Pioneer

The Electric Theatre. The Electric Theatre goes from triumph to triumph with the provision of splendid pro- grammes, and so well ha* this come to be recog- nised, that even in this sultry weather the ae- commodation is barely adequate to meet the calls made upon it. This week has provided unusually strong programmes. The first, headed by The Two Orphans," a splendid Fox production, and including "The Danger Girl," a new Triangle comedy, and a long instalment of the sensa- tional new Pathé serial, "The Shielding Sha- dow," was a programme de hlXe, but not more so than its brilliant successor which opened yes- terday (Thursday). "Facing the Music" is a distinct advance OIl anything that has preceded it from the Triangle Dramatic studio, and that is saying something. The story is superb, the acting as distinguished as it is. convincing, and the staging sumptuous. I am not fond of that last word but it is the only one that fits. There, is a, full-of-laughter Triangle comedy, "Madcap Ambrose," and a really engrossing instalment of the new Lucille Love serial The Purple Domino." Next week's initial top-liner is sure to attract big houses for it is one of those superb Fox-Theda Bar a films that are the leaders of exclusive fea- tures. The Galley Slave is its title, and its plot is strong and human. The Social Cub is the comedy, and there is another laughter-raiser The Troublesome Trip," as well as a further chapter of the Pat-he serial and other tit-bits. Another Gaumont exclusive leads from Thurs- day on in "The Closed Road," a. splendidly vivid yarn of a man who sacrifices life for the i love of a friend. Pills of Peril is the comedy, and there is a further exciting double-length in- stalment of "The Purple Domino." PLAYGOER.

Merthyr Hero. j WIDOW PRESENTED WITH PENSION AND CERTIFICATE. Honour to the memory of a dead herr. was done by convening a special meeting to present the young widow of the late Mr. Evan .J. Evans, a collier, of Trevethcik-street, Merthyr, with the Carnegie Heroism Certificate. The Mayor (Mr. X. F. Hankey, J.P.) presided. Mr. R. J. Rhys (coroner), who first brought the case to the no- tice of the trustees of the Carnegie Hero Fund, I announced that they had also granted Mrs. Evans a pension of tl a week for a term of her, widowhood. The certificate was handed Mrs. Evans by the mayoress (Mrs. Hankey). Although he lost his life in the effort, Evans was instrumental in saving several children who era in peril from a runaway horse and cart.

Maesteg Notes. I The Controllers at Work at Maesteg. There are two festive days at Maesteg every summer, the first is that of the children's Sun- day School's demonstration at Whiteun, when all the Sunday schools form up and march round the town, and then to their respective places of worship for tea, after which they go to some fields for games and sports. The other is what is known as Llan Picnic, which is held in connection with the Llangon- wyd Church of the village of The Maid of Cefn Ydfa fame, and is held in a. place known as The Castell Grounds, and is more of a young people's picnic. This year, so I am informed, the late Food Controller, Lord Devonport, prohibited the chil- dren's picnics in the district, and now it ap- pears that the weather controller did not ap- prove of the action of Lord Devonport, and is now prohibiting the Llan Picnic, as if for spite. The Llan Picnic should have taken place on Wednesday, June 20th, but owing to the un- favourable weather has as yet not been held, having had to be postponed for the third time on Wednesday, July 4th. Many people in the district are of opinion that in the case of the children's picnic the tale of prohibition on the part of the Food Controller is but an excuse, and that the real prohibitionel's are the patriotic people of the churches and chapels in the district who either want to im- press upon the minds of the children that we a,re at war who begrudge their treat because they do not make £ s. d. out of it. I hear that the profits derived from Llan Pic- nic last year were in the region of £ 70. Surely this is worth tipping the Food Controller with the object of sanctioning the Llan Picnic.

