Correspondence between WSC and Samuel Smethurst [Lancashire cotton mill-owner and Vice-Chairman of Oldham Conservative Association], chiefly while WSC was MP for Oldham, on subjects including: Smethurst's concern about WSC's support for Free Trade, Liberalism and 5th Lord Rosebery; the possibility of a new middle-ground political party led by Rosebery or a less radical Conservative Party; the difficulties of WSC leaving the Conservatives and his own moderate political views and dislike of extremism; the appointment of a new magistrate for Oldham; the possible closure of the Wesleyan Oldham Greenacres School; WSC's belief that Joseph Chamberlain [Secretary of State for the Colonies] would leave the Conservative Government over Tariff Reform; poor relief for mill workers; differences between WSC and the Oldham Conservatives over his support for Free Trade following Chamberlain's campaign for Imperial Preference and WSC's decision not to stand again as a Conservative candidate; negotiations with the local Labour Party; WSC's view that the Government could not stand much longer; the influence of Macaulay on WSC's own writing style; negotiations between the National Federation of Building Trades Employers [of which Smethurst had been president], the Trades Unions and the War Priorities Committee over wages and labour conditions for Government contracts.

Also includes an extract from Smethurst's biography, "Last of the Dinosaurs", by George Smethurst, on subjects including his relations with WSC.