paid, the office correspondence, the books containing alphabetical lists of public libraries which had been furnished with reports, as well as those containing the register of names of individuals to whom reports had been sent; in fact, every record connected with the work of the office was destroyed.

In addition to this, a valuable library consisting of about six hundred volumes was either entirely consumed or the books so damaged as to render them worthless. This library consisted of works upon political economy, social science and statistics, many of them being German and French works of value. There were also a large collection of reports from our own government, including the census reports for 1870, and, as far as issued, the report of 1880, together with reports from the Treasury Department, the Department of Agriculture, of the Interior and of Education, all of which were valuable in carrying on the work of the Bureau. A large collection of pamphlets bearing upon the labor question, many of which cannot be replaced, is entirely destroyed.

I very much regret the loss of all the previous reports of the Bureau remaining on hand. There were but few complete sets, but of the reports for the years 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1883, unbound, there were altogether about fifty copies, all of which are destroyed.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES BISHOP,

The Legislature immediately passed the following act :

Chief.

AN ACT to provide for the purchase of furniture and appliances rendered necessary by the late fire at the state house, to provide for the care of the public documents and records, and to defray incidental expenses incurred on the occasion of the said fire.

1. BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That the governor, treasurer, comptroller and attorney-general of this state shall be and they are hereby empowered to authorize the immediate purchase of such furniture and appliances for the several departments of the state as have been rendered necessary by the late fire, and to defray such incidental expenses as were incurred on the occasion of the said fire, and were immediately consequent thereupon, and the necessary sums to make such purchases and defray such expenses are hereby appropriated, and the comptroller is authorized to draw his warrant for the same upon duly authenticated vouchers.

2. And be it enacted, That the said officers shall have power and authority (after consultation with the several state officers and heads of departments) to assign to the use of the several officials such rooms and offices and fire-proof vaults, whether in the present state house or elsewhere, as the said governor, treasurer, comptroller and attorney-general shall deem necessary for the proper and efficient transaction of the business of the state, and for the safe care of the public books, documents and records. 3. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately. Approved March 26th, 1885.

The committee appointed under this act at once entered upon their duties, and at an early date comfortable rooms were provided, in which the work of the Bureau could be carried on.

The library having been entirely consumed, application was made to the Commission for an appropriation in order to purchase such books as were required for immediate use, and also serve as a nucleus for a new library. The sum of $250 was authorized for the purpose, and of this $155.83 have been expended. During the month of April correspondence was opened with the Chiefs and Commissioners of other State bureaus for the purpose of obtaining as many of the earlier volumes of their respective reports as possible, to replace those which had been destroyed, and so general were these responses that the library was soon supplied with fairly complete sets of all the State bureau reports.

Through the courtesy of the Hon. John R. McPherson, of the United States Senate, the Bureau had been furnished with a complete set of the United States Census Report for 1880. These volumes having been consumed by the fire, a successful application was made to the Hon. J. Hart Brewer for another set.

The importance of co-operative work, as one of the simplest and most direct methods of aiding the workingman in the improvement of his condition, is now generally admitted. The attention of our wageearners has again and again been directed to the subject in previous reports, and the article comprising Chapter I. of Part 3 but supplements our efforts in this direction. It is somewhat more extended in scope, but embodies the principal features of the paper on "People's Banks in Germany," the copy of which, as was stated in our seventh report, was destroyed in the State House fire.

The workingman is giving more attention to the study of the laws which govern production, and, as he gets to understand these laws, is obtaining a clearer insight of his duty towards his fellow-workmen as well as his obligation towards his employer; and it will surely come to pass, as employer and employed begin to understand their respective duties, and strive to act under a higher moral code, that obstacles which before seemed insurmountable will be removed out of the way and more harmonious relations will exist. Such relations will tend to develop some system of profit-sharing. It is a hopeful sign that quite a number of firms have given full study to the question, and find economy in a division of profits at the end of the year among their

workmen. To quote the language of Mr. Cushman, of the firm of Cushman & Co., shoe manufacturers, at Auburn, Maine, who have recently submitted a plan for profit-sharing to their seven hundred employes: "We want to make the business more secure and permanent, and our relations with our workmen more fraternal. We want to avoid the feeling of jealousy and antagonism that exists often between labor and capital with consequent loss to both. In short, we want to secure practical co-operation in spirit and letter, in a thoroughly-organized, efficiently-managed business that shall result in the greatest possible 'gains and honors,' wherein every interest and every individual shall jointly and equitably share."* The firm retains its business in its own management and pays the highest rate of wages, but after setting aside a just amount for interest on capital, depreciation in machinery, and for management of the business, divides the profit that remains "between themselves and their employes, in the proportion that labor contributes to the cost of the goods, the dividend to be based on the amount earned by each." The N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company, of St. Louis, have issued a circular to their employes, upon the following basis: that "beginning with January 1st, 1886, after allowing seven per cent. interest on actual capital invested, the remainder will be divided equally upon the total amount of wages paid and capital employed." Many other examples of profit-sharing recently put in operation might be referred to, but this is enough to show that the future is more hopeful for the association of capital and labor in the profits of those industrial enterprises where their combination constitutes the principal element of production.

But "profit-sharing" merely is but a step towards co-operative labor, co-operative production, the goal of the co-operative movement, which means that the workers themselves shall divide all the profit. And some of the leaders do not stop here, but look ahead to far nobler ends. M. Godin who founded the Familstère, a little co-operative Republic,‡

*Lewestown Journal of March 6th, 1886.

†The Age of Steel, St. Louis, March 20th, 1886.