Maesteg & District Trades & labour Council Notes. LOOKING AFTER BABY. I A special public meeting of the above council was held at the Co-op. Leeture- Hall, Maesteg, on Wednesday last, at which Councillor John, Hughes, Caerau, read a very able paper on "The Preservation of Child-Life." Mr. Thos. Roberts, (.r.R, Caerau) took the chair, in the unavoid- able absence of Mr. E. Barnett, the president. Mr. Roberts, on opening the meeting, said that there was throughout the country that week meet- ings held for what was known as National Baby Week, and this meeting was the contribution of the Maesteg Trades Council in that direction. He would liked to have seen more people present as Coun. Hughes had gone to great trouble to prepare his paper, and Mr. Hughes had devoted the greater part of his life to this subject. The children had at all times a champion in Coun. Hughes and he was glad to think that we as Labour had at least one who took such interest in the children's welfare. Coun. Hughes said: "At the present time, when the flower of our manhood are engaged in the most stupendous war in the world's history, our duty to preserve and protest the health and the life of the chil- dren is most urgent and of supreme importance to the State, and it may be truthfully saift of the children, who will be the citizens of to-mor- row, 'Your kiftg and country need you. He emphasised the point that if we were to keep our place in the sun as a nation we must not allow the children to die off like we have stupidly done in the past. He pointed out that with care the death rate of children under five could be re- duced by 50 per cent., and quoted Dr. News- holme's (medical officer for the Local Govern- ment Board) report, page 6, as his authority. He dealt extensively with figures from official re- ports, which when considered calmlv is a con- demnation of the present system, and the apathy of the people and Government regarding the child-life of the country. He stated that according to Mr. John Burns, England and Wales compare favourably with other countries like our own, Iu the following figures which applies to the year 1908 will show England and Wales, 132 babies died; France, 137; Belgium, 155; Italy, 172; and Germany, 204. The above figures are on 1,0#0 births, and apply to infants under one year old. The Bishop of London, speaking at Fulhara, dealing with infantile mortality, put it this way, said Mr. Hughes: "Every five minutes a baby died somewhere in the United Kingdom. While seven soldiers died every hour in 1915, twelve babies died every hour, therefore it was more dangerous to be a baby than a soldier." Refer- ring to the Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education's Report, he said: There are not less than 250,000 of children of school age seri- ously crippled, invalided or disabled; and not less than 1,000,000 children of school age are too physically or mentally defective or diseased to derive reasonable benefit from the education the derive reasonable? benefit fj,4)m the e(Iiieat i on the He dealt with the part played by povertv, bad housing, insanitary surroundings, overcrowding on the land and in industry, overcrowding in rooms, maternal ignorance, feeding, milk sup- ply, lack of medical care and nursing, neglect or carelessness of mothers, employment of mar- ried women on the death rate of infants. He also dealt with the report for small towns in Glamorgan for the year 1913, showing Aber- dare to be the highest, with 172. per 1,000 birth, and Briton Ferry lowest with 26 per 1,000 births, and Maesteg about the sixth highest with 139 per 1,000. He named some remedies that can ue applied as sanctioned by the Government and aided by them, such as baby clinics, maternity centres, municipal milk supply for infants and invalids, etc. He stated that the council had adopted the lady health visitor's scheme, and were so encouraged wivi the results that after three years' work they decided to appoint an ex- tra one, making two for the district, and stated that although some people look unkindly on it, he hoped that they would see the benefit of it later, and said that the Trades Council should press upon the local District Council to take up the other means mentioned. A very interesting discussion followed, when complaints were made of the council tipping house-refuse in close proxi- mity to the houses of the people, and the need for a refuse destructor and public abatoire. A. G. Jones, T.L.I".i delegate, stated that while he was in favour of using every means of preserv- ing the life and health of the children, he was of opinion that it had taken a great war to drive home the need for preserving the children, and that lie would prefer to see them die off as in the past before they reached five years of age, than to bring, them up to the age of eighteen and then turn them into cannon fodder. What he was of opinion we ought to do. he said, was to urge and demand the Government to make peace and save the adult, male life that Britain was throwing away weekly in this holocaust in Europe, as our casuality lists were weekly amounting to nearly equal to the entire population of Maesteg Dis- trict. Repeal the Military Service Act, demand Democratic control of our .Foreign Polity so as to prevent. a repetition of this bloody carnage (the chairman trailed Jones' attention that he was off the subject of "Preservation of Child- life "), Mr. Jones apologised, and suggested that as workmen we should demand that the doctors in the town should provide a lady practitioner at each of -the three practices to deal with the cases of women since there were many women suffer- ing from female complaints, who would rather continue to suffer than consult a male doctor, and the results were that their offspring suffered in consequence. Mr. Thos. Roberts from the chair proposed a vote of thanks to Coun. Hughes for the excellent paper, which was se- conded and carried unanimously. Coun. Hughes suitably replied, stating he hoped that everyone present would assist the medical officer and the district visitor by becoming health controller in their homes, as he believed that more could be done that way than any other, his motto being, If vou want anything done do not leave it to others to do, but do it yourself." With the consent of the Editor I shall deal further with the figures, etc., given in this paper appertaining to the locality at a future date, as it is a pity to leave the matter in this short re- port.

