The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-25 00:00:00

CIVIL SERVICE SUPPLY ASSOCIATION

(LIMITED).

The half-yearly meeting of the members of this
association was held yesterday afternoon, in the Lectern-
room of the Young Men's Christian Aseaciation, Alders-
gate-street; Mr. SMITH (of the Customs) in the chair.
According to practice no report was submitted to the
meeting by the committee, but the following statement of
the working of the association during the past half-year
had been circulated among the members :
"During the six months ending 31st August, 1867, goods
have been bought in the grocery department to the amount
of 23,3431. 14a. 20., and sold to the amount of 23,5311.
17s.7d.,and the stook-in-trade wfuivalued on 31st August at
3,292/. 12s. 2d. In the hosiery department, rime its seta-
bliahment, goods have been bought to the amount of
3,7881. 25., and sold to the amount of 2,4111.05. 11 id., and
tire value of the stock on the 31st August was 1,5931.
05..9d. The net profit trout both sources during the six
months is 1,0391. 17s. Bd., making, with the profits from
discount and interest, advertisements, &c., a total net
profit of 1,6991. Os. lid. The working expenses during
the half-year have been about 61 per cent. upon the busi-
ness done, being nearly 21 per cent. decrease, as compared
with last year. The sums received for shares and
tickets, from the commencement of the emaciation to the
31st of August last, amounted to 2,5981. Its. Bd., which
has been placed to capital account. The West-end branch
store was opened in April last, and has fully justified the
expectations then formed of its usefulness to members.
The amount of business dune there has been very nearly
equal to that done at the City store during the correspond-
ing months of last year. It was expected that the open-
ing of the West-end branch would have relieved the store
in Monkerell-street from the great pressure experienced
there ; but the business has, on the contrary, considerably
increased, and the committee has been compelled to take
steps to provide further store aecommodation. A ware-
house has accordingly been taken in the Commereial-read,
Lambeth, which its proposed shall serve as a central
depot, and where all orders for goods intended to be for-
warded by parcels delivery will be made up. This ware-
house will not at present be open to members, and all
orders and money for goods must be taken or sent to the
City or Westend stores as heretofore. From the fore-
going facts it will appear that the progress made during
the last six months has been most satisfactory, and the
committee feels much pleasure in congratulating the
members upon the remarkable emcees the association has
already attained, and which, considering the short time it
has been established, is believed to be quite unexampled
among kindred societies."
The only business to be transacted was the confirma-
tion of certain increases of salary which had been made by
the committee during the half-year ; and these were un-
animously approved of. A suggestion was, indeed, made
that some of the servants of the association—those em-
ployed at the Villiers-street establishment—were under
paid, but • motion requesting the committee to consider
the propriety of advancing the wages of those persons
was rejected by • large majority. The confirmation of the
proceedings of the committee was accompanied and fol-
owed by a conversational discussion upon several topics
of interest to the members of the association. One gen-
tleman suggested that the committee should consider
whether they could not contract with some firm to
supply members upon presentation of their tickets with
luncheon at reduced prices. This suggestion was received
with a alight laugh, and was not taken up by any other
speaker. Some complaint was made as to the delay that
is frequently experienced in the making up
of small packages ; but tha chairman explained
that the committee anticipated that the open-
ing of the Lambeth warehouse, and the increase of
the staff, would enable them in future to supply their cus-
tomers with promptitude and dovetail. He also intimated
that the committee were anxious to enter into some
arrangement by which they should send oat goods in their
own carts, but at present they did not see their way to
carrying out such an operation. Several members com-
plained that the tickets of the emaciation had been too
lavishly distributed, and that its benefits were being ob-
tained by persons for whose advantage it was never in-
tended. Thus one gentleman stated that tickets were
being used by inhabitants of Wertbourne-terrees,
who had incomes of 8,0001. or 7,0001. • year, and that •
countess had endeavoured to cheapen the liveries of bar
servants by means of this association. Several gentlemen
spoke in favour of limiting the lame of tickets ; but •
member of the committee pointed oat that the increase of
business directly benefited the association, because it
diminished the working expenses. Allusion was made to
• combination which had been entered into by some of the
West-end tradesmen to crush the emaciation, and it was
stated that, in consequence of this measure, Mesas. Peek,
Frean, and Co., the biscuit makers, and Mesas. Colman,
the mustard manufacturers, though willing to deal with
the association, had been compelled to abstain from aw-
-1 plying it directly. The chairman, however, assured the
members that the stores were never without • supply of
the articles manufactured by those firms. The proceed-
ings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

FATAL ACCIDENT TO THE BEECHES FAMILY.- I
One day last week, at Georgetown, Maas., • party of
five young per ons were sailing on Pentuoket Pond, tLrree
of whom, b y the sudden upsetting of the boat, wore
drowned. The deceased were Albert Lewis, aged 20,
son of Dr. Edward Beecher, of Galesburg, DL ; and
Harriet Edith, aged 13, and Esther Lyman, aged 15,
daughters of Rev. Charles Beecher, of Georgetown. The
other two persons in the boat, whose lives were saved,
were Eugene F., son of Dr. Edward Beecher, and gm, ;
duets of the last class at Yale ; sad Lockwood Coffin, •
cousin of the Beecham The young folks had set off
in high spirits—fin eonsine ; and sailed till noon up
and down Peutucket Pond, which is about a mile
long, and half • mile wide. They had • flat bot•
tamed boat, with • centre-board and quite • large sail. As
they were tacking for a last sail up the pond, • flaw struck
the sail and threw it across the boat, causing the children
to fall to the other side. The boat filled and sank to the
water's edge. They all held on and were not alarmed,
thinking they would drift salare—only about 250 feet.
But suddenly the mass floated out, and the boat turned
over. All were thrown off except Lockwood Coffin, who
got on the boat. Eugene swam part way to shore, end
was °aught by the wrist just as be was going down. The
others soon sank. Albert was • member of his father's
church at Galesburg; Esther of her father's church in
Georgetown ; and Harriet was soon to have united with
the Wisc.—Neil York Indepoesieist.