ANNUAL MEETING. 
799 
The C El airman : Certainly not. 
Mr. Fltjx : It is only right to you, gentlemen, and to myself, to say that no in¬ 
fluence whatever lias ever been brought to bear which could have any influence upon 
your solicitor in giving advice. 
Mr. Ur wick said that a member of the Council had no business to place the 
solicitor or any of the officials in such a position. 
Mr. Flux : I never have been placed in such a position. 
Mr. Vizer : The question has been put to the Chairman, whether he is in any way 
implicated, and as he has put himself forward as a representative of the body of 
chemists and druggists, I say most unhesitatingly that we have a right to have that 
question answered. Is he or is he not implicated P 
Mr. Flux : Will you indulge me one moment more ? 
Several Members : Ho, no. 
Mr. Watts said that as the President declined to answer the question, he should 
like to be allowed to make a remark. He had brought this question forward two years 
ago, when their then President, Mr. Sandford, gave it as his opinion that the thing 
would fall to the ground, and he (Mr. Watts) then remarked that he hoped the 
prophecy would come true, though he feared it would not. He should just like to 
say a word as to the way in which these co-operative stores carried on their business. 
A Member : We know all about that. 
Mr. Watts said he believed the profit was very small, so small indeed that it was 
ruinous to the trade, and subversive of every principle on which the business either 
of chemists and druggists, or any other, could be carried on in London. At the 
present moment, not only rent, but taxation, and demands on their benevolence for 
the support of hospitals and asylums of all kinds were constantly increasing. He was 
sorry to hear from Mr. Flux that they could not prevent these things. 
Mr. Flux : You have not heard it. That is what I wanted to tell you. I say 
most unhesitatingly upon this Act of Parliament— 
A Member : Answer the question. 
Mr. Abraham said he was persuaded the meeting did not know the point upon 
which Mr. Flux was about to give his opinion. 
A Member : We do not want it. 
Mr. Collins : Yes, we do. 
Mr. Sandford : When this Society was first established— 
Mr. Dickinson : We want the question answered. 
The Chairman : It will be my disagreeable duty to leave the chair if this discussion 
is continued. 
[The Chairman then left the chair, which w'as taken by the Vice-President, Mr. 
Haselden.] 
Mr. Sandford said it was quite competent for anybody to vote as he pleased, 
but it was no part of the business of this Society to ask a member whether he supplied 
one man or another. 
Mr. Carteigiie said he supposed Mr. Vizer was satisfied now. 
Mr. Vizer said he was not by any means. He wanted to know whether they were 
to elect Mr. Evans again or not. 
Mr. Carteigiie: lie declined to answer your question. 
Mr. Vizer : Then I shall move another resolution, that Mr. Sugden Evans be 
requested to retire from the Society. 
Mr. IJrwick : I beg to second that resolution. 
Mr. Sciiacht begged leave to recall the attention of the meeting to the resolution 
which he had proposed, and which was still before it. lie had sligntly modified it, 
and would now read it as amended, as he should be sorry for the question to be 
entirely shelved. . . 
“ That this meeting is of opinion the means hitherto adopted by the Society 
to supply the educational wants of its members are no longer adequate to the 
necessities of the times ; and it respectfully urges upon the new Council the 
desirability of considering some scheme by which the resources available for such 
purposes may be more generally distributed.’’ 
The resolution in this form was then put and parried unanimously. 
Mr. Russell said he wished to ask a question particularly affecting the country 
