Pioneer

I Trade Union Notes. I I By Trade Unionist. The South Wales Miners' Conference has de- eded in a most emphatic manner against co- oPerating with the authorities in the comb- Out ) scheme drawn up and approved by the ..F.G.B. Further, they have decided to ballot the coalfield as to whether a "down tools" Micy shall be resorted to in the event of the authorities proceeding with the scheme. From Press and platform have the miners had hurled them the most opprobious epithets, because of lr decision. "Shirkers," "Traitors," "Re- avers of German gold, "Cowards"; these *^d much more ar& the terms tossed about by the self-styled patriots when discussing them. They know thJi own business, ern ?j}} go about doing it in their own way, ?ute regardless of the frothy vituperation of their critics.. -1- 3: And what is all the row abou"? Have not the of South Wales on every occasion that PortulÍty offered, declared in favour of en- ^vouring to secure the objects for which we filtered the war by negotiation rather than by the prolonged slaughter of our manhood? Have they not consistently opposed conscription? Of bourse they have and how can anyone in his Senses expect them now to stultify themselves by o-operat.ing with the Government, who want to Q on killing, and in forcing men into the, Army? It would mean giving up those principles which }¡ey have upheld up to now. T- 3; # It would be well for these people to remember It a.t no body of workmen in the whole of the ^tT 11 ited Kingdom (and that is saying a good deal) re on the whole so intelligent as the South Wales miners. Very large numbers of them are teny well educated men, conversant with the Fences, and with the literature of their country. ?hey are keen students of politics and the social fences, and it is not ea?y to bluff them. and it i?., not, ea?:-v to f,) I ii ff t b (ini. Mr. Hartshorn has preached a long sermon to we miners through the columns of tlu. South Wales Daily News for last Saturday. He tries o prove that: (1) a down tools policy is un- justifiable (2) that a down-tools policy is not Pi acticable. Most of the miners, I venture to 'Jy> will violently disagree with many of his t&tements. For instance, he says: "The paci- Usts who would try to force peace on us now are Paying the game of Germany's most astute dip- OnlatIst..s. Mr. Hartshorn seems to want his taders to believe that the pacifists want a peace t any price,which, of course, is quite wrong. It j for ever being said, apparently without effect, that til., objects for which so much blood is being OSt should be attained by negotiation if possible. r. Hartshorn also says in effect, that by asking J0* peace by negotiation we are betraying the rave men who are fighting. Nothing of the find. It is quite sale to say that the vast ma- Jority of the soldiers would be onlv too triad to Je that method adopted. If a vote of the sol- ders could be taken it would be seen whom they J°ok upon as tlioir true friends. -:c iiie-etin,(), hold The Ferndale miner.? at a mass meeting held ?ntly. voted a sum' of ?10 to dependents of 's T hereupon the local Liberal and Tory 'Ci U?b began to kick up a row. Being uch good .del'atlOnistg they objected to their money  ?S sp?? upon obiects other than the further- Of Ti'ade Unionism. That is all right, of co)? ? ? ? ?'? ? rejnind these and other erit' that scores of Federation Lodges have v0+ T ^ions sums of money to provide comforts ?oldierx, Y.M.C.A. huts, etc. There were Mo _?? ?plaint? then, but it if evident that the one ?st as illegal m; the other.. The Shop Assistants' Union ig making an ffort to bring sho^assistants under the Trade oard Act, and are circularising all tbe Trade nions appealing for their help. No body of oi'kers in this country are on the whole so badly faJl and overworked as the shop assistants, and ?nccrely hope that all the unions will respond ta the appeal and render all the assistance they  can to bring about the desired objec. f sufficIent support is forthcoming, there is ?e'-y chance of a minimum wage "being fixed ?