25 YEARS AGO: THE Government's battle to curb strikes and the unions is on. Productivity Minister Robert Carr today published proposals for new sweeping reforms to help bring peace to industry by law. They include measures for a 60-day cooling-off period, secret ballots among workers before strikes, making collective agreements legally binding and powers to take unions to court in breach of agreements. The unions are bound to find many of the proposals unpalatable, and a bitter clash can be expected this winter.

BOLTON'S Thanksgiving Week got off to a good start today, with almost a quarter of the £1,000,000 target already being reached. This time, instead of saving to provide weapons for war as in previous money-raising efforts, we are asked to lend all we can for something really worth while - reconstruction and all the noble and finer objects of life.

CONSIDERABLE interest was manifested this afternoon, by the delivery of an enormous stone flag, intended for "strong room cover" at the new building in course of erection for the offices of the Manchester and County Bank, in Hotel-street. The flag - which is one of three required of the same dimensions - was from Mr Hopwood's quarries at Harwood Lee; and the measurement was 10ft 6in by 6ft 9in, with a thickness of 12 inches.

A NUMBER of the young gentlemen of Farnworth are engaged in making arrangements for the formation of a local cricket club, to be called "The Farnworth Cricket Club". Eligible ground has been secured, upwards of £100 subscribed, and a resolution arrived at to engage the services of a professional.

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