Mid-Rhondda Notes. I The C.L.C. Rhondda Classes, I On Sunday, July 8, the Rhondda C.L.C. Classes held their annual meeting at Tonypandy. David Thomas, Hafod. was elected to the chair. The Secretary (Glyn Jones) gave a very interest- ing report of the work done by the classes during the winter seoson. Gwilym Hughes, the financial secretary, gave a report of the financial position of the classes which showed the financial position to be satisfactory. The reports were adopted, and a vote of appreciation was passed for the work done by the secretaries. We were sorry that Mr. Glyn Jones had to give up the secretarial work owing to his health. Mr. Jones has done splendid work during his period of office and we hope that he will soon be well again. A new secretary was elected in the person of David Davies, Park, who, we think. will also prove a success. David Thomas was elected to the chair for next year. Cambrian Workmen. I An adjourned meeting of the Cambrian work- men was held on Sunday, Mr. Noah Rees in the chair. The matters under consideration were the new custom of collieries working singles, which seems to have increased during the war; also the requests of those that are desirous of having boys to work with them. A resolution was passed inviting all grievances on these matters to be reported to John Thomas, the secretary, and another meeting is to be called to consider the same in a. fortnight's time if necessary. R, hondda Socialist Society. I A very interesting discussion on the best method of distributing literature was carried on in our Sunday night meeting. Eventually it was decided that plenary power should be given to the literary secretary to use his own discre- tion as to the kind of literature to be purchased and the most effective method -if distribution. Political Action. I The controversy on tills question has once again brought us to realise the diversities of opinions that are still prevalent in the Labour movement. The ground upon which the objec- tion is made is not quite clear. It is condemned 011 account of its failure in the past, or that we have reached a- stage that it cannot be of any further use to us. W. W. Craik, in his outlines or the History of the Modern British Working Class Mo/silent, explains the economical condi- tions which forced the workers to attack their oppressors on the political field. And W. H. IVIainwariag, in his series of lectures on the Chartist's Movement also gives the events in their historical relations, which prove that poli- tical action is not a scheme forced upon the Labour movement by some individuals who were out. for positions, but a necessity arising out of the economical conditions in exactly the same way as that of industrial action at other times. The question which we will have to consider is, not the failures of political or industrial actions, but what will be the effect of the economical de- velopments, including the present revolution, in the means of production and the new form of ownership, on the working-class? Will the great change that we are going through force our future struggles to be fought on the industrial field only? One can hardly believe it. The capitalists are under no misapprehension on the matter, the landed and capitalist classes have well fortified themselves in the State trencn, from which they will direct the Government guns on the workers, with the whole political machinery behind them. Tkeir retreat is due to their defeat on the industrial field; to fortify themselves in the Government's offices, from which they could control the political machinery, was a wise act. They saw the Labour forces ad- vancing and retreated to their strong-hold, front which the final battle will be fought. Can the workers ignore this new position? Will they? We shall wait and see."