■ r the Trade Boards Act, and as this would «arry with it the recognition of a normal work- ?6 week (which the Union is asking should be :a ?ximum of 48 hours) it will be seen that the t,w most important questions affecting the lives f shop assistants will be dealt with. 1 The Shop Assistants' Union is to be congratu- "1ttod upon the success of its efforts to organise lbore? thoroughly the workpeople which it caters ()t. During the firt eix months of this year the ?tnbership had increased by 4,000. This is re- jj.able when w& remember that thousnd8 of peJr ?en have been taken for the Army in that pf3rl*(),Cl In particular are they to be oongratu- 3atp } ?or so strenuously agitating for an im- ?. ???ent in the wages and conditions of Labour a,ning in the large dre&smaking ootabhsh- He 0 ^-ie country. These people have a l ways 11 eut.. of the country. These people have alway. lqeglec'ted to look after their interests by becom- ta ? embers of the organisation, and the Union, Dlother hand, has neglected in the past to p'a" u ed f h" Pa y as much attention to the need s of this ? "Serous class as they deserved. lq"OTV however, according to the Shop Asist- ™'n there is every prospect of an ?-?i kenmg. In several towns settlements have W,, aT'rived at fixing rates of wages and hours laboi.11- which mark a big advance on any- '?i? P?'????sly obtaining. At Edinburgh, for ?-Hp&t?? ce, the following rates have been agreed Upo\ ?"'st six months 6s., second six months ?, 15s., ^s*> 19s. 20s., and 21s., and eSicient j_0» d 2 1 s., an d efficient ■Wfv- 6rs up to 30s. Hours 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., or q?"111- 6.30 p.m. Saturdays to 1 p.m. Qvew^me to (3.30 p.Tii. S,,?Ltur days -to I- lioli- O?ve9? rate ??"? and a ??' One week's holi? -t-o b:n.l1ually, with pay; all statutory holidays 'i'u bl??  ?or..Further, the j ournal informs us tl,at th, Union will soon submit a carefully Cill"lgbt ??t programme providing for present alld Pro??p?e,ti ve assistants.' Let me add here th  ? ?? duty of ?? Trade Unionists whose ?Sbt ?? are ?"?' entering the shops as assist- ants ?+° see o it that tbov become members of 'the ci ? ? to it that they become mem b ers of tb9-hop Assistant' Union.

SECONDARY EDUCATION. i?g ? ??y?P?rmanent solution to the overorowd- oUif g a n th "??ediate Schools, by the provision ?of a nevv gIrl's school and this being out of the r{He«tion question?  Mr. Rhys Elias (Director ? 'Educa,  making arrangements men- '?hi}e? ? >hile g Ihat  one desirous of secondary edu- ?ation io +, down, to pass into the Oyfa?hfa ^eeonda-rv *Z l,l.47- ??ebOOls' 1;?pil on the, wqitin.g  ,me.diat--

I CORRESPONDENCE. A PROTEST AGAINST 'TRADES UNIONIST.' Sir,—In your issue of the Pioneer for October 13th, the third paragraph ia the column devoted to Trades Union Notes contaliaed a deliberate and despicable attempt- to distort tko facts in connection with the application made to the Goal Controller for a special war wage on behalf of Enginemen, Stokers and Craftsmen. I presume that the writer of the Trade Union Not" is a member of the M.F.G.B., and, if so, then so much the worse for the La- bour Movement both industrially and politically. I am accustomed to such methods in the Capi- talist press, and in the best interests of the Pioneer the writer should refrain from imi- tating them. The National Council of Colliery Workeyr, rej presenting over 90,000 men employed ia the mines, other than miners, met the Coal Con- troller on the 13th of September, when he made an offer of Is. 3d. to men over 18 years of Kge, and 7d. to youths under 18 years. This offer was refused and the National Council again met the Coal Controller on Septem ber 28th and October 1st. and submitted the following appli- cation, viz.: "That a special advance in the shape of a. war-wage of Is. 9d. per shift bQ granted to men over 16 years of age and 1 Ojd. per shift to. youths under 16 years for every shift or proportional part of a shift worked, or for every shift any pit is stipped by the manage-! ment( other than on recognised holidays and stop-days, etc.) and the latter case is to be clearly understood to cover the case where pits are unable to work owing to there being no out- let for the coal, etc. The National Council, comprising men with practical knowledge of the position of the workers other than Miners' fought the question of the men who worked Sundays such as Enginemen, Stokers and the Majority of Crafts- men, considerable discussion took place on the, question of payment for Sunday work. This matter was raised on Friday, September 28th, when lVIr. 