25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, July 12, 1976

THE European Economic Commission is fast becoming a hothouse which produces a rampant growth of economic unreality. The latest senseless idea is to impose a tax on vegetable and mineral oils, which would put up the price of margarine so that it would become more competitive with butter.

The Common Market, of course, has a mountain of butter which it does not know how to dispose of. If, it argues, margarine stays cheaper than butter, no one will buy butter. If we put up the price of margarine, they will.

It does not seem to have occurred to anyone in Brussels that an even more efficacious method of disposing of the butter would be to reduce its price.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

July 12, 1951

TWO of Bolton's quads are poorly - James "rather poorly" and David "very poorly". The other two, Peter and Anne, and the mother, are satisfactory. This news was given this afternoon by Dr. T.N. Hart, superintendent obstetrician at the Bolton District General Hospital, where the quads were born late yesterday afternoon to Mrs Hilda Wilkins, 27, Hill Top, Little Lever. The quads were born in a matter of only 12 minutes.

Mr and Mrs Wilkins have two other children, Hilda, aged 13, and June, seven. Ten years ago Mrs Wilkins gave birth to twins which were stillborn.

Still rather bewildered by yesterday's news from the hospital, Mr Wilkins, a £5 15s a week van driver employed by Broughs, dryers and cleaners at their Little Lever factory, reported for work as usual promptly at 8 o'clock this morning.

But as soon as he had a minute to spare, he drove round to the Council Offices in an early attempt to solve his immediate problem of providing suitable accommodation for his wife and six children.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Even111ing News,

July 12, 1876

AN eloping couple, the female the wife of a Rotherham innkeeper, named Roweather, and her companion, an ironforger, named Wilkinson, were apprehended in Glasgow on Saturday in consequence of a telegram received by Chief-constable McCall. The innkeeper, along with two officers, arrived in Glasgow on Sunday morning, the officers having a warrant for Wilkinson's apprehension on a charge of stealing £23 in money and a quantity of wearing apparel, the property of Mr Roweather. Wilkinson was removed to Rotherham on Monday night.

The woman made advances to her husband for reconciliation, but these were all repelled, and she has been left in Glasgow penniless and friendless, and had to take the shelter afforded at the Central Police Office.

When apprehended, Wilkinson had £36 in gold in his possession. The couple were on their way to America. On Monday, Wilkinson was brought up at the Rotherham police court, on a charge of stealing £23, a silk dress, and other articles, the property of Roweather. Eventually the prisoner was remanded, bail being accepted for his appearance.