Tuesday, February 1, 2005

100 years ago: No columnist had commented until now on the dispute as to whether cattle should be sold by lump or weight in the York Cattle Market. York Butchers' Association's members had decided not to purchase cattle offered by live weight, and farmers had taken exception to this. A conference was held at the Mansion House and it was hoped that an amicable settlement would be arrived at, but instead the situation was threatening to develop into a severe boycott all round, for the farmers decided not to send stock to the market until the butchers withdrew their resolution. The farmers were not bent upon forcing an immediate adoption of the system of selling by live weight, and were willing to continue the present method until all parties had become familiarised with the weighing system. The butchers had yet to reply, and it was feared that a crisis point was fast approaching.

50 years ago: Shilling-starved housewives and shopkeepers of Cornlands Road in Acomb wanted to know where the shillings went when the North Eastern Gas Board and the North Eastern electricity Board emptied their meters, as they weren't available at local shops. The butcher's wife and the newsagent on this new estate, having read in the paper that both companies supplied shillings at their central York office, decided to put it to the test, as they were asked daily for change. When they called at the gas showrooms they were refused change, and at the electricity offices they asked for £5 of shillings, only to be offered ten shillings. They tried the headquarters of one company, and asked for £100 of shillings, and were only offered £5-worth. Many men of the area were going to work without hot breakfast, and often on an evening women were seen going from door to door desperately asking for change, and now they wanted to know what the utility companies were going to do about it.

25 years ago: A plan to insure York Art Gallery's £5 million collection was shelved, leaving it without insurance for at least two months, but a review of the gallery's security arrangements was going ahead after the theft of a £20,000 German 15th century altar panel the previous November, which was still missing. York City Council's Policy and Resources Committee, which held the council's purse strings, blocked the payment of £1,662.50 for the insurance until the committee's estimates for 1980-81 had been considered, which was causing the delay.

Updated: 08:45 Tuesday, February 01, 2005