'Guy Calthorpe intimated to the deputation that this point of payment for Sun- day work to Enginemen, Stokers and Craftsmen was entirely new to him, but added that he was very favourably impressed by the arguments put forward by the deputation. He wan ted to con- sult his colleagues on the matter and asked the deputation to meet him again on Monday, Oct. 1, which they did. The Coal Controller then in- formed them that he had agreed to pay the 1/6 for Sunday work to the aforementioned work- men. The above is sufficient, I think, to prove that the Craft Unions did negotiate on behalf of their members with the result that providing the men work full time, they will receive JE3 18s. per annum more than they otherwise would have had owing to the payment for Sunday work. Evidently the writer of the Trade Union Notes has forgotten that it was the: oraft unions who agitated for the reduction of hours for enginemen and stokers and increased their standard rates, including the craftsmen, and am sure he lias forgotten that the M.F.G.B. had no scruples when they came along to "mop up the cream, and now he wants to "mop up" those who supplied that excellent commodity. He has forgotten also that it was the Craft Union who educated the miners to the need of solidarity among themselves, for the Graft "Union was es- tablished over 26 years ago, and there are thou- sands of men in the mechanical department who can testify that their position at the present is considerably improved through the activities of the Craft Union during that period, hence my protest against the methods adopted by Trad«s Uni onis t.'Yours, etc., D. B. JONES (Agent). Sunny Bank, Thomastosrij, Merthyr Tydfil.

I Mid-Rhoiidda Notes. I Rhondda Labour Party and War. A meeting of the Rhondda Labour Party, at I Porth, with Mr. T. C. Morris, Tetrad, in the chair, expressed opposition to an economic war in accordance with the Paris resolution. The meeting was in favour of the restoration of the areas devastated by the war being undertaken out of an international fund, to which all the belligerent Governments should be required to contribute. They were of the opinion that sup- plies of foodstuffs, raw material, aad shipping should be placed upon an international basis, -o as to meet the inevitable shortage after the war. Rhondda Socialist Society. A well attended lifting of the Rhondda Socialist Society was held on Sunday night, when Comra.de Williams, of Tonyrefail, gave an excellent paper on "Evolution." Labour Councillor Indicted. Our correspondent writes An open letter to Mr. T. W. Berry, the director of the Rhondda Education, appeared in a local paper. The tone of the letter was both fair and moderate. The writer excuses the Director on account of his "professional training," and exonerates the councillors on the ground of their being ignorant of the state of affairs concerning the caretakers. This excuse may do for some of the councillors but it will hardly do in the case of the Labour Councillors. To plead ignorance of the condi- tions of the employees is one of the worst indict- ments which can be ever made against any La- bour representative. Besides, the charge is not correct, the Labour Councillors were not ignor- ant of all the facts regarding the conditions of these workers. These men had been furnished with the information to which the letter re- ferred gives, and more. All of these men sought election to represent Labour. Some of them made it their business at election-time to compare the lot of the lower lower paid workers of the Council with that of the highly-paid officials. The clerk of the coun- cil, for instance, was a subject of a very severe criticism in some of the revolutionary speeches during those days. Thehe revolutionaries, have had many years' experience on the Council and have fitted responsible positions on different com- mittees. And to-day what do we find? We find what I term one of the worst examples of sweated Labour that anyone can imagine. A man and woman have to work from four o'clock in the morning to ten or eleven o'clock at night for inadequate wages. Labour Councillors, you deserve the Iron Cross for your courage. It is high time that these men should be called to give account of their work; and if too busy, they ought to be honourable enough to re- sign in favour of men who are willing to oivo the necessary time.