At Guise, France, a quarter of a century ago. But there is only one Godin. His Familistere is unique, and has no duplicate. For this reason we have not mentioned it in the article on Co-operation given below. A description will be found in our report for 1882. M. Deynand, a delegate to the Paris Co-operative Congress, mentioned above, gave the following report of the working of co-operation at Guise:

"The Familistere of Guise is an association where co-operation is in action under the most varied forms. The dwellings, the supply of necessaries, education, production, mutual aid, the promotion of wealth and cleanliness; even many forms of employment are organized there on co-operative principles. This group of 2,000 persons possesses a foundry, where apparatus for cooking and heating, and articles of furniture, are made of cast iron. Its social capital is above £240,000. Its business is close upon £160,000 a year. It pays in salaries nearly £ 0,0 0. The sales from its shops and rents of habitation are about £24,000. Large reserve funds allow it to realize

recently expressed his ideas of co-operation in an address before "The Co-operative Congress of Consumers' Societies," held at Paris, July, 1885:

"What I especially desire to say to you is, that the future of cooperation depends upon the intelligence and the love of good which the societies apply to the employment of the resources created by cooperation. To become a real source of social improvement, co-operation requires to draw its inspirations from the motto, in the name of which the Congress has been convened

"All for each, and each for all.'

"To be thus inspired co-operation must be something else than a mercantile speculation. The idea of gain may enter into the conception of its foundation, but it must at the same time pursue a higher end-the emancipation of the workers. Co-operation may powerfully conduce to this work of emancipation, if it attains (1) the conception how rationally to employ the resources which it is called to realize; (2) the will to act on it.

"This is in fact the difficult part of the problem. For the success of co-operative societies greatly depends on the immediate advantages that they offer to their members, of whom many are more eager to enjoy at once a slight benefit than to seek the means of obtaining all that the societies, if well directed, might do to realize the elevation of the laboring masses. The disposition to divide profits as soon as they are made, and to make of them an object of pecuniary individual appropriation, comes from the egotistical thought of 'Every one for himself,' which is far removed from 'Each for all, and all for each.' This disposition must be reformed; this ignorance be enlightened. The art of constituting co-operative societies, so as to make them really conduce to improve the condition of the working class, consists in converting this egotistical sentiment into a more intelligent conception of the common interest; in making the mass comprehend that what they should seek is the permanent benefit of institutions securing the independence of the workers, and guaranteeing them against misery and

want.

"To attain this object, the co-operative societies must in the first

at any moment in its machinery and plant every improvement called for by the advance of science and industry. Its funds for mutual aid, maintained by regular subscriptions, by liberal contributions, and other revenue of a reserve fund continually growing, which already exceeds £38,000, spends more than £1,000 a year in mutual help, in pensions, and in guaranteeing in cases of distress a minimum of subsistence. The dwellings of the Familistere are divided among three social palaces, inhabited by more than 600 families. The association is proprietor of its schools. Its staff of instructors includes seventeen masters and mistresses. Its educational budget exceeds £1,400. A theatre completely fitted up which can accommodate more than 1,200 spectators belongs to the association, which, besides, maintains spacious lawns and beautiful gardens for the recreation of its members, to whom it also lets special garden plots. A laundry, a washing house, baths provided with all conveniences, and a plunging bath fed by a constant stream of warm water, minister to the care of health. Societies for music, for gymnastics, for archery, for bowls, &c., constitute numerous groups, organized according to the likings of their members; each special group obtaining from the association the space and accommodation necessary for its exercise and games. Every year we hold with much solemnity the festivals of labor and of infancy."

place never lose sight of the necessity of all their members being united by a fraternal bond. From the beginning of a society, its rules should establish mutuality among its members, by their subjecting themselves to a special monthly subscription, destined to create among them a system of mutuality, capable of assuring them the assistance required during sickness, or in old age. The co-operative society should then make a grant in aid of this mutuality, in the form of a fixed percentage on these subscriptions, as a first charge upon its profits. Thus would be formed a bond of union-the bond of co-operative fraternity. What is more necessary than that we should assist one another in misfortune? Is it not one of the first duties of a co-operative society to organize mutuality among its members, and guarantee them against want?

"Then comes the important problem of the division and employment of profits, a subject which at present is little more than sketched out in co-operative societies. To this point, also, I desire to call your most serious attention, for the future power of co-operation lies in the mode of division, or rather in the employment, of these profits.

"In my judgment, co-operative societies ought not to part with the profits that they make. They ought to enter them to the credit of each of their members entitled to them, and to give them only certificates of shares, carrying interest at an agreed rate-for instance, that borne by the funds of the State. In this way co-operators, while put into possession of their dividends, would leave the value of them in the co-operative movement. The co-operative societies would thus soon be in command of important amounts of capital. They would be able to pass from co-operation for consumption to that for production; that is to say, to found co-operative centres of work in manufacture and agriculture, establishments in which all the workers should be considered as co-operators in the proportion of their work or salaries.

"Nor should the co-operative societies, when grown rich, stop at these efforts. They should go on to found alongside of their workshops and farms, palaces for habitation, foundations which would represent the funds constituting the collective capital of the co-operators.

"The profits of commerce, the profits of industry, and the receipts for rent, would then enter into co-operative distribution; work and the worker would no longer be excluded from sharing in the profits which they are the principal agents in producing. Co-operation would thus be at once commercial, industrial, and proprietary. Applied in this way to production, habitation, and consumption, it would become the association of human resources and powers, and by thus solidarizing individuals and families, would effectually contribute to give to work and the workers the securities of which they are now destitute. "Such, in large outlines, is the scheme to which I desire to draw the attention of co-operators; such is the goal to which the co-operative societies should turn, if they would seriously seek after the improve