Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
Trade Union Notes
Trade Union Notes By Trade Unionist. TRADES UNIONS AND THE "COMB-OUT." Mr. Lloyd George's speech in the House of Commons on December 20th must be regarded with very grave concern in the Trade Union world. He stated that owing to the necessity for an increase of man-power the pledges given by Mr. Asquith would have to be cancelled. With Russia out of the war, and America not yet in it, and the great peril of Italy, he pointed out that the need for more, men is imperative. It will be remembered that these pledges of pro- tection" given to the Trade Unions was the price paid by the Government for the co-opera- tion of Labour in the prosecution of the war, and its support for, or at least its acqui-eseenee. in, the very repressive measures resorted to. Old established cusiomc,, set up by the Trade Unions for the protection of their members, have baen set on one side, and dangerous, or what the unions deemed to be dangerous innovations in- troduced, with the guarantee that the pre-war conditions would be restored after the war. Now they are told that their ranks must be combed out to meet the requirements of the army, while the new working conditions, only submitted to on account of the immunity from military ser- vice granted them, will continue in operation. Wny, indeed most, of the personal and social liberties enjoyed by the people have been taken away without serious protest from the unions, because of the undertakings given by the government. These undertakings are now to be retracted, without the lost liberties being re- stored. LABOUR UNSYMPATHETIC? I Sir Auckland Geddes, the Minister for Na- Üonl Service, is calling a conference this week, of Labour leaders, to discuss the whole question. Bowerman, M.P., has, I notice, hastened to inform the Government that Labour will lend a sympathetic ear to their suggestions. However, "atbeir incline to agree with Mr. Adamson, M.P., the leader of the Labour Party in. the ROllse, when he said, iJII. the course of the dis- cussion following the Premier's speech, that La- bour Was not now in so quiescent a mood as for- that the old enthusiasm for the war no obtains, and that consequently the Gov- <ernment>s approaches will be met very critically. LIMITATION OF WORKERS' LEADERS. I ,t ? -1 Government will do well to remember that th,. ?ank and file of Labour are in no mood just ?P? to be bound down to arrangements made ^1 i their consent between Labour leaders ,and Ministers of DepaTtments. Recent events fre a sufficient proof of the very decided limita- tions 0f their power. In this instance, the whole  ? ? bargain of the Government and the T,,Me Unions, is to be re-opened) and he must be a. very sanguine person who thinks that a settlerrnent can be come to at a conference of leaders. The rank and file are going to have 11 ay in this- whatever the leadeTs may .gay or thInk. I do not wish to imply, however, that the leaders would, if left alone, enter into anv J, !ar?ain with the Government, which would still further burden the workers with obnoxious .9.Thd oppressive conditions, in faot, I believe that tnost of ii har? also shod their old enthu- tlie,wo,r fever has left them, and now in ,thei,i, raoi,-c- normal condition they will be more anxious about establishing Democrac^y in this country than in Germany. :{< 1* OUR WAR AIMS. I- Whatever the proposals of the Government I :.a.re? the trade1 unionists have a right to have satisfaction upon one or two points before they :agroo to any of them. When the Government ,a,slrs the organised workers to agree to the can- eellauon of pledges solemnly given, the workers Jiave a l'iuht on their side to have satisfaction, ,as to the conduct of the war. The country is, unfortunately, kept in an almost continuous state of irritation, caused by the colossal and jnexcxjsa^i^, blundering of those placed in author- ity. Fhey have 'also a right to have definitely ana explicitly stated, to them what they are '1Jemg asked' to fight for. The Executive of the Labour Party jointly with the Parliamentary ,Ijominitteo of the Trade Union Congress have just issued a document which embodies the war aims of Labour. This document is the most oom- •preheBisive and statesmanlike official declaration yet made. It sets forth clearly and decisively thelr ahns. The Government have told us that they have ddared their aims many times. Their spokesmen persist in saying that the whole world knows what Great Britain is fighting for. I must say, after reading the speeches by various Cabinet Manisters, purporting to set forth the ,G-,oveTiii-fie,nt airnq that I am as ignorant as ever on the matter, and that. also is the case with veryone else. It is guite impossible to ascertain from the Government declarations what their war aims are. « LEAGUE OF NATIONS. I Tlw new demands now made upon Labour rgives it its opportunity. Labour must insist upon the Government coming down from their peron, and telling the country plainly for what it is being asked to make sacrifices. They must do what. they have hitherto absolutely refused to do, viz: