82 
III.—CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES. 
Funds, including' Accident, Compensation, and Insurance Funds; 
a dividend on purchases is in many cases paid to the customers of 
the Society; capital in some cases gets a further share in profits 
over and above the fixed rate of interest; and a portion of the 
profits, varying in different cases, is usually allotted to the 
employees in the shape of a bonus upon the wages earned by 
them, this bonus being wholly or in part capitalised as shares in 
the Society, entitling the holders to participate in the manage 
ment of the concern: in addition, in a considerable number of 
Societies, amounts are allotted out of profits to Provident Funds 
for the benefit of their employees. The goods produced by these 
Societies are in the main sold to Retail Distributive Societies, which 
frequently provide a considerable portion of the capital employed, 
and which share in the management by means of delegates 
elected to the management committees of the Societies. 
The number of the Workers’ Productive Societies which in the 
years 1899-1910 shared profits with their employees, the number 
of their employees participating in profits, the ratio of bonus to 
wages, and the amounts allotted out of profits to Provident Funds 
for the benefit of employees, are shown in the Table which 
follows: — 
Profit-sharing by Productive Associations of Workers, 
1899-1910. 
[ Compiled from Returns made to the Co-operative TJnion, to the Labour Depart ment, 
and to the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies.'] 
All Societies 
together. 
Societies which shared Profits with their Employees. 
Year. 
No. 
of So 
cieties 
at end 
of Year. 
No. of 
Employees 
at end 
of Year. 
No. of 
Societies* 
which 
paid 
Bonus on 
Wages 
in Year. 
No. of 
Employees 
receiving 
Bonus on 
Wages in 
Year. 
Ratio 
of 
Bonus to 
Wages 
of Parti 
cipants 
in Year. 
*No. of 
Societies 
which 
all otted 
Sums to 
Provident 
Funds in 
Year. 
Amount of 
Sums 
allotted 
to 
Provident 
Funds 
in Year. 
1899 ... 
99 
6,731 
46 
4,635 
Per Cent. 
5-8 
23 
f 
1,220 
1900 ... 
100 
6,912 
45 
4,745 
6-2 
24 
1,116 
1901 ... 
100 
6,899 
44 
4,947 
6-6 
20 
1,168 
1,578 
1902 ... 
108 
6,804 
52 
4,981 
4-4 
23 
1903 ... 
107 
6,861 
47 
4,527 
4'1 
22 
1,061 
1904 ... 
114 
6,788 
39 
3,893 
3-3 
18 
769 
1905 ... 
107 
6,555 
32 
3,417 
3-6 
13 
645 
1906 ... 
107 
6,813 
33 
3,929 
3-7 
16 
971 
1907 ... 
96 
6,755 
40 
4,280 
4-4 
19 
1,364 
1908 ... 
90 
6,744 
44 
4,675 
4-5 
26 
2,362 
1909 ... 
91 
6,671 
39 
4,908 
4-5 
23 
1^971 
1910 ... 
86 
6,766 
38 
4,969 
4-4 
j 
21 
2,480 
* Some of these Societies paid bonus on wages and also allotted sums to Provident 
Funds ; this was the case with 19 Societies in 1910. 
Out of the 86 Productive Associations of Workers in existence 
at the end of 1910 there were 40 which allotted a share in their