The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-01 00:00:00

Lancashire Distress.

CENTRAL FUND.
A meeting of the Executive Committee was held at the
Town-hall, Manchester,yesterday. The Earl of Derby pre-
sided, and there were also present Lord E. Howard, M.P.,
Lord Egerton of Tatton, Col. W. Patten, M.P., Major
Egerton Leigh, the Mayor of Manchester, Messrs. Hugh
Mason, G. Ashworth, S. J. Stern, W. Rathbone, jun., G.
L. Ashworth, J. Platt, J. Worrall, H. B. Farnall, R. 11.
Hutchinson, M.',Ross and J. W. Maclure, Hon. Sec. Mr
Rawlinson, was also present.
The Hon. Secretary reported that £230 7s sil had been
received during the past week, and the balance in the bank
was £101,667 16s lld.
The noble CHAIRMAN, referring to what passed in the
committee last week respecting the comparatively small
number of factory operatives employed on publio works,
said that the communication on the subject which by di-
rection of the Committee was sent to the Manchester Town
Council had not yet been officially answered, though he un-
derstood it shortly would be. In the meantime, without
desiring to enter into any controversy with the Town Coun-
cil, which ought to be avoided, it was thought by Sir 3.
Kaye-Shuttleworth, and he (Lord Derby) concurred in the
opinion, that it might be as well to notify to relief commit-
tees that in cases where money had been advanced to their
own localities under the Public Works Act they should put
themselves into communication with the local authorities,
for the purpose of stimulating the employment of cotton
operatives on the public works. It seemed to him (the
chairman) that neither party thought it its duty to take the
initiative in this matter. The local authorities said they
were not bound to look out for these unemployed factory

operatives, and the relief committees did not think it neces-
sary to send to the authorities lists of factory workmen fit
for employment. So between them, as there could be no
doubt whatever, only a very small number of operatives
were at work under the Public Works Act, Sir James had

forwarded him a number of suggestions, which he recom,
mended should be embodied in the form of a circular, and
sent to the several committees.

The Chairman read the suggestions, and after some eon.
versation the following circular embodying them was una.
nimously adopted, and ordered to be forwarded to the Relie:
Committee—

" The Central Executive Committee has from the first
upported the plan of public works for the relief of distress

n the cotton districts, and, sine.) the passing of the Public
Works (Manufacturing Districts) Act, has, by its regula-
tions for the distribution of the Central Relief Fund, en-
deavoured to promote the success of this measure, as a
means of providing work with wages for bodies of men
who had become indigent by no fault of their own, and
likewise of relieving the difficulties of the small shop-
keepers, by giving greater activity to the several forms of
skilled industry necessarily employed upon municipal im-
provements. The embarrassment now experienced in fac-
tory work may be comparatively transient—but if so it will
probably recur at intervals with more or less severity. And,
as the funds confided to the Central Executive Committee,
though husbanded with great care to meet such crises, are
much reduced, it now becomes more than ever important
that the several district relief committees should put them-
selves in communication with the municipal and other
bodies having locally charge of public works, in order to
secure work with wages for as many otherwise unemployed
factory operatives as possible. I am, therefore, to suggest
that, whenever a loan has been granted under the Public
Works Act, the district relief commitee should—where this
has not already been done—put itself in immediate personal
communication with the municipal or other body having
charge of such loan, in order to organise administrative
arrengeinents by which the district relief committee may
be enabled more effectually to carry out the intentions of
the Legislature as to the employment of factory operatives
on such works. The Central Executive Committee, in order
to encourage factory workmen in such efforts for indepen-
dent subsistence, have provided a suit of warm clothing for
those who are likely to be long engaged on such work, and
arranged also to lend waterproof boots to those working in
water. They are diapered, under suitable regulations, to
continue to provide such clothing."
Mr HUGH MASON said that before leaving the subject of
public works he should like to mention a circumstance
which occurred a few days ago between the Poor Law Board
and the Moseley Board of Health. The Mossley Board bad
projec ed public works, and obtained a grant of money
under the Public Works Act. The day the grant was
made men were put upon the works, but in a few days after
Cie grant was withdrawn.
The CHAIRMAN—How withdrawn ?
Mr MASON said the Mossley Board had received a no'ice
from the Poor Law Board intimating that the money granted
could not be used in the manner in which it was being ap-
plied. There appeared to be a technical difficulty. The
Moseley Board had jnrisdiction in two counties, and a small
portion of the money would have been expended upon
works in Yorkshire, to which county the Public Works Act
did not refer. This difficulty was foreseen at the outset, and
a deputation from the Moseley Board waited on Sir George
Grey and Mr Villiers on the subject, and those two Minis-
ters sanctioned the appropriation of the money :in the way
proposed by the local Board. Under such circumstances
the Board thought it was rather hard the money should be
withdrawn, and great dissatisfaction existed in the Moseley
district generally. He had recommended an interview with
Mr Rawlinson on the subject.
Mr FARNALL said that the Public Works Act did not
extend to Yorkshire, but legal advice was being taken by
the Poor Law Board to see if the difficulty in the case of
Mossley could be overcome, and it was not impossible that
even yet the grant to that district might be finally sane •
boned.
Mr Farnall presented his weekly report. stating that the
increase of persons receiving relief in the 27 Unions in the
week ending Oct. 22 was 2,247,
In reply to Lord E. HOWARD,
Mr FARNALL added that ho had sent circulars to 184
Poor Law medical officers in the cotton districts, inquiring
as to the state of the people's health in their several locali-
ties, and from 120 of these circulars thus far returned he
was justified in stating that the health of the district was on
the average rather better than usual at this period of the
year. In reply to Lord EGERTON, he promised that Mr
Corbett's reports on the state of health at Stalybridge and
Preston should be furnished if possible next Monday.
In the course of conversation which followed,
Mr HUGH MASON stated that upwards sf 1,300 people
were employed on public works at Ashton, and that a greater
number could be employed if materials could be obtained.
Mr RAIVIANSON stated that many districts to which loans
of public money had been granted had done their duty in
the employment of factory operatives.
Col. PATTEN said he had received a letter from Lord
Devon inquiring whether the Devonshire Collection Com-
mittee might appropriate any portion of its funds to a diffe-
rent purpose than that for which they were subscribed. He
had taken upon himself to reply that in the present un-
favourable condition of things in Lancashire the Executive
Committee would not assume the responsibility of sanction-
ing such an appropriation.
In this reply the committee universally concurred.
The CHAIRMAN inquired what answers had been received
to the circulars addressed to the various collecting commit-
tees in the country, as to the balances still at their disposal.
The HON. SECHETAILY said that there had been 338 com•
mittees which had collected funds in the United Kingdom,
to the officers of which circulars had been sent, making the
necessary inquiries; 171 replies had been rewind, which