1911

Oldham Women's Suffrage Society
Non-Party ..................... Non-Militant

First Annual Report
November, 1910 to November 1911

President: Miss Marjory Lees.
Vice-Presidents: Mrs. Bodden, Dr. Claydon, Mrs. Claydon, Mrs. McGowan, Mrs. Perry-Gore, Miss I .T. Rowntree, Mrs. J.W.Taylor, Mrs. Waddington.
Hon Secs: Mrs. Bridge, Mrs. Siddall.

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In presenting the Report of the Society at the end of the first year, a short account of the events which led to its formation will not be out of place.

About the middle of September, 1910, Miss Robertson, B.A. began a campaign with the object of trying to form a Branch here. She was assisted during the time of her visit by the lady who is now our President, and by several others whom she enlisted, Meetings were held in the dinner-hour ouside the large workshops, and very good work was done. One meeting, organised by Miss Dornan, was held on September 15th, 1910, at the Park Gate, and addresses were given from a lurry, which served as a platform, by Miss Marjory Lees (who presided), Miss Robertson, B.A., Miss Helen Ward, and Mrs. Fletcher.

The audience was invited to a meeting to be held in the Unity Hall, on November 8th, 1910, at which it was hoped a Society would be formed.

The meeting was held on the date arranged, and was proof of the interest which had been aroused. Mrs. Councillor Lees presided, and Mrs. Fawcett, LL.D., and Miss Robertson, B.A., were principal speakers.

The platform was representative of all shades of political opinion. The result of the meeting exceeded all previous attempts which the Manchester Society had made, for 130 persons gave in their names as wishing to become members of an Oldham Society.
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2.
The first meeting was held on Monday November 21st, 1910, in the Music Room, Werneth Park, by kind permission of Miss Lees. There was good attendance, and the following officers were elected:-

President: Miss Marjory Lees.
Vice-Presidents: Mrs. Bodden, Dr. Claydon, Mrs. Claydon, Mrs. McGowan, Mrs. Perry-Gore, Miss I .T. Rowntree, Mrs. J.W.Taylor, Mrs. Waddington.
Executive Committee: Mrs. Ingham, Mrs. Jagger, Dr. Pinniger, Dr. Olive Claydon, Miss Dornan, Miss Hughes, Miss Mitton, Miss Sharples, Miss M. Weeks.
Hon Secs: Mrs. Bridge, Mrs. Siddall.

One of the first things the Society did was to publish a leaflet giving the names of the officers and the objects of the Society, with a Historical Summary of the leading facts of the movement for the Parliamentary Enfranchisement of Women.

This Summary was compiled by the President, and has been much appreciated by other Societies. It was copied in the 'Common Cause'. We distribute it at all our meeting.

The year has been an eventful one. At our first meeting we were challenged to a Public Debate by Dr. Beaumont, of Manchester, an Anti-Suffragist. The challenge was accepted, and Dr. Olive Claydon kindly took the case for the Society. On January 26th, 1911, the debate took place in the King Street Co-operative Hall. Wm. Schofield, Esq., J.P. the ex-Mayor presided. There was a large audience. No resolution was submitted to the meeting in deference to Mr. Beaumont's wishes. The large increase of membership speaks for itself.

The second meeting of members was again held in the Music Room, February 27th, 1911. Miss Walsh, of Manchester, who had been our delegate to the National Union Council Meetings in London, gave her report and explained the policy of the Union with regard to members working at elections. Dr. Claydon also addressed the meeting on 'More Anti-Suffrage Fallacies'.

On March 29th, Mrs. Leo Grindon, LL.A, gave a delightful lecture to members and friends in the Music Room on Shakespeare's 'Winter's Tale'. All who had the pleasure of listening owe her their thanks.
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3.
On March 30th we began a big piece of work - the canvassing of women householders - and in addition, getting signatures to a petition in support of the Conciliation Bill. Those of you who gave no assistance can have no idea of the work involved. The result was very encouraging.

On May 4th, a petition, signed by 1,826 women householders was sent to Mr. Barton, M.P., who presented it, and the results of the canvas was that 77% of those interviewed declared themselves in favour of, and desiring, their political enfranchisement.

10,000 Leaflets explaining the Conciliation Bill, and 1,500 of the Historical Summary were distributed during the canvass.

On April 5th, 1911, the Oldham Town Council passed a resolution urging Government to grant facilities for the Conciliation Bill.

On April 7th, a public meeting was held in Greenacres Co-operative Hall. The President was in the chair, and addresses were given by Mrs. Philip Snowden and Mrs. J.B. Duckworth (Conservative and Unionists' Women's Franchise Association Executive). The resolution which was submitted in support of the Conciliation Bill was carried nem con.

On April 27th, a Social Evening, for members and friends, held in the Music Room, was greatly enjoyed. The proceeds were in aid of the funds of the Society.

