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R EA D IN G D IR E C T O R Y — 1 9 1 7 .

hall (form erly k n o w n as W e s t S treet H a ll), to w h ich th e m em orial b u ild ­
ings are attached. T h e hall is cap able o f seating 400 p erson s, and is used
p rin cip ally fo r religiou s, tem p erance and p h ila n th rop ic p u rposes. T h e
rem ainder o f the bu ildin g com p rises a lo d g e r o o m , com m ittee an d council
room s, w h ich ore chielly d e v o te d to the m eetings o f v ariou s tem perance
and benefit societies. T h e fea tu re o f the institu tion is the P alm er C lub,
w hich has r e fre sh m e n t,'g a m e s, sm okin g, reading and bath room s.
T h e R e a d in g A th le tic C lu b , established in 1883, has its h ea d quarters
a t th e G reat W estern H o t e l, S ta tio n r o a d ; th ere are u p w a rd s o f 300
m e m b e r s ; annual m inim um su b scrip tion , 2 s. 6 d.
T h e R ea d in g R o w in g C lu b , establish ed in 1867, has its boa t-h ou se ou
P ry ’ s island.
T he R e a d in g A m a teu r R e g a tta usually takes p la ce on A u g u st B ank
H olid ay.
T h e R e a d in g N atu ral H isto r y S o c ie ty w as fo rm ed in 1881 to p rom ote
the stu d y o f the n atu ral h isto ry o f its o w n d is tr ic t; fo r tn ig h tly m eet­
ings are held from O ctob er to M a rch , o n T h u rsd ay s, at W iilis o n ’s
h o t e l; an d fr o m M a y to A u g u st, fo r tn ig h tly , held m eetin gs are held
g en erally o n W ed n esd a y . A n n u al su b scrip tion , 3s. 6 d.
R ea d in g w as form erly dependent o n th e cou n try around for its trade,
and being situ ated in the m idst o f an agricultural d istrict, the su pplies
o f the neigh bouring p o p u la tio n arc still chiefly draw n from the town.
A s a m anufacturing p lace its ch ief business is to be fou n d in biscu it
m aking, iro n foundries and engine w o rk s, and ex ten siv e p rin tin g and
lithographic w orks ; and in seed g ro w in g , m altin g an d brew in g ; the sale
of corn , cattle and Hour is a lio carried on u p on an exten sive s c a le ;
there are b o a t bu ildin g establishm ents and p o tte r y an d brick w orks,
and rop e, m ats, tw ine, sacks, brushes, broom handles, broom stock s
and staves arc made.
T h e large biscu it fa cto ry o f M essrs. H u n tle y an d P alm ers L im ited , in
the R in g ’s road , cov ers m any acres, and is the m ost ex ten siv e establish ­
ment o f the kind in th e k in g d o m ; m ore than 6 , 0 0 0 hands m eet
w ith continuous em ploym en t in m aking the celebrated " R ea d in g biscuits ”
and p rep arin g and p ack ing them fo r the hom e trade and fo r e x p o rta tio n ;
attached to the fa cto r y are reading-room s w ith a w ell-stock ed library.
T h e R o y a l S eed establish m en t o f M essrs. S utton and Sons, w h ose head
quarters are here, o ccu pies m ore than 1 0 , 0 0 0 acres o f land in various
parts o f the U n ite d K in g d o m and on th e con tin en t, w h erever the soil
and circum stances are m ost favourable to s e e d -fa rm in g ; there is an
experim ental farm o f 110 acres o n the L o n d o n roa d , and flow er seed
grounds and a fine range o f glass houses on land a d join in g the r a ilw a y s ;
there are also exten sive tria l grounds situated at S ou th cote, at the
western end o f the tow n ; th e p rin cip al entrance to th e business prem ises
is in the M arket p lace ; here a large hom e and foreig n trade is carried
on b y a staff o f n e a rly 500 clerks and w arehousem en ; a rea d in g room
and library , fo r th e use o f the m em bers o f the establish m en t, also form s
part o f th e prem ises. A t th e top o f L o n d o n street are th e tin w orks
o f M essrs. H u n tley, B o o m e and S teven s L im ited , w h e re p lain and
ornam ental tin b ox es o f all d escrip tion s are m ade b y o v e r 800 w o rk ­
people. A m o n g th e brew eries those o f H . and G . S im on ds L im ited ,
D y m o re B ro w n an d Son L im ited, M essrs. B la n d y , H a w k in s and Co.