26 FRANCE - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



pointed each week, in numerical order, are charged to inspect the whole 

 business of the bakehouse. An ordinary general meeting is held every 

 four months. Every six months there is a general taking of stock, and, 

 every month a statement is made of the whole assets and liabilities of the 

 society ; these documents are posted at the head office. 



After deduction of the expenditure and the charges for the year, the 

 profits must be distributed at the general meetings as follows : 



10% to a reserve fund, which will cease to be compulsory when it 

 amounts to one fourth of the capital ; 



10 % to a fund for the assistance of members who are recognised to be 

 unable to pay for their bread (the society suppHes them with it for one 

 month only and then the general meeting decides by vote in regard to 

 their situation) ; 



8o *^/ to be distributed among all the members by means of a reduction 

 of the price of bread. 



In case of Hquidation, either anticipated or at the date contemplated 

 in the rules, the assets available after payment of all debts, charges and 

 engagements of the society, are distributed equally among the members 

 in proportion to their contributions. 



To meet the case of disputes between members or between the board 

 and members, a conciliation committee of nine members is appointed at 

 the general meeting, to settle, without recourse to legal proceedings, in 

 agreement with the board of management all differences that may arise 

 within the society. 



3. The civil society " en commandite simple " . — As we have already 

 said, the societies of this type are met scarcely anywhere except in 

 Touraine. The provisions of their rules, which exhibit an interesting applic- 

 ation of co-operative principles, have been generally imitated from those 

 of the two large co-operative bakehouses of the town of Tours, the Frater- 

 nelle and the Ruche tourangelle. Thus, the co-operative bakehouse of 

 Rochecorbon (Indre-et-Loire) is a civil society en commafidite simple, 

 formed to provide its members with the bread they require at as low a price 

 as possible. The members at first paid 40 frs. each, to cover the cost of 

 installation and initial establishment. An administrative commission of 

 17 members is charged with the business, under the supervision of an ex- 

 amining commission of at least 5 members elected at the general meeting. 

 The members are bound to supply themselves from the bakehouse under 

 pain of being considered as having resigned. The bread is delivered in 

 return for orders or tokens given to each member on his request, for 

 monthly consumption. The last day of each month, the administrative 

 commission estabHshes the price of the bread, according to the price of the 

 flour used, taking into account the general expenses, with an additional 

 centime per kg. at least to cover the expenditure and form a thrift fund. 

 In accordance with this price, the accounts of each member for the month 

 are regulated : payments must be made on the ist. and I5tb . of the month 

 following and a receipted invoice given in return showing the amount of 

 bread supplied to the member, the price per kg., and the amount of the debt. 



