114 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



Club. — I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient 

 humble servant. 



(Signed by the Chairman of the meeting 

 at which the election took place.) 



To those who are not acquainted with the 

 doings of " the Club " at the present day a 

 reference to Boswell's Life of Johnson may be 

 commended as the most pleasant method of 

 learning its purpose and origin. 



He was active again in this year in legislative 

 efforts to better the lot of people serving in shops, 

 bringing in a Bill requiring seats to be provided 

 for the female assistants and getting it through its 

 second reading on the last day of May. On June 

 22 he spoke at a meeting at Grosvenor House on 

 the same subject. The entry in his diary on this 

 day may be quoted as typical of his activity, 

 even when he seemed to be shaking off some of 

 his burdens. "Thursday 22nd. — Meeting at 

 Grosvenor House in favour of seats for shop 

 assistants, the Duke of Westminster in the chair. 

 Meeting of Central Association of Bankers. 

 Annual meeting of British Empire League, 

 Annual meeting of Ray Society. Dined at 

 Grosvenor House." 



On July 11 he notes, "The Seats for Shop 

 Assistants Bill was moved by the Duke of West- 

 minster in the House of Lords and carried, 

 against Lord Salisbury, by 73 votes to 38." 



During this session he spoke in the House on 

 the lines indicated in his letter to the Times about 

 the telephone service, urging that it would be 

 better managed by competitive companies than 

 by municipalities or by the State. 



