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the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, and with 
a Bill (prepared by himself) paved the way for the Life 
Assurance Act. Dr. Watts was chiefly instrumental in 
reviving the usefulness of the Union of Mechanics’ Insti- 
tutes. He was from the beginning one of the most zealous 
and successful promoters of the co-operative movement. In 
1871 he gave a course of free lectures at Downing Street, 
Ardwick, on “ Co-operation, Past, Present, and Future.” 
In 1872 he wrote on “ Co-operative Banking and Printing,” 
and read a paper before the Manchester Statistical Society 
on “ Co-operation considered as an economic element in 
Society.” In the same year he wrote a paper on “ Medical 
Charities and the Working Classes.” In 1873 he wrote 
three articles in the Co-operative News on “The Industrial 
Bank,” and read a paper before the Co-operative Congress on 
“ Productive Co-operation.” On the 27th January, 1874, Dr. 
Watts was elected a member of the Manchester Literary and 
Philosophical Society. In 1875 he took a leading part in 
the establishment of the Manchester Provident Dispensaries. 
In November of that year he delivered a lecture at the 
Mechanics’ Institution, entitled “The Working Man: a 
Problem,” in which he showed that different classes are not 
inherent necessities of society, and that in co-operation the 
working classes have the means of improving their own con- 
dition ready to their hand. In 1877, he read a paper before the 
Social Science Congress at Aberdeen, on “ The Social Aspect 
of Trade Unions,” discussing the principal elements of well- 
being in society generally, and examining to what extent 
trades unions contribute thereto. During the next seven 
years the Co-operative News was enriched by many articles 
from Dr. Watts’ pen, among which may be mentioned 
those on “ Bonus to Labour,” “ Charitable Donations, 
good and good for nothing,” “ The Eochdale Corn Mill, 
a struggle and a success,” “ Co-operative Manufactories 
and their workmen,” “ Centralization and Disintegration/’ 
