At the beginning of the year 1878, Barrhead Society ceased to purchase bread from the Baking Society. This meant a reduction in turnover of nearly 600 dozens of bread every week, and for the time being put an end to all thoughts of branching out. Other societies, too, were going the way of Anderston, and about this time the most remarkable point in the minutes of the Baking Society is their record of the names of societies which have long ceased to have any separate existence. Maryhill, Petershill, Bloomvale, Anderston, and Southern all lived a more or less precarious existence during the first decade of the Federation’s existence, and all disappeared. One result of the failure of Anderston Society was an alteration in the rules of the Baking Society for the purpose of giving a lien on the shares of a debtor member. It was also decided about this time that societies which had ceased to be purchasers be removed from membership, and have their shares paid out to them. It was at the quarterly meeting held in December 1876 that the first mention is made of a practice which has since that time gladdened the hearts of many hundreds of weary delegates. At that meeting, Mr Neil, Kilbarchan, moved, and Mr M‘Duff, Linwood, seconded a motion: “That at our quarterly meetings in future the delegates be supplied with tea.” The motion was agreed to unanimously. The tenants of the bolt and rivet works in property owned by the Society wished for an extension of their lease or, alternatively, to be allowed to break their lease and remove, and the Society agreed to allow them to remove provided the removal was carried out in three months. At the end of May 1877 the Society’s stable in St James Street was destroyed by fire and six horses were killed; at the same time some doubts were being entertained as to the stability of the bakery itself, as it was feared that the back wall was too weak for the load of flour it had to bear. Then the members of the committee were again being worried with complaints about the quality of the bread, and especially of the fine bread. When they came to compare their bread with that manufactured by competing bakers, however, they usually were of the opinion that the bread they were baking was as good as any. [Illustration: PAST PRESIDENTS 1. GABRIEL THOMSON. 2. WM. BARCLAY. 3. DONALD CAMERON. 4. ANDREW BROWN. ] [Illustration: PAST PRESIDENTS 1. ALEXANDER FRASER. 2. JOHN FERGUSON. 3. DUNCAN M‘CULLOCH. 4. DANIEL H. GERRARD. J.P. ] GOOD NEWS.