MARRYING A CARGO OF SLAVES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1585, 15 April 1887, Page 3

MARRYING A CARGO OF SLAVES

Accordingtoaletter from Alexandria, a Turkish slave-ship was captured the other day by an English vessel, and the slaves it contained, consisting of seventy women and ten men, were liberated. The men volunteered into the Egyptian army, but it was more difficult to dispose of the women, as they had no notion of liberty, and if left to themselves would probably have been drafted, without making any resistance, into lome Muiiulman'i harem.

Under the treaty concluded between the English Government and the Khedive the importation and the exportation of slaves aro forbid leu ; but the detention of slaves in the country is permitted for about six years longer in Egypt, andeleven years in the Soudan. Several officers, accordingly, came to the Pacha of the district with offers to buy some of the female slaves, but the Pacha declared he would not part with them unless they got married. He then announced that any soldier or civilian wishing to marry ouo of the slaves would have to payeix tha'iersfor her dowry, but that the women should beallowedtochooaetheir husbands from among those who should present themselves for the purpose. A gre-*t number of men, chiefly soldiers, assembled on the day appointed for tie selection. Tlio women were so shy that they 'huddled together like a fl. >ck of sheep, find could not be induced to move. At last o*',o of them, taking courage advanced slowly to a black Egyptian sergeant, who was anything but young or bandsome, and put her haud on his shoulder as a sign that he was the inau she wished to marry. Her example was instantly followed by the other women, who rushed forward to choose their husbauds as if they feared to be too late. It was now the men's turn to say whether they accepted the selection. All ware satisfied but five, and even the five women who were consequently obliged to choose again were ultimately provided with husbands.

CO-OPERiTION IN SCOTLAND The manual for 1887, which has just been issued by the English and Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Societies, should prove very valuable to co-opera-tors in both eouutries. It is rather a formidable looking volume of over 500 pages, the greater part of which is taken up by a series of articles bearing directly or indirectly on co-operation. Among the papers appears one on "Money," by Professor J. Shield Nicholson, and another by Mr A. Arnold on the "Land and the People," while Mr Gr. Hines writes on "Co-operation in it* Application to Agriculture," and Mr E. V. Nealo on "The Legislation relating to Industrial and Provident Societies." A number of care? illy executed drawings of various co-operative centres throughout the United Kingdom form a special feature of the issue. The tables of statistics have been compiled from Parliamentary returns and official documents.

Cc-ipe>ration it would appear ha?, since the year 1862 at least, been steadily gaining ground amongst us. In that year the total sales of societies in the United Kingdom amounted fcu £2,333,523; but in 1872 thev had crept up to £13,012,120, and in ISB2 to £27,511,212, while from 18S1 they show a total of no less thau £'30,121,101. At the 31st Dec,lSßl, the membership of societies in the three kingdoms was 897,950, and the share capital £8,916,188, while the loan capital was £1,830,830. The net profits for the year were £2,723,791, and the sum devoted to educational pnrposes £19,151. But, turning to Scotland more particularly, we find a marked progress. The Scottish Cooperative Society was formed in 1868 by 28 stores, with a membership of 5590, and a total capital of £1725. In 1878 the stores had increased to 138, and represented 31,830 members. At the last general balance thenumberofstores stood at 231, with a roll of 77,034 members. The total capital had mounted up to £35(5,169, while the sales for the first three quarters of the year about to close reached the sum of £1,117,785. The gross profits accruing ou these nine months' transactions amounted to 1 £52,830, from which there had to be deducted for working expenses the sum 3t'£23,61G jleavinga balanceof £29,331 |as the net profit. The average membership of each store in the federation was 333, and the average capital and turnover were £1133 and £slOl respectively. These figures are significant of the movement in Scotland, and warrant, as the directors think, the conclusion that the time is not far distant when cooperation shall become one of the greatest factors in our social system. The federation of societies known as the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society wag formed for the purpose of distribution, but now it has undertaken and is carrying on successfully several large productiveconcerns. So fareverythinjis encouraging and hopeful, but the difficulty of profitably employing the surplus capital is becoming a serious question. The boot and shoe factory and the furniture and the other works for a time,helped to keep off the pressure. These having, however, proved much more successful than was anticipated, it has been resolved to enter more largely into the work of production. With this purpose in view the committee have for some time back been trying to secure a site on which to erect large and substantial workshops. When this has been accomplished the manufacturing business in Kingston will be transferred to the new premises, and the buildings in Paisley Road and adjoining streets used as warehouses only. In addition to the productive works already in operation, it has been arranged to start a factory for the making of preserves and sweets, and another for the manufacture of tobacco. A more important undertaking, perhaps, will bsthe erection of flour, meal, and barley mills. These are a few of the outlets for employing the surplus capital of the federation, but other works are spoken of as likely to be entered on at no distant date,