JOHN WILLIAMS: An Appreciation, REPRESENTATIVE LEADERSHIP HIS IDEAL OF LIFE. On Wednesday la.At by an open grave we said good-bye to the earthly shell that was all that was left of our Comrade Councilloi- Jollia Wil- liams. All that was left to us, that is, in an objective sense, for subjectively we all cherish memories of a quiet, unostentatious but solid friendship that will not be easily dimmed by the passing of the years. But whatever we as Socialists felt of loss must have been intensified amongst the miners, who had lost at one and the same time comrade and leader. And what a. leader. Others may have choiie with more eon- spicuity in the firmament of the, South Wales Miners' Federation. Brilliant oratory, or dash- ing guerilla- tactics in the industrial warfare of our coalfield may have served to give distinc- tion to others in the eye of the outside public, but the miner himself has learned that for the most part he pays for such brilliance by the surrender of democratic control; that the pri- vilege of basking in the reflected glory of a notorious leadership is too often the only pri- velege that is left to him. The natural tendency of leadership in our unions has seemed to be towards the production of a specialised class, intent upon the centralisation of authority, aiad the conservation of all power into the hands of a clique. Such a policy is one of the evils that it will be the task of every unionism to combat in the future; and it is in that combat that many will look back with keen appreciation on the life work of John Williams it is to' him that many will point- as the type of reai leader that must be produced if Trades Unionism is to play its propel part in the evolution of Social Demo- cracy. It is, indeed, in the consideration of the merit*; of Mr. Williams leadership in Merthyr, that we find the man; that we can grasp his philosophy, and comprehend his purpofles and aims; for "out- side of that leadership lie was shy, retiring, un- obtrusive—though never, thank God, weak or hesitant-Yvhen. strength and action were needed from him. As a Socialist Mr. Williams never occupied that eonspicuity that lie might easily have claimed from his natural gifts and un- doubted adherence to the I.L.P. programme and policy; as a Town Councillor never, or sel- dom, forced himself on the public gaze by his attacks or advocacies. On both these grounds he was solid and reliable. We always knew where he would be, because we knew the man. But it was in the Miners' Federation that we learned to know the man. And it is there we must now look if we are to gauge the impress that he has made on our lives now and in the future. If I were asked to state in one word what I considered Mr. Williams' greatest- gift I should undoubtedly write down the word Re-, presentation for he had the most acute idea of the duties and obligations of representation of any man I have ever met. The idea of repre- sentation was the key-word to his character it was the one thing that differentiated him from the major part of the S.W.M.F. Council. When John Williams spoke at Council meeting or Con- gress, there was no room to doubt what the Merthyr miners thought on the subject he ad- dressed himself to. His conception of leadership was this: that the duty of the leader elected by the franc hise of the men-was to represent those men on every and any occasion. He did not pro- mise representation to secure position, he did in fact ana triitia represent in every worn ne uttered in public the view of the men who had sent him—whether it be in the Board Room at Cardiff, in the Council Chamber of the Merthyr Town Hall, or at Congress or Conference of Trade Union or Socialist Party. That and his great human heart and sympathy constituted the real individuality of John Williams that it was that made his district notorious for its sur- prisingly great number of mass meetings; tha.t it was that impelled him to those heights of ora- tory that we have all been enthusiastic over'; but which could never have been prompted from the desire for popularity. For by nature he was a recluse, and would not have taken the platform but for the strong desire to learn the men's opinions, to lay before them the actions that he had committed in their name, or to learn the action he must take in their behoof. His Was the only real leadership for the people. It is by an insistence that the ideal that lay closest to his heart, shall be the key-note of all future leadership that trades unionism can alone play its lea-ding role in the bringing about of a better world. And it is as the result of his leadership, of the poignancy of his feeling for his men, that we to-day have lost him. He felt with especial keenness the folly, the stupidity, and the Demo- cratic