At one of the last meetings held in 1879 Mr Slater drew attention to the fact that the payment of the ground annual for the land on which the bakery was built was costing the Society £68 a year. He suggested that this should be bought out, giving the probable cost as about £1,400, and also that the necessary money might be raised by means of loans from societies and individuals connected with the movement, pointing out that it would be a good investment for the Society and a safe one for those who lent the money. The suggestion was very favourably received by the members of the committee, and was brought to the notice of the delegates at the first general meeting of the Society. There the committee were instructed to put it on the programme of business for the annual meeting of the Society. At that meeting, however, the question was shelved for the time being, a motion being agreed to “that they delay at present taking any active steps to purchase the ground annual, and that the matter be left in the hands of the committee to bring it up again when they consider that the Society is in a position to do it with advantage.” It was not until a meeting of committee held on 18th November 1882 that the subject was raised again, and again this was done by the secretary in the form of a definite motion “that steps be taken to purchase the ground annual.” He pointed out that they were paying £68 per annum to persons outside who had no other interest in the movement, and that this sum would be retained for the benefit of the Federation, while the purchase would also assist to a certain extent in the solution of the problem of what to do with their surplus capital. The other members of the committee agreed, and it was decided to call a special meeting at the end of the 56th quarterly meeting to consider the question. At this meeting the committee were empowered to make the purchase at once, and entered into negotiations with the proprietors, with the result that after a considerable amount of negotiation and delay the Society became the owner of the ground annual at a cost of £1,652, 2s. 6d., being twenty-three and a half years’ purchase of the sum paid annually. The Society was now so wealthy that the directors were able to pay this sum from the bank balance without interfering with their deposits in the Wholesale Society. DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT.