January 29, 1862.-The PRESIDENT in the Chair.

The following gentlemen were elected members of the Society, viz. : -Mr. Henry S. Macpherson, 21 West Prince's Street; Mr. David Ritchie, Iron-founder, Pollokshields; Mr. James Carrick, Hotel Proprietor, 50 George Square; Mr. Alexander Macdonald, 12 Claremont Terrace; Mr. John Stott, Actuary, 39 St. Vincent Place.

Dr. Anderson made some observations on Paranapthaline.

Professor H. D. Rogers continued his "Inquiry into the Physical Causes and some of the Social Effects of the Abnormal Distribution of Temperature in North America," and expressed his wish to resume the subject on a future occasion.

February 12, 1862.--The PRESIDENT in the Chair.

Mr. John William Baxter, Merchant, 3 Virginia Street, was elected a member of the Society.

The President reported that to-day a meeting of representatives of the Scientific Societies of Glasgow was held in the Hall of this Society, on the invitation of the Council, when it was unanimously agreed to present a joint Address of Condolence to the Queen on the death of Prince Albert. The Societies represented at the meeting were the Philosophical Society, the Institution of Engineers in Scotland, the Architectural Society, the Archæological Society, the Shipbuilders' Association, the Natural History Society, the Geological Society, and the Association of Assistant Engineers. Professor Rankine and Mr. Keddie were appointed a committee to prepare the draft of an address. Dr. Allen Thomson described the "Mechanism of Respiration in the Lower Animals, and principally in Birds."

On Co-operative Societies in Glasgow. By MR. JOHN D. CAMPBELL, Sub-Inspector of Factories.

I Do not intend in this paper to give a full account of the Co-operative Societies at present existing in Glasgow, which would require a more laborious inquiry than I have had patience to make, and would be, after all, of little importance, as co-operative societies are extending themselves so rapidly that statistics, however carefully collected, would soon be antiquated. I merely wish to lay before the Philosophical Society a sketch of the present position of the co-operative movement, that those members who take an interest in such subjects may be enabled to inquire for themselves into its prospects and its value as a means for the elevation of our labouring classes.

Co-operative societies of various kinds have long existed in Glasgow, but the great impulse which they have recently received has been due

to their success in the North of England, especially at Rochdale and Leeds. The history of the Rochdale societies must be pretty well known to most persons here present, but it is probably new to some, and I shall therefore give a very brief account of it, which will serve as an introduction to my sketch of the Glasgow societies, most of which are established on the Rochdale system.

In the year 1844 twenty-eight persons established the society called the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers. They were, I believe, mostly Owenite Socialists, and I mention this fact because, though I think that many of Robert Owen's principles are erroneous, and some of them detestable, it shows that he had the power of impressing his disciples with that faith which has in all ages and countries been the mother of great deeds. These twenty-eight persons subscribed a capital of £28, with which they started a grocer's shop on a very small scale. The principles on which the society was started were in many respects original. The shares are not transferable, but any shareholder may, subject to certain restrictions, demand the re-payment of his capital. All shareholders have an equal vote in the management of the concern, and receive a uniform dividend of five per cent. on the capital invested-the remaining profits being divided among purchasers of goods in proportion to the amount of their purchases, tin tickets being given to every customer when he makes a purchase, which are collected quarterly, and show the amount of each customer's dealings. The society has now several branches, and sells groceries, butcher meat, draperies, shoes, and clogs, which are largely worn in the North of England. Its success may be seen from the following statistics, which I take from the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers' Almanack for 1862:

The dividend on purchases for the last quarter was at the rate of 2s. 1d. in the pound.*

*This large dividend is partly derived from investments in other co-operative societies, and no dividend is given on purchases of sugar, which swells the apparent profit on other articles. The Glasgow societies pay a dividend on sugar.

In the year 1851 a corn mill was established, which supplies flour to many co-operative societies in the neighbourhood of Rochdale, and to the public at large, but whose best customer has always been the Pioneers' Society, who have had a considerable sum invested in it from its commencement. This concern has also been very successful. I will not trouble the meeting with its statistics year by year, but in 1861 they stood thus

There is also the Rochdale Manufacturing Society, the Co-operative Land and Building Society, and others, which I will not detain the meeting by describing.

I now proceed to give an account of some of the Glasgow co-operative societies, especially of those which are established on Rochdale principles. The most important of these is the Glasgow Co-operative Society, which started in February, 1858, just four years ago, on a very moderate scale, their total capital, after payment of preliminary expenses, being £5. Since this unpromising beginning, its progress has been as follows:

In the course of the following year a great impetus was given to the cause of co-operation in Glasgow by the meeting of the Social Science Association, and by the delivery and circulation of a lecture by Mr. Wm. Chambers, strongly advocating co-operative principles. The result of this was, that at the end of the third year the account stood thus

Members, 1,143 ... Capital, £1,070... Goods Sold, £8,168 ... Profit, £375.