dangerousnese of this war. In that his men were with him, but it wati upon him that the gibes at the district fell, for his district was to him as is an only child to its idolising mother. It wa. the fight of the Merthyr miners that he fought as a, Pacifistas well as his own—and we who know the intensity of the fight he made during the last few months of his active life-- battling like a giant almost alone on too many occasions in the councils of his union—know that it was in that battle that he met his death. As surely was he a victim of this war, m was his great ideal, Jas Keir Hardie. Merthyr could ill spare either. A son of Mr. John Rees Williams, Mr. Wil- liams was a native of Cefn Coed, where he was born in 1866. He attended for some little time the Board School, Cefn, but at the early age of 11 years, began work at the old Coedcae Mine! Pit, above Upper Colliers' Row, Cyfarthfa, with his'father, who was then in failing health and who died a few months afterwards, leaving a widow and nine children. The bereaved lad was obliged to return to school until he was 12 years of age, and he then became a door-boy at Castle I Pit, at the time of the double shift. He worked In various pits of the Oyfarthfa Company and followed his occupation as a collier until shortly before his appointment as agent for the Merthyr Miners' District, in succession to Alderman Thomas Thomas. In his spara time he had re- ceived much educational help from the late Rev. J. H. Davies, in connection with the winter night schools, and he had also followed a course of study at the Penydajren Science Classes, at which he was awarded certificates for his pro- ficiency in the principles of mining. He acted occasionally as a checkweigher and was a mem- ber of the South Wales Minesr' Federation from the date of its formation. Before his election as Merthyr Agent he was treasurer of the Dis- trict and agent pro tern. He married a daughter of Mr. Morgan Jones, late traffic manager of the Cyfarthfa Collieries. Mr. Williams was denominationally a Baptist and much identified with the work of Oarmel Chapel, Cefn, and, although brought up at a public-house (Gwynne Arms) he was a strict tee- totaller, being secretary of the Cefn branch of the Sons' of Temperance. At the beginning of 1901 he was elected third on the poll of 11 can- di-da-Wz on the Vaynor School Board. His repre- sentation of the Town Ward on the Corporation datd back to November, 1914. THE FUNERAL. Labour tlu'ougheut the coalfield was repre- sented at the dead miners' leader's funeral, to- gether with representatives of the various public bodies in Merthyr and a bout. The buriafritea were performed by the Rev. J. Morgan Jones, Hope Church, Merthyr, and the Revs. J. H Davies, Swansea, and Noel Hopkiii?-, Cannd I church, Cefn. The chief mourners were Mr?. Williams (widow), Misses Maggie and Nancy Williams (daughte-rs), Corporal John Rees Wil- liams and Pte. Morgan Williams (Welsh Guards, on leave from France) Messrs. Gwilym Williams and Emrys Williams (sons); Messrs. Tom, Isaac, and David Williams (brothers); Messrs. T. Jonee, Merthyr, Bran- Jones, Cefn, and "Benjamin Jones, Bedwas (brothers-in-law). The Executive S.W.M.F. was represented by Messrs. Evan Thomas (assistant secretary), E. Mcrrell (Troed- yrhiw), Charles Edwards, Oliver Harris (Trede- gar), W. L. Cook (Blaenavon), Owen Powell (Aberdare), John Davies (Dowlaie), Hubert Jen- kins (Senghenydd), Wm. Da-vies and W. Woos- nam (Engineers' section of the S.W.M.F.), Dd. Lewis and William John (Rhondda), and Thomas Lucas (Ogmore Vale). Representatives of the Merthyr Trades Council were: Messrs. S. Jen- nings (president), W. Harris (secretary), J. R. Jones (N.U.R.). Bert Brobyn (A.S.L.E.F.), and John Williams (Miners). Merthyr district of Miners were represented by Messrs. B. J. Wil- liams (deputy agent), Tom Williams (i hair man), and Sam Thomas (treasurer). Members of the Town Council present were Messrs. H. M. Lloyd, Gomer Thomas, W. Lewis (Penydarren), D. W. Jones, \L. M. Jones, F. Pedlar, L. M. Francis, D. Parry, Dd. Davies, Charles Griffiths and J. G. Biddle (deputy towm-clerk). Others who at- tentded were Messrs. Joseph Price and Dr. Evans (Merthyr Board of Guardians), E. P. Williams (chairman of the Merthyr Insurance Committee), Inspector Starr (N.S.P.C.C.), Mr. Ouiningboi- ough and H. Morris (I.L.P. and Mr. E. Roberts (solicitor to the Merthyr and Dowlais .miners). The bearers were Messrs?. John Thom:?B. Tom Harries, J. Miles, E. Jones, Wm. Thomas, Albert Boucher, Sid Brobyn and Vm. Williams (of the minere' Miontnitv meeting). The Tan Valley Corps of the St. John's Ambulance Bri- gade attended under Superintendents T. and D. Davies. Wreaths were sent by the Merthyr I.L.P., Merthyr Miners, and the Executive of the S.W.M.F.

