People Australia

Alfred Thomas Griffiths (1869-1926) bricklayer and Christian Socialist

Birth: 1869, at Ballarat, Victoria, son of Edward Griffiths (1844-1898), miner, and Amelia (Ann).  Marriage: 1898 at Thuddingra, New South Wales, to Ann Aston. They had eight daughters and three sons. Death: 5 August 1926 in hospital at Camperdown, Sydney, late of Thomas Street, Adamstown, Newcastle. Religion: Methodist. 

• Lodge Secretary, Sewer Workers Union. Christian socialist, Newcastle region. Self-publisher.
• Opposed Industrial Workers of the World policies and urged legislative reform of unionism in 1909.
• From 1911 to 1914 was president of the Lambton branch of the Political Labor League.
• In 1913 resigned as auditor of Newcastle Labor Council, explaining that “he could not get the books to balance”.
• Tony Laffen has written that Griffiths, a delegate from Elermore miners’ lodge to the 8 hour committee, published a pamphlet in 1916 urging that capitalism “had to be transcended as it enhanced selfishness and prevented the spiritual welfare of humanity”.
• Cause of death: injuries accidentally received through falling on to a stack of timber.

Sources
Information from Tony Laffen; Tony Laffen, Christian Socialism in Newcastle, 1890-1916, Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, The Hummer, June 2001, volume 3, issue 6.