The accounts for the fourth year have not yet been made up, but the report for the quarter ending Dec., 1861, shows, that the capital had increased to £1,975, and the goods sold, to £7,745, i. e., about £31,000 a-year. The profits for the quarter were £442, and the dividend on purchases 1s. 1d. in the pound. It might naturally be supposed that the income of the Society would have suffered from the depressed state of trade which now unhappily prevails, but this has not been the case, for I am informed that the sales for the last two weeks have exceeded £700 per week, i. e., £37,000 per annum, and this increase has been marked in the Calton, where most of the members are dependent on the cotton trade.

The Society has now a central establishment at 11 Stirling Street, City, and branches in Calton, Bridgeton, Cowcaddens, Anderston,

Laurieston, Parkhead, Maryhill, and Pollockshaws, at all of which groceries are sold, drapery goods and boots and shoes being also sold at the central store, but not at any of the branches. There is also a bakehouse in the Gallowgate, containing three ovens, which is now too small for their increasing business, and the Society is making arrangements for the purchase of a piece of land on which to erect a bakehouse of their own, containing ten ovens, together with stables and other buildings for the use of the Society. The additional capital required for this purpose is being rapidly subscribed, and the only delay is caused by the difficulty of procuring a suitable piece of ground. Some members talk of starting a corn-mill as their next enterprise, but the more cautious think that they had better wait a little longer before undertaking a work of such magnitude.

There are several other societies on the same principle in Glasgow which I need not refer to at much length, such as the West of Scotland (formerly the Blacksmiths') Co-operative Society, with three branches, and a business of £6,500 per annum; the St. Rollox Co-operative Society, originally started by the workmen of Tennant's chemical works, with two shops, and a business of about £6,000 a-year; the Caledonian Co-operative Society, chiefly supported by servants of the Caledonian Railway, with a shop in Cumberland Street, and a business of £3,900 a-year; the Artizans' Co-operative Society in Sydney Street, with a business of £2,500 a-year; the Southern Co-operative Society in Hospital Street, whose members come mostly from Dixon's iron-works, and probably some others. There are also many societies more or less resembling these, some of which, as the Kelvinhaugh Society, divide all profits among shareholders; and some, such as the Bridgeton Old Society, among purchasers; and have other differences in their constitutions which I have not particularly inquired into. Among these I may mention two in Bridgeton (one of which has been established thirty years) one at Tollcross, one at Parkhead, one at Kelvinhaugh, and two or three at Rutherglen. As my object has been to direct the attention of those present, especially of employers of labour and others who are thrown much in contact with the working classes, to the increase of co-operative societies, rather than to give a detailed account of them, I have not obtained complete statistics of their operations; but I am convinced that the aggregate amount of their dealings would be considerably under-estimated at £70,000 per annum, and this amount is steadily and rapidly increasing. The co-operative principle is also being applied in the towns and villages in the neighbourhood. I know that stores on the Rochdale model are in successful operation at Paisley (where a business of £400 a-week is done), Greenock, Port-Glasgow, Thornliebank,

Alexandria, Dumbarton, and Busby, and no doubt in many other places. Attempts are now making to unite the different Glasgow societies into one body, and conferences of delegates are being held to discuss the subject; but I do not know whether any progress has as yet been made in these negotiations.

Let us now consider the effect of these societies on the condition of the working classes, by whom they are almost exclusively supported. In the first place, all sales are made for ready money. This is of itself an immense advantage, as all must see who are acquainted with the injurious effects of the credit system, which are even worse in Scotland than in England, owing to the operation of the law of arrestment.

Secondly. The articles sold in these shops are sure to be of good quality; if they were not, the shareholders would soon remonstrate. Thirdly. Though the goods are sold at the same price as in other shops, they are a good deal cheaper in the end, as a considerable portion of the price is returned in the shape of dividend to purchasers.

Fourthly. By far the most important advantage of these societies is the encouragement they give to provident habits among the labouring classes. All who are acquainted with the habits of our workmen must know how frequently even the well paid and well conducted among them live entirely from hand to mouth, and are reduced to utter destitution by a short period of sickness or loss of employment. Much good has no doubt been done by Savings Banks; but these have never become thoroughly popular with the working classes, who look with a certain amount of suspicion on all institutions not originating among and managed by themselves.* These societies form a ready means for the investment of the savings of the working classes, and all accruing interest is added to the principal, as in a Savings Bank, though it may be drawn out at the end of the quarter, if the shareholder wishes to do Besides this, every purchase made is actually accompanied by a deposit in the Savings Bank, without trouble to the purchaser; for the proportion of profit divisible on purchases is carried to the account of the purchaser, in the same manner as the dividend on capital.

So.

I may, perhaps, seem to some to have been too zealous in my advocacy of the co-operative principle; but I am fully alive to its difficulties and dangers. The Equitable Pioneers' Society at Rochdale, and most of the other successful co-operative societies, were started in the face of great difficulties, and the experience gained by their promoters in the up-hill work of the commencement was of great service to them in more prosperous times. It is now a very easy thing to start a co-opera

*The failure of the Rochdale Savings Bank was one great cause of the rapid progress of co-operation in Rochdale.