At the end of the preceding chapter we saw that the trade of the Society had become so large that it was forcing the question of a new bakery on the attention of the directors. With the purpose in view of securing the necessary capital, the sub-committee advertised the St James Street premises for sale, but the only offer they received was one to lease the premises. As this was of no use for their purpose at the moment nothing further was done. Circumstances, and the policy of the committee, were responsible for the still more rapid increase of trade. In the beginning of 1885 the price of flour went up with a rush, but as the Federation was in the happy position of having bought a large quantity of flour just before the rise they were able to continue selling their bread at the old price while the other bakers had to raise it, with the result that the trade continued to increase very rapidly. One of the results of this rapid increase in trade was that the Society was once again placed in the position of being compelled to refuse orders because of its inability to execute them. For this reason Blantyre and Burnbank societies, which had made proposals to join the Federation, had to be refused for the time being. The directors were literally at their wits end. They could not sell their premises. Unless they got new premises they could not hope to provide for the trade which came pouring in in ever-increasing volume, and they did not know what was the best thing to do. To begin with they got a firm of architects, Messrs Bruce & Hay, to prepare a sketch plan for a new bakery on the St James Street site which would contain twenty-four ovens, together with ample accommodation for storing flour, and stables, a breadroom, and a van yard. When the architects came to prepare their plans, however, they found that the space available was not large enough to give all the accommodation desired. The plans, when submitted, showed a bakery with twenty-three ovens, stable accommodation for nineteen horses, van shed, offices, breadroom, and store, and the cost was estimated at £6,200. The committee decided that before they would proceed further they would consider carefully the progress which had been made by the Society in the ten years which had elapsed since 1875, and this study of the work which had been done showed that the ratio of increase in trade had grown larger in the two years immediately preceding 1885, while the trade which was being done at the moment warranted them in believing that this rate of progress would be maintained. This being so, the conclusion at which they arrived was that, even if they did build at St James Street, only a few years would elapse before the accommodation would be too small. They decided, therefore, to bring their difficulties before the quarterly meeting and leave the decision with them. PURCHASE OF M‘NEIL STREET GROUND.