Cylchgronau Cymru

In spite of Davies's blunt words, little change ensued in the financial position of the Montgomerysire Liberal Association. By February 1931, the debit balance had risen to £ 140 and it was reported that, 'The Local Associations had not responded so well as desired, and expected, to the Financial Scheme'.98 In June, 'More local effort would have to made to obtain the specified quota'.99 By February 1932, the Association's Auditor had written to its Chaiman 'calling attention to the arrears of quota subscriptions from the Local Associations which made it doubly hard for the Assocation and the Organizer and hampered the work'.100 In 1933, the total income received from the local associations was less than £ 50 so that, by the end of the year, the Association was in debt to the tune of more than £ 250. 101 It was revealed that Davies had himself contributed more than £ 500 towards the Association's expenses during 1932 and 1933, and had personally been responsible for paying the salary of the Association's Secretary. 102 No further financial statement appears in the Association's minutes until August 1936, when the figures quoted make staggering reading: the Association owed £ 274, while a total of £ 13-15-0 had been received in subscriptions during the year 1935-36. 103 It was calculated that Clement Davies had himself donated £ 1,351 to meet the expenses of the Association between November 1931 and August 1936 an average of £ 270 a year.104 No great change followed. In March 1938 Davies warned that he was forced to reduce his annual contribution to £ 100, 105 at a time when the Association's debts still totalled £ 250. m Closely associated with the financial problems faced by the Montgomeryshire Liberal Asso- ciation was the consistently low morale of its membership and the general sense of indifference and inactivity which characterized local political life. In July 1932 Davies referred to 'the special apathy particularly since the situation that arose out of the last Election'.107 It is clear that Davies's membership of the Simonite Liberal group, with its implied representation of both Liberals and Conservatives in Montgomeryshire, sapped the vitality of local political life. By January 1934, It had become almost impossible to obtain any response or interest from Local Associations'.108 In the meeting of the Executive committee which took place on 21 September 1935, each delegate referred to the apathy and lack of interest in his local associa- tion.109 Periods of up to a year often elapsed between meetings of the Association's committees, while public meetings were virtually non-existent. As a result, many Liberals complained that they were unaware of their Member's policies and beliefs. The organization and morale of local Conservatives were no better. In 1932 both the local Secretary and the Agent had been dismissed in an attempt to reduce expenditure. Many subscribers to the Association had left Montgomeryshire and others had reduced the amount of their subscriptions. By 1935 inactivity reigned supreme in the Conservative as in the Liberal 98Montgomeryshire Liberal Association, Newtown, Mont. Lib. Assoc. minute book, 1920-60, Executive Committee minutes, 21 February 1931. "Ibid., Executive Committee minutes, 13 June 1931. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 27 February 1932. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 27 February 1934. mIbid. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 29 August 1936. mIbid. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 26 March 1938. mIbid., Re-organisation Committee minutes, 9 April 1938. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 2 July 1932. mIbid., Executive Committee minutes, 27 January 1934. mIbid., Executive committee minutes, 21 September 1935.