be owned that the Marshall Street structures, as presented in the plate, look very much like that Owen parallelogram which had such terror in Dr. Hook's days. The plate resembles a rude copy of Mr. Stedwell's design for Robert Owen's community, only the Marshall Street plate is of an industrial, not a domestic parallelogram. These buildings have only been completed within the last few months when the blacksmiths' shop was erected, and the boot factory was completed only last year. In fact, these premises are always being altered or extended. It has been found advantageous to separate the cabinet making from the joinering, and premises in Brookfield Street, Hunslet, have been purchased for this branch of the business, shown in the preceding plate. There is good work to be done in that block, though it is not so picturesque as it would be had the Society built it. The Mill Committee represented on the next plate have responsible duties, upon which the prosperity of the mill and other departments more or less depend. They have the supervision of the mill, the abattoir, the horse-keepers, coal, ready-made and bespoke clothing departments, so that the demands upon their attention and judgment are many. Their duty also is to advise with the managers of the departments over which they have supervision, on all matters affecting the success of the business. The committee give a pleasant impression of being entirely equal to their work. The Brudenell Grove Debating Society announce its session of subjects. Debating societies have been the daring projects of intellectual men for setting forth their views, and have not met with general encouragement. In later times it has been found that discussion not only adds brightness, but honesty to the understanding, and that no man is entitled to speak confidently upon any subject, and cannot be an authority upon any, unless he knows both sides of it-and no man can know that save by debate. Where debate is forbidden the charlatan is king. The Board have had erected at the Society's abattoirs cold storage rooms, indispensable for freshness of food in summer. The storage has the same scientific completeness and conditions of sweetness and cleanliness as have all other departments of this great building. A new compound steam-engine has been put down at the mill, and the three boilers replaced with two new steel ones. The dressmaking, which commenced eighteen months ago, is being better arranged, and has new conveniences of special rooms for fitting. Capital grows faster than means can be found for its safe employment. Hence, as far as it can be well used, land has been bought at North Street, Roundhay Road, in Hogg's Field, and Kirkstall Road, for the enlargement of stores. Twenty-nine cottages have been bought at Burley-in-Wharfedale and land for twenty-one at Horsforth, and the erection of another block on the Cricket Field has been commenced. Purchases from the Wholesale this half year, £26,155. Notwithstanding the reduction of the rate of interest, the share capital has increased during the past year (June 30th) £34,560, and now stands at £447,170. During this six months the turnover of the Society included 43,155 bags of flour, 472 tons of butter, 212 tons of bacon and ham, 216 tons of lard, 57 tons of cheese, 48 tons of fruit, 1,500 tons of sugar, 500 tons of soap, 81 tons of rice, 25 tons of coffee, 51 tons of tea, 61 tons of syrup, 41,531lbs. of tobacco, 144,704 score potatoes, 38,468 hundreds of eggs, and 61,012lbs. of yeast; the meat department contributed 1,666 beasts, 4,511 sheep, 82 calves, 686 pigs, and 396 lambs; the coal department, 39,193 tons of coal; the boot and shoe department, 29,125 pairs of boots of the Society's own manufacture, and 24,173 pairs from other sources, besides repairs to the extent of 30,277. The only word which can describe this volume of business is the one Sir Walter Scott puts into the mouth of Dominie Sampson-"prodigious." The sales in the June period of this the fiftieth year of the Society's existence amount to £464,705, being an increase of £38,088 over the last year. The net profits were the large sum of £63,771, which with the surplus £1,000 left over in the last account made £64,779 available for distribution, which gave a dividend of two shillings and tenpence in the £. The sales for the December period of twenty-six weeks are £492,628, being an increase of £35,321 over the corresponding period last year, which contained twenty-seven weeks-yet the business this half year shows increases over that period: Grocery, £20,702; drapery, £4,244; coal, £4,867; meat, £2,819; ready-made clothing, £874; boots and shoes, £567; furnishing, £459. The profits of the December period were £75,540. Where be the people now who said, if the Society added the sale of provisions to flour, it would be mad Utopianism. Who are the Utopians now? There is a Utopia of foolishness and a Utopia of wisdom which ventures on untried fortune. The Leeds co-operators have found the wiser one. The share for education was £478 for the June period, and £566 for the December period, making a total of £1,044. Another marvellous year. These are not like the paper profits in the prospectus of a new company, but real profits in the bank and in the pockets of members. 1897. LOOKING BACKWARDS-THE FAMOUS PAST-DISADVANTAGES OF PIONEER TIMES-TRIUMPHANT DAYS OPPORTUNITIES OF RULE REVISING-BUSINESS AND PROGRESS THE ORDER OF THE DAY-LOSS OF AN OLD LEADER-GENEROSITY OF THE SOCIETY-ITS SUPPORT OF CO-OPERATIVE WORKSHOPSFIELD CLUB STUDIES-SCENIC CHANGES PRODUCED BY CO-OPERATORS IN LEEDS-SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY HOUSES L BUILT THE CITY WITHIN A CITY-WHAT 37,000 MEMBERS OOKING back at the splendid career of the Leeds Society and its marvellous extension, it is impossible not to wonder at the hidden capacity of administration and device which no one suspected to exist. Not only was it not suspected, it was denied that working men could have these qualities. When did the higher classes show greater courage and resource in confronting difficulties, in mastering |