state unmistakably their war aims. More than that: if. the Government's war aims programme is not that of Labour, Labour must assert itself, and insist upon its own war aims programme- being made the Government pro- gramme. There is nothing unreasonable or ex- travagant in this. Anyone who reads Labour's programme must conclude that it contains all those fundamental purposes with which we en- tered the war, and is consistent with the idea of a real, effective League of Nations which will in the future1 be the guarantee of a world-wide and enduring peace. I SHOP STEWARDS' AGREEMENT. An agreement has been arranged between the Engineering Employers' Federation and eleven unions catering for those employed in the various sections of engineering works upon the much dis- "edand anxious question of the official recog- nition of shop stewards. The matter was one of great importance to the Trade, Unions, the em- ployers and the Government. The following are the chief points of the agreement: The members 'm the Various Trades Unions may appoint repre- s2 entatives from their number to act on their be- t 5 rSfe aPl>ointed to be known as shop stew- ards. The ???d of &el?otion is to be left t? the Trade Unions concerned. The stewards are to be subject to the control of the unions, and "We to act in accordance with the rules and regu- un^ons< .Facilities are to be af- forded the stewards to deal with questions raised :1:1\ a shop of portion of a shop in which they are employed. They may also visit, with the con- sent of the management, any other shop in the establishment, if the necessity arises. In all other respects they are to conform to the same working conditions as their fellow workmen.  A, ? PROCEEDURE IN DISPUTES. I In the carrying out of their duties, the stew- ards- are to proceed, when concerned with the avoidance of disputes in accordance with the following proceedure: Workmen desiring t-o raise any question in which they are directly concerned are fimt of all to discuss the same with their foremen. Failing settlement, the question shall be taken up by the shop steward and one: of the workmen directly concerned. If no settlement is then arrived at the question shall, at the re- quest of either party, be further considered at a meeting to 'oe arranged between the manage- ment, and the appropriate shop steward, to- gether with a deputation of the workmen con- cerned. I ATTITUDE OF A.S.E. No stoppage of work shall take place until the question has been fully dealt with in accordance with the agreement. The question must not, however, be considered as finally and satisfac- torily settled, because of the significant fact that the A.S.E., the strongest by far of the unions concerned, is not a party to the agree- ment, its representatives having been withdrawn at an early stage of the negotiations. What the nature of the A.S.O. objection is" is not at pre- sent known to me, but I surmise that it must be a serious one that would prevent them at this time and upon this important matter, from being parties to the agreement. N.A.U.S.A. AND SWEATING. I have on several occasions in these notes, re- ferred to, the efforts made by the National Amal- gamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehouse- men and Clerks to have the Trade Boards ex- tended to cover the distributive trades. As il- lustrating the necessity of such a step, will trades unionists please not the following ques- tion addressed by W. C. Anderson, M.P., in the House of Commons — fr. Anderson: To ask the Minister of Labour whether he has yet come to a decision regarding the extension of the Trade Boards Act to workers in distributive shops, whether he is aware that recent investigations made by the Shop Assistants' Union revealed the existence of sweated conditions, whether he has been in- formed that among the workers in distributive bazaars in Derby it was found that 22 women, their ages ranging from 23 to 31, worked 75 hours a week for an average wage of 8/4 a week, the wage not exceeding 10/- in any case, whilst girls similarly employed in Sunderland received from 5/- to 8/- a week, and that authentic cases have been tabulated from other districts showing that dressmakers, 21 years of ,age, were paid 8/6 a week; 24 years of age, 11/- a week; 26 years of age, 12/- a week, and that facts from South Wales showed women shopworkers, 19 years of age, earning respectively 4/- a week, 6/- a week, and 12/- a week, and, in view of such facts, what action he proposes to take re- specting the extension of the Trade Boards Act. The Minister of Labour: My attention has been directed to cases of low wages in distribu- tive trades. Investigations whieh will be extended to the distributive trades are at present being carried out by my Department with- a. view to ascertaining the conditions in a number of trades to which the application, of the Trade Boards Act has been suggested. Legislation would, however, be re- quired for any extension of the scope of the Act, and as soon as Parliamentary exigencies permit I hope to introduce a Bill to facilitate the Act to trades that require its protection.