I NATIONAL PMalgamated LABMKR? UNION. I{ I Nt Office ~1 ST. DAVID'S PLACE, RLDU STREET, :N I I Tne Live Fighting Union for South Wales. I I We Don't Merely List Benefits on Paper-We PAY Them. I 1 General Secretary: JOHN TWOMEY. I if Organiser: "BOB" WILLIAMS, 220 Blackfriars Road, London, S.E. 9 H District Secretaries: A. BARTON, 5 Stuart Street, Docks, Cardiff; JOHN O'LEARY, CeAtury « ? Institute. Winmill Street, Newport, Mon.; Coun. J. POWLESLAND, 10 PictoR Place, Swansea jj| I ALL CLASSES CATERED FOR-MALE AND FEMALE. I I Affiliated to the National Transport Workers' Federation, Trade Union Congress, alad I National Labour Party. I ■ Approved under the National Health Insurance Acts. I

Cooperative Education MR. DAVIES EMPHASISES NEED FOR CO-ORDINATION AND EXTENSION. There wa. a convivial gathering; of the dele- gates of the Brecon, Monmonth, and East Glam- organ Association of Co-operative Societies at Aberdare last Saturday, over which Mr. W. Watkins, Y»ysybwl, presided. In his opening remarks Mr. Watkins reviewed the trying time that Co-operative Societies were experiencing, owing to the unfair action of the Goveriaineat in refusing to recognise the movement. Excel- lent reports of progress made were given by Aberdare, Abergavenny, 1 Abersychan, Blaen- avon, Blaina, Brecon and District, Cardiff, and Chepstow. I The question of the associated Co-operative laundry, which had been referred to the Execu- tive Committee was considered, and it was ulti- mately decided to defer further consideration of the project for a further six months. Mr. J. Cowling, J.P., Newport, the treasurer of the Association, was unanimously appointed to represent the Co-operative movement of South Whales and Monmouthshire at the National Emergency Conference which is to be held in London as a result of the Premier's refusal to meet a deputation of the movement to consider several vital problems. Following the usual practice of these meetings the formal business was followed by a paper on Co-operative Education by Mr. J. P. Davies (President of the Blaina, Society). In his ex- cellent survey of the subject Mr. Davies declared that the salvation of the Co-operative movement depended upon the education of the body of Co- operators who had the ideals of '/Phe movement at; hearfc. Happily, Co-operation consisted of those ideals which could create those enthu- siasms without which all great causes and move- ments were lost. The task was to create that enthusiasm with the young, for the apathy of the older members in the past had somewhat damped Co-operative Education, the absence of which had been most unfortunatel y emphasised in the crises of the recent past. For the pur- pose of arousing that enthusiasm he laid it down as a necessity that Co-operative Education should not be a nactivity entirely separated and shut off from the rest of the movement, but must be practical and daily bringing its in- fluence to bear upon their problems of trade and social life. The Management Committees and the Education Committees had been too far apart in the past, but they must work together if real success was to be obtained, for their ob- ject was one and they were really eo-workers in a common cause. With the increased interest in the' meaning and aims of the Society success and progress were more certain. In the develop- ment of these ideas Mr. Davies addressed him- self to the report of the Survey Committee re- cently published on this subject, which includes a whole year round series of courses a co-ordina- tion of educational and managerial forces in Co-operation; and seeks to unify and spread the doctrinee, theories and systems of the movement by week-end and summer schools. In the main Mr. Daviee found it possible to endorse the re- commendations of this-Committee, as, in fact,

