While our City Fathers were knocking on the head this conspiracy to depress the Exhibition's patrons the neighbouring Council of Balford was passing a resolution to ce-operate with us in a joint Civie Period. 'The only opposition came from a few jealous councillors who objected to it being called the Manchester Civic Period." Salford, they indignantly assorted, was always being overshadowed by' its better known neighbour. Why not a Salford Civic Week? The wrath these patriots is now assuaged for Salford is to have a Civie Period of its own. It will then have other grievance against Manel ter, for every intending pure hi of Salford's manufactures. taking train to the place of their origin will be compelled to alight at a Manchester station and run a short gauntlet of our business men.
The great contribution of Lancashire to Wembley is to be staged in the Palace of Industries. Te will consist of a practical demonstration the whole process of cotton spin-hing carried through on a complete Plant of the most: modern machines, Visitors will see. the cotton opened out from the bales, cleaned, and spun; and experts will be in attend-faneé'to explain the process. whole of the cotton exhibit will take up 61,000 square feet of floor space and cost over £250,000, Cancer in Cotton Industry.
'The problem of the cause of the Aisproportionate number of cancer eases among the mule spinners in the. cotton' industry has been brought to the fore by an interesting lawsuit which came before Judge Mossop a few days ago at the Ashton-under-Lyne County. Court. Tt was in the nature of a test, for over a hundred individual eases will be affected by the result. Mr, Harry Whiteley, an operative cotton spinner at the Tudor Mill, Ashton, claimed compensation from his employers for a cancer in the scrotum, alleging that it was caused by the left side of his groin coming into contact with the faller bar of his, machine...
Some-years ago it was remarked that cancer of a certain kind was very prevalent among mule spinners. As the only known cause of cancer is chronic irritation, and as it was noted that 80 p.c. of the cases occurred on the victim's left side medical men investigated the working conditions in the mills. They found that the spinner's lett side came into incessant contact with the faller bar, and that this bar was usually. coated with a mineral oil which penetrated the worker's clothing and set up irritable conditions.
Two well known Manchester doctors, who have been investigating this incidence of cancer among mule spinners gave evidence at the Court. They said that of the large number of eases treated in the Manchester Royal Infirmary, more than 60 p.c. were mule spinners, and in their opinion the ease at issue was direct-Ly attributable to the man's occupation. The hearing of the case has been adjourned until May or June. In the case of mule spinners there seems every likelihood of this form of the disease being: scheduled as an occupational complaint and liable for compensation. The defence is concentrating on the undeniable fac-for that some people have a predisposition to cancer.
Other matters affecting conditions the cotton mills have recently achieved considerable publicity through the efforts of the Legislative Council fo the United Factory Worker's Association. This Coun cil alleges that the artificial humid dity used in many weaving sheds is only."a scientific apology for the use of inferior materials," and demands its discontinuance in the interests of the health of the operatives. A campaign is also to lo carried on against the existing system of fining in mills. It was satd that the management of one mill fined its women operatives one shilling every time shay were caught talking, and that in most mills where systems of fines are in operation the workers have to pay because of accidents to the im terial before it reaches their machines.
Mr. A. Henderson, the Home Secretary, is now making a. perroual inspection of the mills of Lanca-
House Shortag:
Although Manchester ciaime to have built more houses, in proper tion to its population, than any town or city in the Kingdom the house shortage here seems a acute ever. The people who canio: ket houses are dissatisfied, and the people who have the new. Council houses are even more dissatisfied. The latter contend that the rents are far too high. As the wages of many workers have fallen to 40/- and 60/- per week it is undoubtedly a hardship to have to pay. 16/- to 20/- of it in rent. Some of these Council houses are warmed. by elaborate system of central heat and this has induced dry rot in most of the wooden floors all of which are now to be replaced at the cost of the general body of ratepayers, But the burning gri-vance of the homeless is a curious one. Tt appears that when the Housing Scheme was commenced the building contractors had considerable difficulty in getting operative builders. To attract them to Manchester, one firm—with the permission of the Housing Committee—offeréd them housing acsommodation in the first houses to be built while they were building others. The builders came, but in most instances when they were comfortable installed in their new residences they abandoned the comparatively unprofitable business of house building and engaged themselves more profitable contracts. forts to persuade them to vacate the houses of the citizens have failed, and they are now, bya decision of the Council, to be allowed "to. xemain, The Hulton Papers.
The block of Manchester daily and weekly newspapers formerly owned by Hultons, and sold by them last year to the Daily Mail Trust, have again changed hands. Sir_ Wi liam Berry, and Mr. Gonier Berry, are the new purchasers, for £51 millions. The papers are the "Daily Dispatch," "Evening Chronicle," "sporting Chronicle," "Sunday Chronicle" "Empire "News," and "Athletic News." The Berry' Brothers rank next to the Rothermere-[Beaverbrook interests in the. range of newspapers and periodicals they control. They have a controlling. interest in the "Sunday Times, "Daily Graphic," ind the Weldon and Cassell groups of periodicals. Manchester folk do not take very
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.