S. W. M.F. Reform Committee…
S. W. M.F. Reform Committee Raided I OFFICIOUS ACTION IN CARDIFF. I Keen resentment is being expressed through- out the active trades unionist circles in South Wales 'over the raid on Monday, by detectives of the Cardiff City Police, of the meeting of the Unofficial Reform Committee of the .S.W.M.F., which was being held there under the presidency of Mr. Geo. Dolling, Ynyshir. Some 70 or 80 delegates, including the most active and loyal members of the Federation, gathered in Queen- j street in conference, in the moaning, and busi- ness was steadily transacted until the luncheon hour, when the oiffcers made their appearance. Protests were, of course, immediately made by the delegates at the proceedure of the officers, and some little annoyance found vent in words by delegates who righteously objected to the in- terposition of civil force into purely industrial gatherings, which in an Union are somewhat re- garded as private affairs, but for the most part the raid was provocative of only good humoured ooptempt for the nervousness that can drive the official mind to officious interference in meetings of this sort. The officers took the names of the delegates, most of whom, anuounoes the Capital- ist Press were "men of military age," a fact which the" Western Mail" "understands was the reason why the paid was made, the police requiring to know whether any of the men were amenable to the Military Service Acts,1 MR. DOLLINGS" VIEW. Mr. Geo. Dollings has succinctly put the general view of the delegates in saying We did not expect anything better from the police." Mr. DoIIings attributes the raid to the futilities ?th,a,t M??. Clem Edwards has been uttering m Parliament, and states that a report' of his speech on Monday was stenographed by the po- lice. He has further said that the Unofficial Reform Committee are prepared to have as many officers as care to present themselves for the purpose to taing notes at the meetings of the Committee. The Committee is composed of delegates from all parts of the coalfield; and its activities are directed to the formulation of what it believes to be an ideal programme for the .Federation and a constitutional agitation inside the Federa- tion to have that programme adopted. It is a body of many years' standing, and possesses the confidence of the majority of the S.W.M.F. membership.
D.O.R.A. - I
D.O.R.A. I IS SHE THE DAUGHTER OF NORTH- I CLIFFE? A local Socialist in his letters to his brother with the Forces has made references frequently to D.O.R.A. In a return letter received last week the soldier naively asks, "By the way, who is D.O.R.A., is she daughter of Lord North- cliffe?
Our Oligarchy. I
Our Oligarchy. I li. I BY W. N. EWER. I The customary description of the- British con- stitution as a system of responsible govern- ment is, of course, a joke of the mems a non meendo type—the type which called the Cape of Good Hope because of its, desperate storms and Robin Hood's Liciitenant, Little John by virtue of his great height. For not the least of the qualities which have made it the admired model of the world is its glorious and entire freedom from anything so distressing as respon- sibility. This abolition of responsibility—this freedom of rulers to damn the consequences without the slightest risk of being damned back, is one of the great political disc-overie-s of the British oli- garchy. The old personal monarchy had had disadvantages. Personal power meant personal risk. And kings and their ministers were always lia.ble, if not likely, to meet the fate of Charles and Stafford. THE IMPERSONAL OLIGARCHY. I But with the glorious Revolution and the in- stallation of the oligarchy, all this was changed. These" petty engrossers of delegated power "— as Bolinbroke, naturally when not in office, cheerily dubbed them—formed inieffect a cor- poration. And whatever precautions they took about their souls, certainly they took good care that their bodies should not be kicked. With the coming of Cabinets and Parties responsibility which had before fixed itself very definitely, if sometimes wrongly, upon some one man, melts into a shadow flitting vaguely and uncertainly over a confused crowd, distinguishably alighting on none. And, moreover, the spirit of solidarity among the oligarchs grows ever stronger. They develop —even if only in self-defence—a community of feeling, a loyalty to each other, which damns all serious assaults 011 one another as bad form, and which rallies the 'oody as a whole, with all its resources to the support of any member attacked from below. EXIT IMPEACHMENTS. Thu,s it is significan?6 that, Thus it is significant that, with the firm estab- lishment of the oligarchy in power, the custom of impeachment—the old traditional means of enforc,ing responsibility—falls into disuse. The last