Eisteddfod y Cymrodorion. CYNHELIR YR UCHOD PRYDNHAWN, SADWRN, HYDREF 20th, 1917 Ya NEUADD YR EGLWYS, BARGOED. BEIRNIAID. C,&rddorol.-Tom Price, Ysw., G.&L.T.S.C., Merthyr; David Jones, Yew. (Dewi Carno), Rhymney. Llenyddol.-—Parch D. R. Beynon, Pontlottyn; David Jonee, Ysw., Ystrad Mynacfc. CY STADLEU AETHAU. Prif Gystadleuoeth Gorawl.-u Ar Lan lotr- ddonen Ddofn (Gabriel), Heb fod dan 40 Mewn Rhif, Gwobr £7 7B. Cor Plant.—" Cwsg F'Anwylyd Cwsg," Hed fod dan 35 mewn Rhif, Gwobr £ 2 2e. Unawdau Ll Is. yr un. Adroddiadati, Canu Penilliqn, TraethodaLi, Sim. Mynediad i mewn 1/ Plant 6d. PRIS Y RHAGLEN, DWY GEINIOG. Am fanylion pellach ymofyner a'r Ysgrifenydd- Mr. EDWARD JONES, 1 John Street, Bargoed. The action taken by the Joint Board and the "Statemeat" issued by the 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 Working-class Mevement depends upon yeni verdict. Now Ready. Price Sixpence A(eaay. p.? ? sc?, •THE TMESES MEN,' OR LABOUR LEADERS I AND THE WO RKERS' MONEY: It. The full story told by FREDERICK TEMPLE, (Author of Interest, Gold and Banking," War Finance and the Worker," &c.). 1 London THE COMMONWEALTH PRESS, 118, Cannon Street, E.C. LITERARY. TTNITARIAN PAMPHLETS on The Bible, Heaven," and "Hell," given post free. —Miss BARMBY, Mount Pleasant, Sidmouih. MEDICAL. O A -PAGE BOOK ABOUT HERBS AND D"r HOW TO USE THEM, Post Free. Send for One. TRIMNELL, THE HERBALIST, 144, RICHMOND ROAD, CAROIIT. Established 1879. MISCELLANEOUS. ASTROLOGY.—Life Events, Changes, For- Atuna.to Days, Business Success, Matrimony; Two Years' Future added.—Send Birth-date, I L- P.O., Pnoir. GOULD, "The Nook," Heathfield Road, Cardiff.

did most of the members in their subsequent discourses on the paper. A splendid tea was provided for the delegateg by the Aberdare Society. The next Conference will be held at Blaina.

Building Trades Federation DEMAND 1/6 PER HOUR. A conference of the building trades affiliated to the South Wales Building Trades .Federation was held in Barry at the Seamen's Union ofifces on Saturday last, William Williams, Car- diff, occupying the chair. Delegates from all parts ox South Wales and Monmouth were pre- sent. Several resolutions were down dealing with the tendering of notices as from November 1st next, also the rate of pay to be demanded. Mr. Johns (O.B.S., Llanellv) moved that 100 per cent. on pre-war prices be the operatives de- mands. A great deal of discussion centred round this. Mr. Lovell (Painters, Ebbw Vale) said that whatever figure was demanded from the em- ployers this would be inadequate compared with the increased cost of living. Continuing, he stated that hundreds of skilled men in the building trades had left the trade to work as ordinary labourers, and by doing so were earn- ing considerably more than if they were work- ing at their own trade. Eventually, the motion put by the Merthyr delegate, E. Shadbolt (painters), that the advance be Is. 6d. per hour for all trades was carried, and the Secretary (Mr. F. Bateeon) was instructed to communi- I with the cmployere to that hct.