Death of a Great Jew. I The Jews, not of Merthyr alone, but through- out the nation, and in the terrorised provinces of the Continent, have suffered ,a severe loss this week in the death of Mr. Alfred Isaac Freed- man, 5, Pentwyn Villas, Penydarren. Active and able beyond the ordinary. Mr..Freedman en- gaged freely, and to the full extent of his big heart and marked sympathy in all good works that came to his hand, and particularly in the works associated with his race. The Jews in the persecuted provinces of Poland will weep for him when news of his transition reaches them, for as Chairman of the Jewish Polish Fund he, by his own efforts, collected the sum of £ 1,200, which was sent to the relief of the poor Hebrews of those provinces. Mr. Israel Zangwell, too, has lost a splendid and unremitting champion of the Jewish Zion Cause for the restoration (j the Jews to Palestine, in which he had been parti- cularly active during the few weeks immediately preceding his death on Tuesday. His local acti- vities included the secretaryship and registrar- ship of the Merthyr Hebrew congregation, a posi- tion he has held during the last 21 years; chair- man of the Jewish Education Committee and of the Jewish Board of Guardians. He was also a Freemason. The funeral which took place on Wednesday, was the largest ever held in connec- tion with the Jewish community of Merthyr. At I the Synagogue the Rev. Israelsta-m and the Rev. j Bloom officiated, the latter giving a lamentation in Yiddish and Hebriac. which was constantly punctuated by the wailing and moaning of the community, who feel the loss acutely; and again at the cemetery the cadences of grief wei% mosT marked. He is also greatly mourned by the Christian populace of Dowlais and Peny- darren, amongst whom he was known as The People's Friend." It is a curious coincidence that Mr. Freedman died on the anniversary of the passing of another great Hebrew philanthro- pist, Dr. Theodore Hertzel; and during the great Jewish period of mourning and calamity. B&? death came suddenly as the result of a seizure.

I Tonyrefail Notes. I To Fight Every Seat. The Trades and Labour Council decided at their last meeting to contest every seat on the District Council, at the next election, in the in- terest of Labour. If Labour will be true to its own cause, then there ought to be no trouble to oust the present reactionary councillors who are so unconcerned about the interest of Labour. The present members do not in any sense re- present the interest of the majority. They only truly represent the landed and vested interests of the few. Let the workers realize the import- ance and need for direct representation in their own interest, by voting for their own men. Co-operative Meeting. I The Co-operative meeting, last week, was the centre of attraction, and was crowded out. The interest was great, and the fervour intense. It is said that a. canvass took place with the ob- ject of gaining support to bring the managing committee to account for wire-pulling. The al- leged wire-pulling was the cause of two local members resigning from the committee some time ago. This allegation, according to the result of the meeting, proved to be a myth, and an illu- sion on the part of the two members who aban- doned all connection with the committee because they could not agree on one item. Their resignations have been accepted by the general meeting, and the committee received the general support and confidence of the members. Another interesting feature was a challenge to the committee for a greater dividend. To this the management succeeded in elucidating the balance-sheet and the tactical working of the business in a most satisfactory manner. The management are to be congratulated upon their capabilities and their work in the common in- terest of the members of the society. W.E.A. Conference. I Several delegates from the local miners lodges and the Trades and Labour Council attended the W.E.A. conference last Saturday at Cardiff. There was not much enthusiasm about tho con- ference before or after, and the acquiesance in the appointment of delegates to attend was pro- bably prompted by the fact that Thomas Richards, M.P. (Miners), was ticketed to be pre- sent. Local leaders and others who are inter- ested in Education would do well to read this month's Plebs "Real Democratic Educa- tion A Rejoinder." Coursing. I Last Saturday the local sporting elements- were in the height of excitement over the coursing match between the local owners of two grey- hounds. The match took place at Caerphilly. A large number of local persons went to witness the match. The dog "Caesar" seized the prize.

