the trade (especially the sellers) was organised in 1869.—­The Dairymen and Milksellers’ Protection Society came into existence April 2, 1884, and is intended to protect the dealers against the encroachments of the Birmingham Dairy Company, and all customers from the cows with wooden udders or iron teats.—­The dentists in May, 1883, held the first meeting of the Midland Odentological Society, but it is not expected that the people at large will be entirely protected from toothache earlier than the first centenary of the Society.—­The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was formed early in 1847.—­The Amalgamated Society of Engineers dates half-a-century back, its 430 branches having collectively about 50,000 members, with a reserve fund of L178,000, though the expenditure in 1883 was L124,000 out of an income of L134,000.  Locally, there are three branches, with 765 members, having balances in hand of L2,075; the expenditure in 1883 being L680 to men out of work, L585 to sick members, L390 to the superannuated, L171 for funerals, and L70 in benevolent gifts.—­The Birmingham and Midland Counties Grocers’ Protection and Benevolent Association, started in 1871, has a long name and covers a considerable area.  It was designed to make provision for the wives and families of unfortunate members of the trade when in distress; to defend actions brought against them under the Adulteration Acts; and most especially to protect themselves from the encroachments of the merchants, importers, and manufacturers, who do not always deliver 112 lbs. to the cwt, or keep to sample.—­The Licensed Victuallers first clubbed together for protection in 1824, and the Retail Brewers and Dealers in Wine followed suit in 1845, both societies spending considerable sums yearly in relief for decayed members of the trade, the Licensed Victuallers having also a residential Asylum for a number of their aged members or their widows in Bristol Road.—­The journeymen printers opened a branch of the Provincial Typographical Association Oct. 12, 1861, though there was a society here previously.—­ The first local union we find record of was among the knights of the thimble, the tailors striking for an increase in wages in 1833; a branch of the Amalgamated Society of Tailors has lately been organised.—­In 1866 a general Trades’ Council was formed, which utilises by combined action the powers of the whole in aid of any single society which may stand in need of help.

Trades and Manufactures.—­There are no published returns of any kind that have ever been issued by which more than a guess can be made at the real value of the trade of Birmingham, which varies considerably at times.  At the present moment (March, 1885) trade is in a very depressed state, and it would hardly be correct to give the exact figures, were it even possible to obtain them, and any statistics that may appear in the following lines must be taken as showing an average based upon several years.  Speaking at a council meeting, February