their formation, the date of which is given. Except in regard to the two baking societies (as to which see Report of 1889 Congress, pp. 41 and 42), I have taken the number of employees from The Co-operative Movement, by Miss Beatrice Potter—a treatise containing, in a concise form, a mass of valuable information.
Summarizing the figures in Table V. (relating to 70 societies), we find that as to thirteen the details are wanting; twenty-nine societies have not succeeded in paying any 'bonus to labour'; five have given a bonus equivalent to less than 1 per cent. on wages; in two cases the ratio has been 1.2 and 1.5 per cent. respectively; in five the ratio was from 2 up to 2.9 per cent.; in five others the ratio has been over 3 but less than 4 per cent.; in three over 4 but less than 5 per cent.; while four societies have paid from 5 up to 5.4 per cent.; two have paid 6 and 6.8 per cent. respectively; one has paid a bonus at the rate of 8.5 per cent. on wages; and one at the rate of 9.4 per cent.
One important point to be considered in relation to these 'productive' associations is the extent to which Profit-sharing is practised in each case; for the shareholders, in some cases, employ non-members, often in large numbers, and either altogether exclude these operatives from participation in the profits of the society, or give them a bonus of very much smaller proportions than that received by those among the employees who are members. In certain instances, again, the work is given out to sub-contractors, who, together with the persons whom they employ, are not permitted to share in any manner in the profits. To indicate with precision the societies, by which Profit-sharing is practised in this very limited manner, is a task of which no examination of any available information could secure the performance. The societies in question are placed by Miss Potter in her 'third division of associations of producers'—a category, in regard to which she says, 'Of these associations, taken as a class, I do not think it possible to speak too severely. For the most part, they are associations of small masters extracting profit out of the labour of non-members' (The Co-operative Movement, p. 142). The nineteen societies, against which the query, 'Profit-sharing partial only?' is put in the remarks column, are included by Miss Potter in this category.[1] It is shown by the illustrative
- ↑ The society, which appears in Table V. as having paid the highest average bonus of all, is thus described by Miss Potter, 'Has paid as much as thirty per cent. to capital: half dividend [i.e. "bonus to labour"] only given to non-members who form the majority of employees [97 out of 129.] Homework: with part of work given out
