The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-27 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

BELFAST, Sept. 24. —Flax.—During the past
week the supplies in our various markets were rather
in excess of those offered the preceding week ; de-
mand good, and in some instances advanced prices
were obtained. Yarns.—A continued improvement
in demand has manifested itself during the past
week. Orders to a considerable extent for lines,
both warp and weft, have been placed on home
account. Tows also have changed hands with in-
creased freedom. Business transacted on continental
account has been moderate. Prices are without
change; stocks have further decreased. Linens,
brown handloom.—A moderate demand continues to
exist for heavy linens, printing lawns, and good
makes of light linens for bleaching. Medium and fine
sets of linen handkerchiefs are in active request.
Power-loom.---A. fair demand exists for drills of
superior descriptions, suitable for bleaching. Roughs
5-4 and 6-4 wides continue in good request, at cur-
rent rates ; 4-4th wides dull of sale. Demand less
active for diapers and damasks, cambric handker-
chiefs, and linen handkerchiefs, bleached and
finished linens. Home trade, although no actual
change has been reported, still some slight symp-
toms of improvement have become manifest. A fair
amount of business has been transacted on conti-
nental account. American trade—demand dull, as
is usually the case at this season of the year. Prices
rule steady ; stocks are without change.
BRADFORD, Sept. 26.—The tone of the market is
still very quiet, if anything, quieter than last week.
The sales of wool are confined to some special
sorts, consisting of some of the best choice wools,
which are not large in stock. Other classes of wool
are quite neglected. In worsted yarns the foreign
houses are waiting the result of Leipsic fair. The
demand, though very limited, is still almost wholly
confined to the home trade. Some spinners con-
tinue moderately employed on 40's and 36's lustre
and in 30's super ; but these are quite exceptional
cases. Prices are not lower than last week. The
piece trade shows the same languor. Some manu-
facturers have begun to run short time, and others
say that it would be beneficial to adopt it gene-
rally. The accounts from America are rather more
hopeful, but there is hardly any actual change for
the better. The foreign and the home trade are
equally languid. It is too early to place orders for
spring. The demand for plain goods is upon the
whole extremely flat. Prices are still drooping.

UNITED KINGDOM RAILWAY OFFICERS
AND SERVANTS' ASSOCIATION.
The eleventh half-yearly ordinary general meeting
of this excellent association, the objects of which are
to grant pensions to officers and servants employed
upon or in connection with railways, in case of
lengthened or permanent incapacity for duty, and
to give prompt temporary assistance in cases of
accident or other emergency, was held at the London
Tavern last night ; the Right Hon. Viscount Bury
in the chair.
The notice convening the meeting having been
read,

The report was taken as read. It stated that the
committee noticed with pleasure the healthy state of
the society. At no period of its history had it been
so satisfactory, 19 deaths only having occurred dur-
ing the past six months. Upwards of £5,780 had
been paid to claimants since May, 1863. The George
Stephenson fund had been increased by £lOO from
donations received during the past six months, and
the annual May collection included several new
donors and annual subscribers. Meetings had been
held at Stratford, Ipswich, Bow, and other places,
for the purpose of adding to the funds and promul-
gating the objects of the society ; and the committee
acknowledged the kindness of the promoters of those
meetings, and anticipated a good result from their
labours. All the necessitous applications for tem.
porary assistance had been entertained, and the com-
mittee proposed to increase the two annuities already
granted of £l5 to £2O, and felt assured that at no
distant period they would be in a position to place
more annuitants on the funds.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said that being a man prominently con-
nected with railways, he had much pleasure in
taking the chair of so useful an institution as the
present. He was actuated in doing so also by a
wish to support Mr. Godfrey, from whom he had
on every occasion received great kindness. He was
quite aware of the arduous task that gentleman
had undertaken in the organisation of this society,
and could bear testimony to his being the
right man in the right place in his ordinary duties,
and no doubt was so in this society. (Cheers.) He
(Lord Bury) considered himself a working railway
man, and he thought he might say so with justice,
seeing that he had been that day from 11 to 5 at a
railway board meeting. Formerly the characteristic
of railway servants was a want of providence, but
he was glad to see that a different feeling had now
grown up, and indeed it was a curious thing that
such men who were subject above all classes of the
community to risks and dangers should not have
considered that the first duty they had to perform
was to provide for themselves and families in sick-
ness. Naturally it was every man's duty to provide
for his own family in the best way he could out of
his weekly earnings, and in that case the old pro-
verb, ' Union is strength," applied with redoubled
force, because the earnings of railway officials in
general were not sufficient to enable them to lay by
anything, without great self-denial, for the purpose
of providing for their families. It must be evident
that if a large number of men combined together to
make a small weekly payment each, they were able,
having regard to the average death rate, to form a
sort of assurance fund in case of accident or death
of the members, and thus to obtain a very much
larger sum for their widows than they could other-
wise hope to do. All such institutions were valua-
able, and every one connected with railway manage-
ment felt it incumbent on him to fostcr them. He
was perfectly disinterested in taking the chair that
night, because,as they were aware, he was connected
with a kindred institution which was larger in num-
bers than the present ; but he was convinced that
all such associations which were well constituted
and well conducted merited the hearty sup port
and co-operation of all railway men, whether they
belonged to one society or the other. (Cheers.) It was
absurd to imagine that one society could take in the
whole railway world, therefore all these societies bad
a good effect. The present was soundly and well
conducted. As it was kept up by the pence gathered
from the weekly wages of labouring men, it would
be wrong to say more than one meant on the occa-
sion, and, therefore, he would only add that he was
confident that the funds were properly dealt with.
The amount required for the management of the
society naturally was in excess of that in which the
numbers were greater, and that was to be remedied
by getting together as many members as possible.
The society it was quite evident had paid all its ex-
penses, and no money had been borrowed to help
out the management fund. (Hear, hear.) He should
like to see a larger number of members, so that the
death rate should not embarrass their funds. The
remedy was entirely in their own hands, and he
should be glad to see the society placed in such a
position as to satisfy the most rigid scrutiny of any
actuary. He wished every prosperity to the under-
taking, and in conclusion moved the adoption of
the report.
Mr. T: BOWDEN seconded the motion. He ob-
served that the institution was managed by as few
persons as was possible, consistent with perfect
safety. They had endeavoured by all means to get
new members to join, and had held various meetings
where they could, but it was exceedingiy difficult,
from the pressure of railway business, to get per-
mission to hold meetings, especially in the evening,
when the mails were going out. Their funds were
prosperous, so far as they went, and it rested en-
tirely with the members to get as many more to
join as possible. It was true that there was a rival
institution at Euston, but most of the members of
this were members also of the other, and he might
say provident class. He regretted that there was
not a larger attendance, and hoped that men would
see their own interest, and attend such meetirgs
whenever they had an opportunity of doing so.
(Hear, hear.)
The report was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Jourtsori then. moved that the annuities of