CHAPTER XII.

IN BUSINESS.

18, Wood Street-Nottingham-Framework Knitters-Annuities-The Factories -Mr. Arthur Morley-Mr. Thomas Hill-A Disastrous Fire--Capital and Labour-Sternness-Impatience-General Characteristics- A Training School for Business Men-An Opening Career-The Household Arrangements Holidays-Young Men's Missionary Association-Brackley Street

Hall-Influence.

THE prosperity of the business, which had been continuous up to the time when Mr. Morley became sole head of the firm, had, since that time, been more prosperous than ever, and that growing prosperity

continued to the end.

We have seen Samuel Morley as a young man and a partner in the house in Wood Street; we shall now see him with the burden of the whole concern upon his shoulders.

From time to time there had been alterations and enlargements of the premises in Wood Street, and these continued at intervals, until, in 1847, the present solid block forming No. 18 was reared--one of the best of the structures in this quarter of the City devoted to the interests of the textile industry. The block occupies an important position at the

corner of Wood Street and Gresham Street, and extends for some distance in each direction.

There is nothing remarkable in the architecture of the building, nor as a visitor, uninitiated in the mysteries of the trade, wanders among the endless lines of goods, and travels on and on among busy and bustling men, does he gain any very distinct impression except that it is a vast concern, devoted almost exclusively to one branch of trade, the only exception to the hosiery business being adjuncts proper thereto. But it must be remembered that Wood Street alone conveys no idea of the business of "I. and R. Morley." He who would estimate its extent must go to Nottingham, and the towns and villages round about, and see the factories there; and then, to estimate what manner of man Mr. Samuel Morley was in business enterprise, he must bear in mind that the whole of the series of gigantic factories were established when he was sole head of the firm.

In the early days, nearly all the work now done in the factories was done in the houses of the people. One man might employ ten to twenty or fifty frames,

and a "middle man "would bring the produce to "I. and R. Morley." So long as the firm remained conservative in business principles, this system was perpetuated, and Mr. John Morley always opposed the introduction of cheap goods, however excellent they might be for their price. Mr. Samuel Morley not only lived abreast of the times, but in advance of them; his views were broad and liberal, and so it was

that, under his management, the old order changed. But he still continued to employ a considerable number of framework knitters, and thus kept alive a venerable handicraft. "At Selston, in Nottinghamshire, and other villages round about, the long shrill .whirr of the stocking frame may still be heard from morning to night, and the good' stockin'ers' contrive to make a decent livelihood by their industry. In other parts of the district, however, signs of the decadence of the craft are visible everywhere. Almost every household has a frame-shed belonging to it, but it is only in isolated instances that it is used for the purpose for which it was built."

For the benefit of the workpeople, a most beneficent system of annuities was instituted. It is an open secret that Mr. Morley's treatment of old and faithful employés, in the way of pension and allowance, was altogether unprecedented in the annals of commercial houses, and these dispossessed handknitters were the people who had the first consideration as annuitants. The pension scheme was suggested by Mr. Samuel Morley, and for many years he went down and paid the first instalments of gifts and pensions to the old hands. The cost of this was borne by the firm, and the amount paid in any one year was never less than £2,000. The system still remains in force.

There are seven factories in the Midland counties belonging to the firm of "I. and R. Morley." They are situated at Manvers Street and Handel Street,

MR. THOMAS HILL.

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Nottingham; Loughborough and Leicester; Heanor, in Derbyshire; Daybrook, and Sutton-in-Ashfield, the last two being in the centre of the old hand-wrought work. With the exception of the Leicester factory, which is in direct communication with Wood Street, all these factories send their goods to the large central warehouse in Fletcher Gate, Nottingham, for distribution.

The number of hands directly employed in these factories by "I. and R. Morley," is about three thousand, but a far greater number is indirectly employed. For example, a man makes the hose, his wife sews it, and the children have a share in minor branches of the work. Thus, although only the man would be recognized as an employé of the firm, each member of his family would be exclusively engaged upon the work, and it is estimated that not fewer than eight thousand persons are so employed.

On the 7th of January, 1860, Mr. Arthur Morley, the last son of old Mr. Richard Morley who had any connection with the business, died, beloved and respected by rich and poor. Mr. Morley then became sole head of the Nottingham business, as he was of that in London. He went down at once to decide how, in the future, the concern should be conducted, and it was determined that Mr. Thomas Hill, who knew every detail connected with the manufactory, and had the unlimited confidence of all connected with the house, should be appointed manager. In 1870, Mr. Hill was taken into partnership.

Mr. Morley never interfered in any way with the details of management at Nottingham. He received day by day an exact statement of accounts, and this was enough. Although he was frequently at Fletcher Gate, he rarely went into particulars regarding internal arrangements, but confined his inquiries almost exclusively to the welfare of the people employed, the state of their health, and so forth.

There was only one occurrence to break the monotony of success at Nottingham. The first factory established was in Manvers Street; it had cost £27,000. Here, in August, 1874, occurred the most disastrous fire ever known in Nottingham. In the short space of three hours seventy-six new machines, each costing between £300 and £400, were totally destroyed, as well as an almost fabulous amount of stock, the fire having happened at a time when they had on hand about double the quantity usually retained; and the insurance was altogether inadequate to cover the loss. Mr. Morley was abroad when the news of the calamity reached him. He hastened at once to Nottingham, and his first words were, "Hill, we ought to have been better insured!" Happily no lives were lost, no damage was done to any save to the firm, and Mr. Morley was not the man to weep over spoiled machinery. With his usual promptitude he saw that it was the occasion to introduce still newer and more effective machinery, to rebuild upon lines that should be more advantageous to the hands, and at once he cheerfully set to work. One charac