successful impeachment, unless my memory is wrong, was that of the Tory ministers after the Peace of Utrecht. But thereafter the feel- ing grows up that this business of impeachment is not a thing one gentleman does to another. And though the achievements of Warren Hast- ings were sufficient to secure a temporary re- vival, not all the evidence and all the eloquence in the world could secure his conviction. In- deed one feels that he narrowly escaped the peerage and the pension Which "certainly would have been his reward a century later. Consider, too, the case of Admiral Byng. That also was a, relic of the old order, and al- most an anachronism when it took place. Mind I am not urging that it was right to shoot Byng; I only want to point out that fifty, even twenty years later, Byng would not have been shot, had he lost two Minoreas by the grossest poltroonery. And this not because of any more liberal views about capital pimishmeiit; but simply because of very definite views about the punishment of gentlemen. A cowardly sailor would have been shot as cheerfully by the 18th Century oligarchs as by their predecessors—or as by their suc- cessors of to-day. But a cowardly admiral they would not shoot, any more than their successors would. They would not acknowledge that an admiral could be a coward: very reluctantly would they admit that he could be even incom- petent. The mere admission is disloyalty to the order. So at the close of the century bungling incompetence is not punished by death, is not punished at all. All the miserable horrors of Pitts' expeditionary force exploits go practically uncensored. Pitt the incompetent war-minister is made into a denri-god of bottle. York, the contemptible commander, gets a column as lofty as Nelson himself. Perhaps had Byng lived fifty years later he would have had his monument too. Certainly had he lived to-day, he would have left the Mediterranean owing to ill-health, would have been given an important home-com- mand, a step in rank, and a K.C.B. while any criticism would have been met by eloquent pro- tests against attacks upon a great public ser- vant, by ministerial threats of political crises, and by adjurations to get on with the war. THE SHADOW FOR THE SUBSTANCE. Of course, there was during the Nineteenth Century the shadow and simulacrum of respon- sibility. There was. the ingenious device of "ministerial responsibility," whereby when any thing went wrong, a politician retired for a while from ofifce, and honour was thereby, deem- ed to be satisfied. It was not much, but it was something. For politicians do love office and reslgnatwns was, a penalty of sorts. But the growth of the doctrine of Cabinet solidai ity has almost got rid of. this last un- pleasant trace of responsibility. "An injury to one is an injury to all is the motto of the modern government. If our friend and col- league Blank has to resign hecanse of the mess he has made, we shall all resign; we shall down seats; and the Empire mi go to the dqfVil. So there. And in the result Blank remains., tri- umphantly vindicated by his colleague's loyalty. If the 'bungling has. been too bad, if there is ominous signs off growling resentment, Blank may indeed go: not, however, penitently, not as a discredited servant, but condescendingly, taking much credit for his sacriifce: and, of course, waiting to be restored at the earliest possible moment. THE SHADOW GROWS SHADOWY. I But during the last few decades of the Nine- teenth Century, even this penalty has been vanishing. T&e "responsible" minister shield- a host of irresponsible and irremovable officials has himself become almost equally irresponsible and irremovable. The House of Commons to-day can scarcely censure; it certainly cannot con- demn an individual minister. For thore has been developed the doctrine humorously known as that of "collective responsibility," by which the whole government pretends to assume re- sponsibility for all the acts of ail its members and all their officials. In effect, what happens is this that the, Gov- ernment has developed a conscious group-solidar- ity, proclaiming that an injury to one is an injury to all." "If," they say, "to all intents and purposes ypu censure our friend and col- league, Blank, we shall regard that as a censure, upon us all. If, beoause of the mess Blank has made, you force him to resign, we shall all have to resign, too; we shall down seats'; and the Em- pire may go to the devil. So there." And, of course, in the result the House of Commons, wanting only to punish some particu- lar offeum-not to throw out a Government— acutely conscious, moreover, that in England the downfall of a Government normally involves the dissolution of a Parliament, gives way. And Blank, triumphantly vindicated by the loyalty I of his comrades, remains in office and goes on