75 
Mr. T. Preston made reference to Mr. Pickles’ enthusiasm in 
matters of that description, and said he was waiting until the 
great firms of the town adopted Mr. Pickles’ patent. He was 
surprised that the great firms of Burnley had not gone into the 
matter, perhaps as they should have done. It was high time, he 
thought, that Burnley manufacturers rose to something higher 
than mere printers. 
Alderman T. Thornber, J.P., thought Mr. Pickles was a little 
hard upon the manufacturers for not adopting the patents. The 
experience of many manufacturers was that much money was 
spent in patents which were no good. He advised Mr. Pickles to 
fit up all his other looms on the principle of his ideal loom, and 
let them see them working and doing what he claimed. The 
weaver, he went on to contend, should weave and do nothing 
else save look after the loom, and he should be rid of the oiling, 
pulling off pieces, and cleaning. It was a very moot question 
as to whether high speeds or low speeds promoted economical pro- 
duction. He was inclined to think that low speeds promoted 
economical production better than high speeds. When a loom was 
run at a tremendous speed there was great wear and tear, and 
more tension on the yarn and also on the weaver. If they would 
drop the speed of looms somewhat, and let the weaver run more 
looms, put in good work and ease him of the outside work, they 
would produce more economically than they would by the system 
advocated by Mr. Pickles. 
Alderman T. Burrows, J.P., proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. 
Pickles, and in doing so said that was a question which every 
manufacturer might test for himself, and that at only the 
expense of a few pounds. 
Councillor H. Emmott, who seconded the resolution, referring 
to Mr. Preston’s remark anent Burnley manufacturers sticking to 
printers, said that in Burnley they were making a class of cloth 
which was wanted. They were not philanthropists, but were 
making a cloth which was easy to make. It was easy for the 
manufactnrer and easy for the operative. There was no class of 
operatives in the country that did better than the Burnley 
operatives in weaving. ‘Though Burnley manufacturers made a 
poor class of cloth, the weavers did better from that than they 
did where they made fancy cloths. With regard to humidifiers, 
they met the requirements of the mills in Burnley. They were 
not detrimental to the health of the workpeople if properly used. 
There was not one-half the people off their work ill where they 
had them on a thorough principle as they had where they were 
without them. 
