THE LATE JAMES LOWE.
[To THE EDITOR OE THE " SPECTATOR.".1 SIR,—You may remember that, on the occasion of the death of my friend, Thomas Paterson, you allowed me space for a short account of him. I hope you will give me the same opportunity of mentioning to your readers the principal point in the work of another workman-leader who died last week, James Lowe, the President of the Borough of Hackney Working Men's Club. Lowe was a working tailor, who, by his energy and power of leadership, managed to found the largest workmen's club in London. Nor was the club remarkable only for largeness. An attack made upon the club by the great organ of the Licensed Victuallers led, some years ago, to an inquiry by the Workmen's Club Council into its special merits and defects. We found that it possessed a good library, which was actively used (books like the works of Mill and Grote were taken out), a capital reading- room, a large hall for lectures, a savings =bank, a dramatic society, and a band, which (so much we concede to the Morning Advertise•) certainly did play on Sunday. Besides this, at the end of every year, any surplus funds were devoted to the poor of the neighbourhood.
There was also a political committee, whose funds were to a large extent derived from the twopences always paid to them on the introduction of any stranger into the club. The politics, no doubt, were of the reddest, and the members of more prim and decorous clubs easily find holes to pick in the Borough of Hackney Club. But I doubt if any clubs can show as great a variety of life, or can produce a man of superior powers of leadership to James Lowe.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Sydney Cottage, Roslyn Hill, Hampstead. C. E. MAURICE.
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