gloriously from blunder to blunder. PARLIAMENT'S LOST CONTROL. Very, very rarely, therefore, has it happened of recent years that Ministers have resigned be- cause of censure in the House of Commons. They have gone—as Wyndham went in 1904, or as Burns and Morley and Trevelyan in 1914—be- cause of disagreement with their colleagues: but that is another matter. But the House of Com- mons- has lost all semblance of control over them; they have thrown off the last semblance— or anything but the semblance: and the name— of responsibility to the House. The case of Mr. Austin Chamberlain and the Mesopotamia Commission Report may appear for the moment an exception. In reality it is the most striking proof of the whole collapse of responsible government. The Commission cen- sured severely various officials, the ex-Viceroy of India and the Secretary of State. Public opinion was arOUSed-tl8 well it. might be by the ghastly story of the atrocities inflicted upon British sol- diers, not by the brutality of Huns, but by the callous stupidity of British officials. The House of Commons was clearly on the side of the Com- missioners. What happened P' The fight raged round the person of Lord Hardinge—an oligarch of the oligarchs, a member of the innermost circle, a personal friend of Edward VII., of Gotha and George- V. of Windsor. And the oli- garchy, in the person of Mr. Balfour, became passionate with anger at the insolence of mere Commissioners and Members of Parliament in presuming to criticise so great a man. Lord Hardinge," said a peer in the Lord's debate, "is a man of the highest character and talents. I was at school with him myself." One was re- minded of the old French peasant woman who said in rebuke of some who were chuckling that the wicked Marquis was now in Hell He can- not surely be there. For God Himself would not dare, to damn so great a gentleman." SOLIDARITY OF THE OLIGARCHS. However, Mr. Balfour, as we were saying, ful- minated againslt, the insolence of the Commis- sioners, declared in effect that if Hardinge had to resign, everybody would resign. They would let the war run itself: the defence of small na- tions was nothing compared with the defence of a great man. The war for Democracy might matter, but the battle for oligarchy mattered far more. And so Hardinge stays to-day exon- erated from all blame, cleared of all responsibil- ity for the muddles and crimes of Mesopotamia, by virtue of the fact that he is an Old Etonian and a friend of the Royal Family. But Chamberlain, it is true, went. Only con- sider the manner of his going: not as a cen- sured minister, but condescendingly, a chival- .roue act of self-sacrifice, the injured man con- demning his judges by a voluntary submission. Chamberlain went, and Montagu is the ruler of India, and so the deaths of thousands of soldiers is atoned for. Chamberlain went from office but does anyone imagine that he has gone per- ma,neii.tly,. Already rumour has been busy about his return. Still he attends conferences of vital import, takes an active part in the running of the war. Though not in name a minister, he is still one of our masters. The whole affair, in fact, was the merest piece of play-actin.g-a sham characteristic of a, constitution that is built of shame, that is itself one vast and monstrous sham. Not even for the honors and the incompe- tence of Mesopotamia could our oligarchs be brought to book. They were not responsible, nobody was responsible, there is no responsibil- ity anywhere. And that, as I said, is apparently why we call our precious system responsible government." After all, it is only fitting that a structure built on pretence and of pretence, an edifice of fictions and falsehoods, should be called by a grotesquely false name. J I
Advertising
0 -'8U_U' OOWUUS CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, Limifed. I I 16, 17, 18, and 19, Union Street, Dowlais. s DRAPERY DEPT, j I' We are now showing a Lare Assortment of New Goods for the I ? coming Season:- I I* Household Linen. Blankets. Quilts. Sheets. a S Carpets and Rugs. I i. MILLINERY DEPT. t I Costumes. Jackets. Blouses. Ladies and a I Children's Millinery. I I VALUE AND QUALITY GUARANTEED IF YOU BUY AT t ? ?6/17, 18 & 19, Union Street, Dowlais. j I Pa?tsca!!o?, Dowlais. Caeharris, Dowlais. | I High Street, Penyda?ren. ? i Station Terrace, BedHnog. ) Ln- It It .i
Pontycymmer Notes.I 'I
Pontycymmer Notes. I I !.L.P. I The Garw Valley Branch of the I.L.P. ap- pointed Comrade Ben Richards their secretary. Comrades Will Jones, A. J. W. Powell, Richards and Teague were chosen delegates to the Garw Valley Trades and Labour Council. Lecture. On Friday the Pontycymmer Oo-operative Society held their third lecture at the Ffaldau Institute, when Mr. Amos Mann, of Leicester, gave on address on "Co-operation and its Pos- sibilities."
