Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-19
BRATTLEBORo FRIDAY, May 1e. 1eo5.
A oPront sharInaY ExperImen,.

People have come to look askance at
corporation stores, as they are regarded
in the popular mind as institutions for
enrichlng large concerns and for bind
ing down the employees so as to make II
difficult for them to buy the necessities
Of life elsewhere. An entirely different
Interpretation Of the words comes in
recent articles in the Vermonter and the
Outlook, in which the 'proft sharing
experiment Of the Vermont Marble COM
pany is described, the sharing being all
on the side Of the employees.
This experiment began May /, 1908. at
the stores in Proctor, West Rutland and
Centre Rutland. The company has about
25O0 employees. and OF the sales the first
eight months, May l, 1908, to January /,
1904, the total Of 1851 800. IL included S17s,- =
1858 to employees and 71.sOs.73 to nom
employees. The profit was S16,296 and
the employees trading at Proctor received
a dividend on their purchases OF 10 per
cent. in West Rutland 9 per cent, and
in Centre Rutland per cent. For the
whole year 1904, the sales amounted to
$40s, $3.50, of which $500, 1872. 81 was to
employees, and the profit was s27, ,331. A.
The dividends last year were 10 per cent.
In Proctor, 0 per cent. in Centre Rutland
and per cent. in West Rutland. With
the dividend was delivered to each trad
ing employe a printed statement showing
the details of the business, the rates of
settlement, with the amount Of each in
dividuars purchases and dividend
The company retains no financial in
terest whatever in the profits of the
stores, and is credited with a rental for
the store buildings amounting to 4 per
cent. on the capital actually invested.
Beyond this it receives nothing, and any
suspicion OF selfish interest in having the
employees trade at the stores is eliminated.
The management is continued in the
hands Of the company, but a representa-
tive committee of five employees has a
consulting part in the mariagement.
supervision and auditing and settlement
and distribution Of profits at each store
Thus 1t will be seen that the employees
have the entire profits. but run no risk
with respect to losses. For many
years the Vermont Marble company had
run these stores on as low a margin OF
profit as safe business would warrant.
In 1902 the profit TO the company on all
the sales was only SO per cent, and in
some cases the facilities OF the company
brought marked reduction from the
regular market prices of goods in other
places. Coal, for instance, was sold
so to 70 cents per ton cheaper in Proctor
than in the nearby city Of Rutland.
Under the present arrangement the en-
ploye gets not only the profit on the goods
he buys, but on sales to non-employes
The Outlook. In commenting upon the
success OF the experiment says: Co
operative stores have long been profitable
and popular in England conducted on a
purely business basis without any altruis-
tic motive whatever. 1t is clear from the
experience OF this Vermont company that
the principle of commercial cooperation
may be combined with a spirit OF altruism
in a practical fashion Whatever ad-
vantage the company gets from this al
truistic work is found in the greater
content and happiness OF the employees,
from consequent greater efficiency, and
their increased loyalty to the company
for which they are working"
This story does not sound much like
the white slave" and "monopolistic con-
troll literature which was so extensively
circulated in the campaign for the gov
ernorship in 1902