16 
IT.— PRIVATE FIRMS AND COMPANIES. 
Ratio of Bonus to Wages. 
Detailed Tables with regard to the proportionate addition made 
to wages by the profit-sharing bonus in the case of those firms 
which have supplied the information are given in Appendix E 
(pp. 126 and 127), from which the following summary has been 
prepared. It will be noted that the average ratio of bonus to 
wages for the period 1901-1911 is 5'5 per cent, and that the 
ratios varied during this period from 7'1 per cent, in 1906 to 
4'5 per cent, in 1908, since which year they have shown a pro 
gressive increase up to 5'5 per cent, in 1911. 
Year. 
Number 
of 
Distribu 
tions. 
Number 
of 
Employees. 
Number 
of 
Participants. 
Average Bonus, 
taking into account 
the number of 
Participants in each 
case. 
1901 
54 
19,435 
11,816 
5-0 
1902 
53 
20,321 
12,343 
5-9 
1903 
50 
20,282 
13,067 
6-8 
1904 
52 
38,009 
16,341 
6-5 
1905 
52 
42,283 
16,942 
6-5 
1906 
58 
41,294 
17,922 
7-1 
1907 
55 
42,082 
18,921 
6-0 
1908 
62 
56,738 
34,059 
4-5 
1909 
71 
61,762 
38,881 
4-8 
1910 
86 
77,374 
50,461 
5-0 
1911 
100 
82,659 
51,443 
5-5 
Average Bonus 
for 1901-11. 
5 - 5 per cent, on Wages. 
B.—ANALYSIS OF SCHEMES NOW IN FORCE. 
An analysis has been made of the schemes of Profit-sharing 
at present in force with a view to classifying and comparing their 
principal features. The results of this analysis are stated below, 
the references to the various schemes being given by means of 
numbers, the kev to which is contained in Appendix A (pp. 95- 
101). 
Legal Contract or Gratuity. 
Most of the schemes make no express reference to the question 
whether the arrangement is a voluntary one or a strict legal 
contract. It is found that in a few instances( a ) only is the share 
in profits allotted to employees given to them as a matter of strict 
legal right. In some instances( b ) it is declared to be given 
gratuitously or as a voluntary payment, one firm (No. 11) de 
scribing it as “ an act of grace.” A few companies(°) expressly 
state that their profit-sharing schemes confer no legal rights on 
employees. 
(“) Nos. 3, 7, 49. 103. (") Nos. 11,14, 25, 27, 29, 31,40, 41, 125, 130 
(») Nos. 20, 29, 31, 42, 44, 92.