On May 3rd, the Secretaries attended a Great National Convention in London on the eve of the second reading of the Conciliation Bill.

On June 17th, 23 members of the Society walked in the Great Suffrage Procession in London. The banner of the Society, which had been presented by a few members of the Executive was used for the first time, and each member wore a sash in the Union colours, presnted by the President (Miss Lees).

The society has reason to be proud of those who were able to undergo such a feat of endurance to show their desire for enfranchisement, and the members who represented you will never, I am sure, forget the splendid organisation, nor the brilliant spectacle of the procession of the 50,000 women, which was carried through without a hitch.
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4.
The tremendous crowds all along the route gave our contingent a hearty reception, though, from their remarks, they were evidently disappointed that we did not appear in shawls and clogs.

A Loyal Address from the Society was sent to their Majesties, King George and Queen Mary, on the occasion of their Coronation.

On July 7th, Mrs. Siddall, attended a Special Council Meeting held in Edinburgh.

On October 20th, a discussion between this Society, the Liberal Union, and the League of Young Liberals took place in the Reform Club, this being the first item in our winter programme. Wm. Barton, Esq., M.P., presided, and Miss Margaret Robertson, B.A., opened the discussion on our behalf. On a resolution being taken at the close only one voted against us.

On October 25th, Miss Mabel Sharples read a paper to the Young Men's Christian Association on 'Should Women Have Votes?' There was a good attendance, and the discussion which followed the reading of the paper resulted in several new members joining the Society.

The bare facts which I am obliged to give you in a report of this kind can convey no idea of the time your Executive has spent in carrying on the work of the year, but the syllabus which you should all have received will give you some insight of the educational work which is going on. During the winter we hope to put our view of the Conciliation Bill before all the Political Parties, the Teaching Profession, and Literary Societies.

I feel sure the Treasurer will excuse me if I poach on her preserves just to say a word on Finance.

It must have occurred to most of you that we have been obliged to spend money freely. The canvass was not carried through without cost, and all our other work has cost and will cost more than we have received from our subscriptions. I may tell you that once we were several pounds behind nothing, and but for the generous donation of £10 from Mrs. Councillor Lees, we should have been obliged, I am afraid, to curtail some of our work. Then, also, those who do most of the work felt obliged to give further donations in addition to their subscriptions. Probably this is all that will be needed to induce those members who can to give a little more than the minimum subscription next year.
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5.
The number of meetings held by the Executive is fourteen, and two meetings have been held for all members.

We closed the year on October 30th, with a well attended and delightfully pleasant social evening, the expenses of which were defrayed by the President.

The closing year finds us on the eve of a Parliamentary By-election. Three candidates are in the field, and all have been interviewed and are in favour of the Conciliation Bill. We are therefore not opposing any, but are very actively engaged in propaganda work. Our committee rooms are 30, Yorkshire Street, and the shop window is a splendid advertisement. Further details will belong to the report of 1912.

Our membership, October 31st, 1911, stands at 265. This Society being second in point of numbers in the Manchester and District Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies.

This report would be very incomplete if we omiitted to record that during the first year of the Society's work the position of Mayor of this large town has been held for the first time by a woman. It has been a year of strenuous work.

A General Election, and the Coronation of their Majesties, King George V and Queen Mary (to witness this ceremony the Mayor was summoned to Westminster Abbey), have made the year more than usually remarkable. It has too been a year of unusual interest in the labour world. A great national railway strike caused much trouble in many places, but in Oldham, in spite of the fact that we had also a strike of tramway employees, the Mayor's request for order in the town was generally obeyed, and it was owing to her intervention that the strike was quickly and satisfactorily settled.

A unanimous invitation to hold the office for another year speaks for itself of the wisdom and dignity with which a woman can hold so high an office.

Mrs. Lees has made history for the women of Oldham.

The Parliamentary By-election resulted in the return of Mr. E.R. Bartley Denniss.
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6.
The campaign of propaganda has been a vigorous one. We have given away at the candidates' meetings 9,000 copies of our election address. Every day dinner-hour meetings have been held. A public meeting was held in Queen Street Schools on November 8th, Miss Marjory Lees presiding. the character of the meeting was shown by the reading of a letter of synpathy from Captain Craig (Unionist), and the delivery of telling speeches by Mr. Ben Turner, J.P. (Labour), and Dr. Olive Claydon.

There is no doubt that the result of the campaign has been to stimulate interest in the Suffrage question in Oldham, and to make the aims and methods of this Society more widely known, literature was given away at the committee room to whoever applied, and the large posters which were on the hoardings attracted much attention.

After Mr. Asquith's pronouncement, a further letter was addressed to the candidates asking them to pledge to support the Conciliation Bill, and all three replied in the affirmative.

We congratulate ourselves on the result of our first election campaign.

Signed on behalf of the Executive,

Marjory Lees,
President.

1911

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