Bargoed Notes. I Owing to the rain on Sunday, the Association of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors met,-not in Trafalgar Square, as had been intended, but in the hall of the Institute. Mr-. Weaver, in the. chair, began by explaining that the Association was non-political, democratic, and non-sectarian. Its objects wore: (1) to inquire into, and redress, all cases of hardship. They wanted, not charity, but justice; and they had to educate public opinion up to seeing that it was obtained. And the women and children needed special care. What wa, LI 6s. 9d. a week, to keep a woman an dthree children P So far they had had six cases; and in five the Government had, at least, acknowledged their letters. But why did the Gov- ernment wait for a society to be formed, before doing anything? So long as the discharged sol- diers* and sailors were left to fight their own battles, Government simply took no notioe. (2) To secure co-operation to get suitable work for them, at a trade-union wage. (3) To promote social fellowship among them. Comrade W. T. Lloyd demanded the abolition of Class W. and W. T., and the transference of those in them to other classes, in which they could get pensions. As it was, many who had been put into this class were unable to do enough work to keep themselves; and help couldn't be given them without breaking the Regulations. As it was, they were kept waiting a fortnight for their allowance; they might have to buy tools; and their wounds might give trouble agam after some time. One man he knew of, had done five turns in five or six weeks. Another had been sent back to a pairticular colliery, with one leg nearly useless, and one hand unable to grip; barely able to drag himself to work; and what work could he do? Others had been, kept two years in England, being unfit to go to the front, and then put in Class W., this was in defiance of the Warrant, which stated that they must have a pension; in many cases a gratuity had been offered instead, a lump sum of, say, £ 60 (anT! how I long can anyone live on ltr), by accepting w!liCh they would give up all further claim; and this, when their wounds or disease might break out again years hence. Comrade Matthews said that while some of them were fighting, up to their hips in mud, their wives were brought before the courts for not paying their rent. It was the Government's business to give them enough to live on (ask Lord Devonport, who proposed about a year and .a half ago, to save 20 or 30 millions by cutting down their allowances). Let the Government either do it, or make way for those who would. Don't let the private employer make a profit out of their helplessness; nor let them he driven to street-organs or beggary. The £1 6s. 9d. which had been mentioned, had the purchasing power of only 13/- before the war; and how long would it last, with potatoes, bread, milk, and meat to pay for (not mentioning rent) Had those who denounced soldiers' wives, ever lived their life ? Such things as it was true that they did, very possibly they did to get food for their children. Often they were penniless after Tuesday, and not with drink. Officers were well-provided for, and provision made for their children's educa- tion then, too, their wives often avoided having children, and that was why they werè well off. Mr. Barbour assured the Association of his help an4 support. Mr. Jones began by quotiing a prominent soldier and a prominent Labour leader." The prominent soldier (Lord Roberts) said it must be an insult to millions to ask them to sacrifice their lives, wh en their whole lives were o,.e long sacrinoe; the "prominent Labour leader" (Keir Hardie) sai dthe country was "theirs," when it was a question of suffering and dying for it; but if they wanted to possess or enjoy any part of it -it was not theirs then, a. small class claimed it, and kept them off. (Henry George remarks, near the ennd of Progress and Poverty," that all the former civilizations had gone down when a small class held nearly the whole of the wetlth, so that the rest of the people either had nothing worth defending, or were too broken-spirited, through tyranny at home, to defend what they had against invaders). Till now, there had beew,, a veil between soldiers and civilians, so that they had let themselves be played off against each- other. Troops from the Dominions could go to operas, concerts, etc.; but there was only charity for British ones. There was an allowance for buying artificial limbs but the makers had put up the price to t40 each, much more than the- allowance; and then they were three times as heavy as they should be, and otherwise unsuit- able. They were paying, or would have to pay? 300 millions a year in interest on the War Loan,, while only 25 millions were paid to soldiers and their dependants. The first War Loan was at 34 per cent., the next at 4t per cent; then the one that was to have brought victory was at 5t per cent; and those who had lent before, were- allowed to convert what they had lent (i.e., to oall it in, and lend it again at the higher rate of interest); this alone cost the country 11 mil- lionso a year. Now where did they get the money to lend? While the mercantile marine men were risking their lives, with the additional danger of the submarine, the shipowners, sitting safe at home, were raking-in profits, of which* Mr. Banar Law had recently told us something: from his own experience. He held shares in some tramp-steamers,- and besides the dividends- he mentioned, when one of the ships was sunk or sold, he couldn't remember which, lie got £ 1,000 for"the£200 lie had put into it. Any cradle that would float, would to-day command almost any price. This while some six millions of men have been killed and some 50 millions- maimed. Mr. Walter Lewis said he had made