DISTRESS IN SILK TRADE; BRANCHES OPENED AT HINDLEY GREEN AND LEIGH-ROAD; ASTLEY BEERHOUSE LEASED ΤΟ A BREWERY; CENSURE ON CORN MILL MANAGER; J. WYATT APPOINTED MILL MANAGER; BONUS TO SHOPMEN; BUSINESS FALLING OFF.

The calm before the storm.

DURI URING the year 1877 there was great depression in the silk trade. On March 27th a public meeting was held in the society's reading-room, Bradshawgate, to consider the distressed state of the silk operatives, and to devise means for their relief." A committee was formed, consisting of Messrs. James Shuttleworth, chairman; Wm. Dickinson, treasurer; Thos. Norbury, secretary; William Norbury, assistant secretary; James Lees, William Boydell, Henry Brooks, William Ratcliffe, Amos Kniveton, Giles Watmough, Thos. Isherwood, John Battersby, William Baxter, John Ratcliffe and John Bell.

At a meeting a fortnight later the following gentlemen were added to the committee :-The Revs. J. H. Stanning, L. H. Ransome, F. Coleby, J. W. Milner, Moorhouse James, J. B. Phillips, T. Wood, C. W. L. Christien, J. Hancock, D. Wareing, Father Butler, Father Daly, Father Brindle, J. W. S. Simpson, Thos. Kirkman, Ř. Smith, S. J. Butcher, A. McPhee, Geo. Feather; Messrs. R. Whitfield, Jones, Isaac Standing,

Richard Prescott, Roylance Hamlett, Peter Ward, Henry Penkethman, James Gregory, Richard Aldred, William Hill, Jos. Hill, Wm. Reddish, Thomas Youd.

The town was mapped out into ten districts, and two members of the committee appointed to each as canvassers for subscriptions.

The total amount received in subscriptions, including £100 from our society, was £728, and the granting of relief continued for a period of about twelve months.

At the final meeting of the committee the following resolution was passed :— "That the best thanks of this meeting be tendered to the Leigh Co-operative Society for the free use of their rooms for meeting purposes, and for their sympathy and willing co-operation generally."

At the beginning of 1876 a requisition was sent to the committee asking for a branch shop to be opened at Hindley Green. A meeting of the residents was called, at which representatives from the committee attended. To ensure a good attendance at the meeting, the services of the "Bellman" were requisitioned, and the sum of 4s. 3d. was paid to himself and a boy for their services.

A

At the general meeting held on April 10th the members decided "that a branch be opened at Hindley Green and a new shop built for the purpose.” suitable plot of land, owned by Mr. Richard Baldwin, was leased, and Mr. Thos. Peters was engaged to prepare plans for the erection of a shop and five cottages. The contract was let to Mr. J. Lomax, and the premises were completed and the shop opened for business about February, 1878, Mr. Joseph Hargreaves being the first manager of the branch. To further stimulate the business at the new branch, the committee had 300 handbills and 150 balance sheets circulated in the neighbourhood.

As has been previously mentioned, the society were the owners of a small beerhouse at Astley, which was purchased in 1873. The committee now decided to ask for tenders from brewery companies for the leasing of the house, and eventually the tender of the "Bedford

Brewing and Malting Company" was accepted for a term of twenty-one years.

On May 13th, 1878, a very strong condemnatory resolution was passed on the corn mill manager, which was as follows:-" That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting that Mr. Simpson has bought bad grain, and knowingly received it, and ground it into flour. That all bad grain in the mill be returned at once, as far as practicable; and that he pledge himself to the Board to produce good flour in future."

On March 10th, 1879, owing to the death of Mr. R. Devereux, who had been manager of the clog and shoe department since 1872, Mr. Simeon Lawton was appointed his successor. Mr. Lawton, however, only kept the position for about six months, when he was succeeded by Mr. Chas. Donnelly, who had been one of the employés in the department for a long number of years, and who was one of the very early members of the society.

About the middle of April of this year, the branch shop in Kirkhall-lane (now Leigh-road) was opened. Twelve months previously the committee had purchased four houses and a plot of vacant land from Mr. Wm. Green, and a contract was let to Mr. Wm. Wilkinson for the erection of a shop and one cottage in Kirkhall-lane, and three other cottages in the side street; Mr. Thomas Peters being the architect. Mr. Wm. Foulkes, who had been an assistant in Bedford Branch nearly two years, was appointed first shopman of this branch.

In April, 1879, on the death of Mr. Thos. Simpson, who had been manager of the corn mill for a period of nearly six years, Mr. Joseph Wyatt was appointed to succeed him as manager. Mr. Wyatt had been in the employ of the society since December, 1867, having served his apprenticeship in the corn mill, and for some years had been in the position of inside foreman. The purchasing of the grain was still left in the hands of Mr. Dickinson, the general manager.

At the beginning of 1880 considerable trouble was experienced in connection with the metallic checks