Your responsibility to change country to socialism-miners

R.entte DIARY FROM DAVID MAUDE IN S WALES AT FIRST Merthyr Tydfil welcomed the Swansea-London Right - to - Work march cautiously, disturbed by it, but gradually revealing a great fund of support.

Our two-day stop in the town finished yesterday, however, with a great send-off to Pontypridd from miners, engineering workers and their families from Gurnos housing estate.

The marchers—now numbering 24 with two new recruits from Merthyr-chanted and sang their way round the estate.

They were particularly grateful to the two miners who arrangeg the send-off: Elwyn Williams, secretary of all 7,000 miners in the various union lodges around Merthyr, and Bill James, lodgecommittee member at Trelewis Drift.

The organized labour ment in Merthyr, once the industrial capital of Wales, gave us every assistance.

For two days, we camped in the central headquarters of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. The Merthyr Labour Club provided us with showers and facilities to cook food. The Dowlais Labour Club gave us a room for a discotheque.

On Friday night, we received a midnight visit from Mayor Gerry Donovan-an AUEW member who led the Labour council's revolt against the Tory schoolmilk snatch-AUEW district secretary Albert John and Labour Party and Trades Council secretary Ralph Jones.

Gerry told us: 'A great responsibility rests on young people today to change this country to socialism.' And the marchers are proving more and more equal to this challenge.

Last Thursday's unemployment figures for the head-of-the-valleys area of Merthyr, Treharris and Dowlais showed that 22 workers are chasing every vacant job.

A total of 2,003 workers are registered at local employment exchanges, and the Department of Employment calculates that this represents 8.4 per cent of the working population.

This is an increase of more than 3 per cent on the figure for the same time last year-less Subs {20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 issubs)

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Amount enclosed than half of which is accounted for by lay-offs caused by power cuts.

T. H. Dugdale, area manager of the D of E, told me he is 'cautiously optimistic' about the job prospects for the rest of 1972.

His opinion is shared neither by unemployed youth in the town, nor by local trade unionists, however.

Phil Owen (20) claimed that the D of E figure for youth unemployment in the area-120— was 'just way out'.

He told me: 'Nine out of ten young people here just can't find work. It's bloody disheartening looking for a job, they don't give you a chance.

I've been out for The dally pepor that beds the Right again the Torles.

Clapham THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY months. SWANSEA TO LONDON 1973 HOSTS RIGHT TO WORK 1972 now and there's just nothing around. I'm willing to take a job anywhere. But all they say at the exchange is "Sorry, we can't help you." even say so tre time they don't Phil wants to work and feels 'mentally ill' after seven weeks out of a job.

Since he left school he has had several jobs on building sites, a short spell as a painter and a year of borstal after a fight he says was provoked by local police.

With a sizeable group of other youth in the town, Phil will be battling to build the Merthyr YS following the marchers' visit.

Bill James, one of the miners who arranged our send-off yesterday, thinks that for many years there has been 'apathy' in Merthyr about unemployment.

'If your campaign and the Young Socialists generally can help to break this up, then more power to your elbow, he said after our rally in the town on Saturday.

Many jobs were very precarious despite the expansion of the two Hoover plants in Merthyr in preparation for Common Market entry.

A GKN plant there was already on short-time even before the miners' strike.

At a meeting following the YS demonstration, Elwyn Williams said: "The Tory Party is the party of unemployment. I'm proud to come along here and 6.00 6.20 6.45 7.10 8.00 9.00 9.25 9.55 10.45 11.20 11.45 BC 11.00 Play Up. Part 3. 7.30 8.00 9.25 9.55 10.40 10.45 6.00 6.20 6.40 7.30 8.00 8.30 9.00 10.00 10.30 BBC 1 9.38 Schools. 1.00 Paul: Envoy 1.45 News, weather. 2.05 Schools. Play School. 4.40 Jackanory. 4.55 the Water. 5.44 Crystal Tipps and LONDON THIS WEEK.

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