Shares Redemption Account; Share Withdrawals Sus- pended; H. Naylor, Drapery Manager; Robert Leather, President, Retires; J. Bardsley, Butchering Steel Rolls replace Grinding Stones in Corn Mill; Pur- chasing a Foundry; W. Dickinson, General Manager, Resigns; Henry Duddle Appointed; New Check Strike at Weaving Shed; Branch Shops at Twist-lane, Plank-lane and Physic; Thanks from Shop Assist- ants' Association; Reserve Funds; Breakdown in Corn Mill; Securing Site for Central; John Smith Elected President; Electric Lighting; Redemption New Central Premises; Presentation to J. Smith, Presi- dent; Fourteen New Branch Shops Opened; Jno. Collins, Corn Mill Manager; Half-yearly Stock- 20 The Old Smithy (corner of Bradshawgate and Market-st.).. 86 87 The Garret (corner of Sugar-street and Newton-street).... 97 Messrs. Adam Smith and William Hill 108 Two Views of Bradshawgate Shop just before demolition.. 113 Astley Branch-Lowton Branch.... 121 Bedford Branch-Glazebury Branch. 128 Golborne (Heath-street) Branch.. Golborne (Church-street and Legh-street) Branches. Corn Mill and Depôt, 1863.... 134 137 142 143 158 Messrs. Enoch Holt and William Boydell. 162 167 Mr. Thos. Ainscough-Tyldesley Branch 180 194 198 209 218 224 Messrs. Thos. Boydell (secretary) and Ralph Stirrup (cashier) 240 Messrs. William Appleby and Thomas Wood (auditors).... 241 Messrs. Robert Leather and Ralph Eckersley... 248 Messrs. Henry Naylor and David Marr..... 251 Messrs. James Bardsley and Alfred Fox.... Butts Bridge Branch-Plank-lane Branch Twist-lane Branch-Physic Branch.. Central Premises Miss Thornton-Mr. Henry Pegg-Mr. John Gregory. Wigan-road Branch-St. Helens-road Branch.. Hope-street Branch-Firs-lane (Barker-street) Branch Howbridge Branch-Plank-lane Bridge Branch THE CONDITION OF THE WORKING PEOPLE GENERALLY. ALL who are acquainted with history will know that the industrial life of the country, prior to the rise of co-operation, was in a very sad state. The condition of the working classes was little less than that of slavery. Their earnings being barely sufficient to keep body and soul together, much less to enable them to live with any degree of comfort; their lives being passed in one continual struggle for existence, without any ray of hope for anything brighter or better in the future. Long hours of work, low wages and dear food combined to bring about a state of things which became intolerable. Holyoake, in his "History of Co-operation," in speaking of the condition of the working classes, quotes the following statute of Edward VI., in which it was enacted that "If any person shall bring to two justices of the peace any runagate servant, or any other which liveth idly or loiteringly, by the space of three days, they shall cause that idle and loitering |