by such valuation, exceeds the nominal value previously given in the reports."

Although our members had declined to join the Co-operative Wholesale Society, the Wholesale Society was actually admitted a member of our society on November 29th, 1869. They were at this time patronising our corn mill and naturally wished to participate in the dividend.

ACCIDENT TO VAN DRIVER; DR. EVANS' TIME SIGNAL; FIRST RESERVE FUND; ANOTHER CHANGE IN CORN MILL MANAGEMENT; SPECIAL AUDIT BY P. AND J. KEVAN; TROUBLESOME SHOPS; NEW BRANCH AT FIRS-LANE; TAILORING BUSINESS COMMENCED; ROASTING OF THE TAILOR'S GOOSE; LAND AND BUILDING RULES; DISCHARGE OF THE BUTCHER'S DOG.

STILL FORGING AHEAD.

ON N the second of January, 1870, a very serious. accident happened to Peter Fazakerly, the driver of the bread van. It appears he was returning from Westleigh Branch, and on arriving at the railway crossing at "Bens Brow" and finding the gates open, he proceeded to cross the line. The horse had just got across the line when an engine came along at a high speed and caught the van, tore it away from the horse and smashed it almost to atoms. Both horse and driver, as might be expected, were seriously injured. £40 was claimed as compensation for the van, and £30 for the horse. The driver Fazakerly had a miraculous escape; strange to say none of his limbs were broken; he was, however, very badly shaken and unable to work for several months.

At this time Mr. T. T. Hayes, J.P., was elected an arbitrator in place of Mr. D. Green, deceased.

As a contrast between the wages paid to carters to-day and in 1870, it may be mentioned that James Gerrard was engaged at 18s. per week, which is about 8s. below the present wages paid.

An interesting record also is the one "That the privilege of attaching a telegraphic communication from the Post Office to the Whistle on the Corn Mill boiler be allowed to Dr. Evans.”

This was in all probability the commencement of Dr. Evans' efforts to get a correct time signal for the town. Later on, as is well known, he commenced the firing of a rocket at 10 o'clock at his own residence, which was so arranged that the rocket would go off automatically, whether he was in attendance or not. He also obtained for the society a first-class clock to be kept in the engine house, and attended to it once at least every week, and recorded the seconds or fractions of seconds in its variations from the true time, which he himself took from the stars.

A curious resolution, which one is at a loss to understand, is the following:-"That the application of Samuel Hall to allow his lodger to sell beef and mutton in the Bakehouse at Boothstown be agreed to, and that the Manager inform him that any alteration he may make, be made good in case of leaving."

It may be as well to explain that the resolution passed by the committee in April, 1870, " That Tommy be sold did not refer to the new junior clerk in the office, although that was the name he was at that time known by. The said junior clerk had only been working for about three weeks at 4s. per week, so could not well have been a very valuable or saleable asset to the society. He has, however, continued to be employed by the society to the present day. The said "Tommy was one of the society's horses, who was just finishing a long career of useful service for the society.

A very practical resolution was- "That this Board at its rising adjourns to the back yard, to examine as to the practicability of erecting a chimney for the Bakehouse.'

An effort was made at this time to get fresh premises

for the drapery and clog and shoe business, negotiations being opened for a drapery shop in Market-street, but nothing came of it.

In September of this year the first attempt at building up a reserve fund was made, and on several occasions as much as £900 was accumulated; it was, however, used as a dividend reserve fund and was constantly drawn upon for this purpose. It was not until 1889 or nineteen years later that a real reserve fund was commenced.

In February, 1871, the society was approached with a view of opening a branch shop at Walkden. It was, however, considered by the committee to be too far away from the depôt at Leigh.

The Walkden people soon after took up the matter themselves and commenced a society of their own in the same year.

On February 27th the sum of £2. 15s. was collected in the weaving shed towards the relief of the "French sufferers in the war." The committee made up the amount to £5, which was sent to the "Daily News French Relief Fund."

On March 20th Mr. Henry Naylor was engaged as assistant in the drapery department at 5s. per week. Mr. Naylor is still with the society, and has thus been in their employ thirty-six years.

The quarterly meeting, on April 10th of this year, Iwas held in the room over the " Bird-i'th'-Hand” Inn, at the corner of Bradshawgate and Brown-street.

Another interesting event is recorded on June 5th, as follows:- That the Waggons and Horses of the Society be let to Mrs. Battersby for the conveyance of the school trips to Hindley, for Southport."

The services of Mr. Valentine Farrington, who had been manager of the corn mill for three years were, for some reason not stated, summarily dispensed with, and Mr. John Fothergill took his place on April 3rd, 1872, at the wages of 40s. per week. Mr. Fothergill had for some time been in the employ of the Rochdale Corn Mill Society.

Mr. Fothergill only remained for eighteen months.

During the last three months of his management there was a loss on the corn mill business of £497. Mr. Fothergill had been speculating heavily in grain for the mill—so much had he bought, that several thousand sacks had to be stored for several months in the railway warehouses. A large quantity, through being in a bad condition when bought, and having to lie in the sacks for too long a time, was completely unfit for manufacturing into flour; and at the following stocktaking the result showed a further loss of £1,711, which, with the £497 loss on the previous quarter, made a total of £2,208.

The sum of £1,089 was taken from the profits of the shops department towards clearing off this loss, and the remainder was kept as a suspense account, and took two years of the corn mill profits to clear it off. During these two years of course there was no dividend paid for the corn mill department.

Mr. Thos. Simpson succeeded Mr. Fothergill in the management of the mill in October, 1874.

The losses in the corn mill department had evidently created a good deal of uneasiness in the minds of both the committee and the members, and it was wisely resolved to call in professional accountants to report on the financial position.

Messrs. P. and J. Kevan, chartered accountants, of Bolton, were engaged.

The following is Messrs. Kevan's report :

"In accordance with your instructions, we have examined the Accounts of your Society, as made out for the quarter ending December 20th, 1872; March 20th, June 20th, and September 20th, 1873, and beg to report to you as follows:

:

These Accounts are prepared solely from the Cash Book, which we have carefully checked with the Invoices and with the Vouchers, the Ledgers and other books being comparatively of little use. Vouchers have been produced for all payments except on account" Butcher