scheme. He asked the sulY agent why he was to be sent home; to which tbe sub-agent replied: I can't give you any 1'; son. My instructions are to send you hoine-, Four days after leaving Dartmoor he reccIfe his callmg-up notice to report to Cardiff, was still prepared to work under the Scheme-, Major McGaul: I have no questions to BSk. My instructions are quite definite.. The Stipendiary This man has been exempt j by the Central Tribunal. Major McGual: My private opinion is th^ they may have made a mistake at own impression is that the Sub-agent has mil o a mistake. If you want to ask me any questions please do so; I am not used to police court pro ceedings. The Stipendiary I eohgratulate. you. (Laugb- ter). The Stipendiary: This man does not belong to the army, it seems to me. You started by ing that he was a soldier. Major McGaul: He is a soldier.» The Stipendiary: He is not. This is a civil court, and not a court-martial —(Major McGa^ Quite, sir, I should be more at home at a COtlPt; martial)-—and Magistrates must have respeC for the civil law. If this man had been eSl empted by the Local Tribunal you would 11 t he entitled to get him, and he has been exempt by the highest Tribunal in the land-the Cenf¡r£t Tribunal. t Major McGaul: I take it that does not because he Is a soldier first of all. The Stipendiary: Oh, ao! The Military Se: vice Acts enables a man to appear before a TP bunal for exemption. Major McGaul: Should not that occur befej, he is called up as a soldier? Once a soldier ways a soldier. 11 The Magistrates Clerk (Mr. T. Elias): 1.0 have called him up under the Military Ser111 Acts, that is a mistake. He should have bOo sent back to Dartmoor. e The Stipendiary: It occurs to me that  only evidence that he was ever a soldier was that he appeared before us and we handed him <?j to you as an absentee, but the Central Tribtl?al ended all that. r- Major McGaul: I take it they have no autbOlf ity to do that. He is bound to be a soldier- y he were not a soldier he would have an ibø discharge, whereas he was transferred to m Reserve. e The Stipendiary: He is now under the 000 Office Scheme, it appears to me.. The Magistrates Clerk: They 3hould h asked him to go back to his work. ,g< The Stipendiary: I take it he must be the charged, and you can communicate with ^0 higher military authorities, and get him ^e, turned to Dartmoor. ed 1f'e Major McGaul: So far as we are concertied do not know that there is such a place as tb6 moor. We are soldiers and we call men to too colours. Thomas was disoharged.