Advertising
SOCIALISTS WANTED. SOCIALISTS desirous of joining the Aber- k3 bargoed Branch I.L.P. are asked to com- municate with T. J. JENKINS, Secretory, 10 Chapel Street, Aberbargoed, Monmouth. SITUATIONS VACANT. WANTED, a Smart Errand Boy.-Apply, "Pioneer" O&oe, Glebeland, M?rthyr. LITERARY. UNITARIAN PAMPHLETS on The Bible, Heaven," and "HeU," given post free. -MISS BARMBY, Mount Pleasant, $Idmouth. MEDICAL. 64-PAGE BOOK ABOUT HERBS AND Utfc HOW TO USE THEM, Post Free. Send for One. TR1MNELL, THE HERBALIST, 144, RICHMOND ROAD, CARDIFF. Established 1879. MISCELLANEOUS. ASTROLOGY.—Life Events, Changes, For- Atunat,e Days, Business Success, Matrimony; Two Years' Future added.-Send Birth-date, II- P.O., PROF. GOULD, "The Nook," Heathfield Road, Cardiff.
I Kenfig Hill Notes
Kenfig Hill Notes Inefficiency of Food Control." The fortnightly meeting of the Kenng Hill I.L.P., took place at the Workmen's Institute on Thursday, at which it was expected that Coun. Wood would have given a paper on the work of the local Food Control Committee. Un- fortunately he was unable to be present, and thus an interesting discussion was lost, as there are members who have very strong opinions as to the efficacy of these committees. The con- trol is at the wrong end: it is the source that must be controlled. -Food Control Committees can no more control the food prices effectually, any more than a person can make the erratic Chinese cracker steer a straight course. In Councillor Wood's absence, Comrade Forester took up a much debated point—Industrial Unionism or Political Action as a means of eman- cipating the workers from their present s-vstein of wage-slavery. Comrade Elias Davies took political activity as his" forte." A very inter- esting discussion ensued, and it was recognised that while agreeing that the working-class should take part in political action, that it must only be used as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. That end, the substitution for political government, of self-government of Labour through its Industrial Unions. Delegates were selected at the meeting to at- tend a conference at Abera von for the purpose of establishing a Labour Party for the new con- stituency, Aberavon, in lieu of the Mi d-GIpm or- gan Labour Party. T. Mitchell presided. Aberbaiden Ledge Officials' Ballot. The ballot for the Aberbaiden Lodge officials was taken on Thursday. The candidates for the positions of chairman, secretary and assistant- secretary were: J. Woolley and T. Edwards, first-named eleokxj by a majority of 116; Coun. J. Jones itid C. CT. forester, last-named major- ity, 131: W. J. Rogers, P. Loder, W. R. Evans, first-named majority over both, 95.
Briton Ferry Notes.-
Briton Ferry Notes. Police at Peace Meeting. Police at Psace Meetrng. j At a peace meeting held under the auspices of Jerusalem English Baptist Church, Briton Ferry, the speaker, Miss M. Pallister, Brynmawr, paid a one tribute to Butler, the Stockport C.O. who has recently paid the penalty for his convictions. As in his, case it was not a question of the trenches or prisons, but a question of- prison or 1 sheltering behind a "prCYtection badge." Had he accepted the latter he could have saved him- self the sufferings of prison. He refused such a refuge and took his stand with his brethren in amiotion." "The world," she said, "owes everything to the conscientious objector. We could not meet in this chapel to-night were it not for him." Three police ofifcers and a police reporter at- tended the meeting.