an excep- tion, in this case, to his rule never to take part in public meetings held on Sunday. He wouldn't- have done as much as he had for soldiers aild'. their dependents, if he hadn't believed this war to be a just one. Apart from the war, we were" under a system of almost beastly competition, the spirit of which was "Devil take the hind- most." If one-legged men were taken back to work as hauliers, they couldn't get so much coal and their foreman had to bear disparaging com- parisons with other foremen, besides being al- ready under pressure to produce all he could. Pensions ought to be settled first of all, and! then wages. He suggested that the Government should start industries to employ them; and if they failed to "earn" the amount of their pen- sion (which should be a liberal one), the Govern- ment should make 1t up. In the evening the Study Circle, after some considering, decided to discuss the New Charter advocated by Lansbury's "Herald." Comrade Matthews, after reading it out, said those who had fought couldn't say they had fought for their country, as it did not belong to them. Now was the accepted time," so as to be ready for their return. As other comrades seemed rather back ward,. Comrade Matthews, for the sake of argument, now took the other side, urging that conscrip- tion of wealth meant: (1) doing without money, this would mean a general closing-down of goM and silver mines, and of many copper mines, and' the throwing out of employment of those en- gaged in them. (2) Inferior- management, wltl, (llute as mncli lnl11O:v nA ,1 11.11 n utnamtwiv as ever and competition for the soft iolls. (3) Loss of discipline. As a consequence of these we should be undersold in the world's markets, bv other countries that keDt to the old system.' Comrade W. T. Llovd said the Charter SllOWf.di;' that all we had yet done was mere propaganda even Marx was simply a propagandist, the prac- tical proposals were yet to come, there was no. definite scheme as yet. Even if our proposals?; were adopted, there was likely still to be com- petition for the soft jobs. The minimum-wage was simply a temporary expedient for the tran- sition-period. A. long time would he needed to breed out the servile spirit, and the sipirt of doing as little as possible. One good point in the Charter, was the provision of a living wage for ex-idlers. Many of our present industries were really useless; a sudden closing-down of them might swamp the country; but the workers had shown that they would take to new work with only a few months' experience. Russia, now that the old dynasty and bureaucracy had" been overthrown., was in greater danger thaR ever of being captured by the capitalists. There were State buildings in our own land also and the best work was, done on them. The stock charge against religious people might also be made against Sociaists. that their better land was. always by-an-by.. Comrade Pope said we might have partly to compete the capitalist out. of the field. Govern- ment was unlikely to do it, having too many in- terests to consider. The Co-ops. were doing it, for all their un-ideal dividend system they had1 begun to take over mines and farms, and at market value, instead of the inflated value at which Government was likely to do it..Friendly Societies usually invested in capitalist concerns, why-not in, say, the Co-ops? But the linking- up was beginning, and the Co-ops. were finding themselves forced, in self-preservation, into poli- ties and had agreed on a levy of Id. in the £ for political purposes (denounced by the "Daily News as an attempt to flood Parliament with "taine candidates as if Parliament was not already crammed with the hacks of the orthodox parties and the wealthy interests). And, once they were strong enough in Parliament, they might, e.g., deprive Lever of the monopoly he had obtained of part of West Africa; and these- monopolies, actual and possible, were one great cause of the war, and would be of other wars, if not abolished. Provision might be made that the natives should grow, e.g., cotton for the' people, and not for the profit of capitalists. Comrade J. Jones said lie never knew he was- among such a set of pessimists. Was there any- thing unjust in the idea of conscription of wealth ?, especially after the fact of the conscrip- tion of life. The Post Office was an example of what could he done by the State; the grievances connected with it were because there were capi- talists at the head of it, who managed it in a capitalist spirit, and according to capitalist ideas. On the Continent the railways were mostly owned by the State, and there were many advan- tages in it. Many people' bought their own' houses with borrowed money, and this paid in- terest to money-lenders, instead of rent to land- lords but they gained in security of tenure. The objection to the proposed tl a day, was that 3- rise in wages only put up prices. Our Aberbar- goed comrade (I learn that his name is Owens, and that he lives somewhere in Gilfach) said that exploiter and exploited were alike physically, even in having a little brain, which they haven't learnt to use." There would be real equality of sacrifice when all must work to live, having nothing but (what the worker had) the ability to labour. Discipline (military, party, or other) simply meant the suppression of indi- viduality. Money simply disguised the real char- acter of the class struggle. The miner got 4/- a ton for the coal lie dug, it was sold at 25s. » ton; where did the difference go? The rise the money-system was a slow process; so might its supersession be. (That is better: "not to., suppress, but to supplant or supersede."). Printed and published by the National Laboiif" Press, Ltd., at the Labour Pioneer preBl¡". Williams Square, Merthyr Tydfil, SATURDAY, JULY 14th, 1917.