SOCIAL ECONOMICS OF THE INDUSTRIAL ORDERS. 



resorts to a dispensary or hospital, he loses his 

 independence. That these are evils of serious 

 character, and widely prevalent, might easily be 

 shewn. In England, the ordinary medical prac- 

 titioner charges for medicine only, but he gives 

 much of that, and places a high price upon it. A 

 working-man, ill for three weeks, will find, on his 

 recovery, a bill of 30 or 40 shillings run up against 

 him, either causing him to break up his little 

 hoard in the savings-bank, or keeping him in em- 

 barrassment for the ensuing twelvemonth. Con- 

 ducted as the medical profession is in that country, 

 it is impossible, in short, for a poor man to have 

 independent medical attendance which he means 

 to pay without the most serious pecuniary distress 

 being entailed upon him. So severely is this felt, 

 that the resort to medical charities has of late 

 years been rapidly on the advance in England, 

 involving both more individuals, and individuals 

 of a better class than formerly. 



As a remedy to these evils, some benevolent 

 persons, with the co-operation of a few of the 

 more liberal of the medical profession, have insti- 

 tuted what are called Provident Dispensaries, the 

 main feature of which is, that the working-man 

 contributes a small sum weekly from his earnings, 

 to entitle him to medical attendance and the 

 requisite medicines, in the event of illness entering 

 his household the united contributions of a few 

 hundred members being sufficient to engage a 

 respectable physician, and defray all the other 

 expenses. Such institutions have been tried with 

 marked success in London, Manchester, Coventry, 

 Derby, and various other places. They are limited 

 strictly to the class who are unable to fee medical 

 attendants in the ordinary way, but who are yet 

 anxious to keep themselves in all respects above 

 the condition of paupers. Individuals wishing to 

 belong to the provident dispensaries must join 

 when in good health, as the object is in reality an 

 'assurance' against sickness, and the provident 

 character of the institution could not otherwise be 

 maintained. One penny a week is paid for each 

 adult of the family, and a halfpenny for each 

 dependent child. Individuals of the more affluent 

 classes contribute without the design of benefit for 

 themselves, in order to encourage the institution, 

 and from them in general the directing body is 

 chosen the only part of the arrangement which 

 we cannot fully approve of. From the proceeds a 

 medical man is feed, and medicines are provided ; 

 and it is remarkable that a thousand sick persons 

 connected with a provident dispensary have been 

 found to cost considerably less than a similar 

 number of patients resorting to the medical 

 charities. Of the same nature with these dispen- 

 saries is the practice, now pretty extensively 

 adopted at public works where a great number of 

 hands are employed, of compelling each workman 

 to deposit a certain amount of his wages for the 

 purpose of medical aid. 



CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES. 



The rise of the co-operative system forms one 

 of the most remarkable and hopeful features of 

 modern industrial life. For many years various 

 attempts had been made to form working-class 

 joint-stock companies for various purposes, but 

 the general ignorance of business matters dis- 

 played by the members, the absence of proper 



legislative protection for the funds of such bodies, 

 and the widely-spread distrust with which the 

 public invariably regarded the different experi- 

 ments, to say nothing of the wild and even mis- 

 chievous social and political views propounded 

 by some of the leading members, caused almost 

 every attempt to come to grief. At last, however, 

 a successful beginning was made at Rochdale, 

 in Lancashire, where a few working-men clubbing 

 their pence and shillings together, commenced 

 business on such a humble scale as to provoke 

 the derision of their neighbours and fellow-work- 

 men. But they were patient and persevering. 

 They were not to be deterred by the formidable 

 difficulties which stood in their way, but shewed 

 such a bold and determined spirit, that their 

 example became infectious, and in the course of 

 a few years the once insignificant Rochdale pro- 

 vision-shop became transformed into an establish- 

 ment doing business of such colossal proportions 

 as to excite the attention of the whole civilised 

 world. Commencing with 28 members in 1844, 

 in 1 86 1 the Rochdale Equitable Pioneer Co- 

 operative Society numbered no less than 4000. 

 At the end of 1872, the number of members was 

 6444. 'The original capital was .28 ; in 1872 it 

 amounted to ^134,167 ! The amount received by 

 the society for goods sold during 1872 was 

 267,572. The business of the society includes 

 the sale of groceries, provisions, butcher-meat, 

 drapery, clothing, &c. ; the various shops, or stores, 

 being distributed over the town and suburbs of 

 Rochdale. 



The manner in which a co-operative society is 

 Formed is extremely simple. A number of persons 

 join together, and agree to take one or more 

 shares each, paying for the same by weekly or 

 monthly instalments. The value of each share 

 is generally fixed at i. As soon as a sufficient 

 fund has been formed, a shop is taken, and stocked 

 with groceries and provisions. The members are 

 charged the current market price for all articles 

 purchased by them ; the difference between the 

 wholesale and retail prices of the goods, after 

 paying expenses of management and interest upon 

 subscribed capital, being divided among the 

 members, according to the amount of purchases 

 made by each, every quarter. As the business 

 increases, a reserve fund is formed, for the purpose 

 of meeting the depreciation of stock, fixtures, &c. 

 The excise licenses are taken out in the names 

 of two or three members appointed as trustees. 

 In 1867, an Act was passed giving greater facilities 

 r or the formation of co-operative societies, on con- 

 dition of their being duly registered ; and a later 

 Act, passed in 1871, confirmed many of the privi- 

 .eges conferred by the previous Act. 



The vital principle of all successful co-operative 

 societies is ready-money payments. The moment 

 that credit is given, the chief guarantee against 

 inancial loss becomes withdrawn. .The manage- 

 ment of the stores is generally confided to an 

 experienced man, engaged expressly for the pur- 

 DOSC, and who is required to provide substantial 

 sureties for honesty, &c. ; the affairs of the 

 association being confided to a committee elected 

 or that purpose. The accounts ought to be 

 audited every week, and there should be a taking 

 of stock every three months. The majority of co- 

 operative associations are simply trading societies, 

 dealing in groceries and dry-goods, and generally 



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