Cylchgronau Cymru

and not through local managers some of whom "displayed arrogant authority". In 191i, the national conference of the N.U.T. was held at Aberystwyth and it was at a fringe meeting there that Keir Hardie made his only appearance in Cardiganshire, telling a Town Hall audience that Labour was "following literally in the steps of Jesus of Nazareth". By 1912, the railway unions and the teachers had been joined at Aberystwyth by the Postmen's Federation, the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants and the National Union of Bookbinders and Machine Rulers. These seven union branches formed the North Cardiganshire Trade Union Council in October I912, only a month before the employers formed the Aberystwyth Chamber of Trade. The trades council from the outset intended to sponsor "Labour" candidates for the borough Council. The first officials were chair- man Griffith Williams, engine driver; vice-chairman, Carl Hanson, a bookbinder at the National Library of Wales; secretary, T. Richard Jones, shop assistant, and treasurer, D. J. Saer." Hanson, a former member of the London Trades Council, was to play a key political role. He was a Norwegian who came to Britain in 1892 when aged about 20, and to Aberystwyth in 191 to join the new National Library, where he was employed until 1958. Union branches were asked to contribute a "voluntary" levy of at least fourpence a member. The Amalgamated Society of Tailors joined the trades council in March, 1913, and within a year branches had been formed, with the trades council's help, of the Gasworkers and General Labourers Union (later the National Union of General Workers), the Typographical Associ- ation, the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, Cabinetmakers and Joiners, the Postal Clerical Assistants and the painters' society. Some branches were tiny, others fairly large the carpenters, for instance, starting with 42 members. Among the first issues tackled were the non- observance of the Shops Act which provided for shop assistants to have a half-day every week and the failure of local authorities to place minutes in the public libraries. The trades council collected money for the Dublin transport workers strike in 1913. One year after its establishment, the trades council claimed membership of unions at Aberystwyth had increased from 120 to 500. For the November 1913, municipal elections, Griffith Williams was adopted "Labour" candidate and the various unions contributed to an election fund, though since he spent only £ 6.i2s.6d. of the 3f10.12s.9d. collected, it actually made a profit! Williams was elected top of the poll with 799 votes, but moved from the area a year or two afterwards. In May 1914, there were two strikes in Aberystwyth. A 10-day strike by painters was settled by Board of Trade arbitration. The men were being paid 61d. an hour and wanted 8d. but settled for 7d. A carters' strike was