52 Co-operative Societies. Co-partnership 



shares is all the capital a member is required to hold. 

 The maximum share capital of any person is limited 

 to 200 and the interest must not exceed 5 per cent. 

 All goods are sold at retail prices, and purchasers receive 

 checks and vouchers corresponding to the amount 

 spent on goods. Every quarter or half-year these 

 vouchers are paid in, and then the surplus of receipts 

 over expenditure is divided among members. Each 

 member has one vote, and the members elect a com- 

 mittee for the management of the business. 



The co-operative movement has been so successful 

 that there are now more than 1500 societies in the 

 British Isles, the membership is over 3,300,000, and the 

 sales amount to 165,000,000. In a recent year the 

 total profit of these societies was no less a sum than 

 17,000,000. Co-operation is one of the established 

 institutions of our country, and its importance is 

 recognised by statesmen and economists. Although 

 it is mainly a workmen's movement, it owes much to 

 the guidance of men of other classes especially to 

 Robert Owen, and to Charles Kingsley and Frederick 

 D. Maurice. 



The leading departments in these stores are associ- 

 ated with grocery and provisions, but there are generally 

 such other departments as baking, corn-milling, cabinet- 

 making, boot-making, tailoring, and dress-making. 

 Then there are English and Scottish wholesale societies 

 for the manufacture of all kinds of goods which they 

 supply to the various retail stores. The idea of co- 

 operation has affected other interests, and there have 

 been established co-operative fire and life insurance 

 societies, and co-operative societies in connexion with 

 the buying and farming of land. 



