It  should  be  stated  that  the  men  are  pleased  with  the  new
arrangement  of  55  hours  of  work  at  60  hours'  pay;  and
doubtless,  next  January,  when  dividends  are  placed  in  their
hands,  they  will  be  still  more  pleased,

HUDSON  BARREL  COMPANY.
An  instance  of  productive  co-operation  embracing  nearly
all  the  essential  elements  of  this  form  of  conducting  indus-
trial pursuits^  is  that  of  the  Hudson  Barrel  Company,  in  St
Croix  county,  Wisconsin.  Four  practical  coopers  are  work-
ing together  to  carry  on  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  bar-
rels, sharing  the  proceeds  equally,  according  to  the  time
each  contributes  to  productive  labor,  after  paying  all  gen-
eral expenses.
Charles  J.  Wikan,  one  of  the  co  operators,  writes  :

PreviousJy  our  shop  was  owned  by  one  man;  but  a9  long  as  he  was  pro-
prietor there  was  trouble.  He  bought  the  poorest  stock,  paid  the  lowest
wage?,  and  made  the  poorest  barrels.  At  last,  two  years  ago,  five  of  us
practical  coopers  bought  him  out,  taking  equal  shares  in  the  business.
The  miller  here  knew  our  reputation,  and  promised  to  purchase  our
barrels  as  long  as  he  needed  any,  and  pay  a  fair  price.  The  business  has
not  been  so  rushing  the  last  year,  so  we  bought  one  of  the  members  oat
last  spring;  wc  are  now  only  four.  We  are  cot  incorporated.  The  sales,
collections  and  bookkeeping,  are  attended  to  by  one  of  the  firm.
We  get  heads  and  staves  on  time,  pay  cash  for  poles.  We  sell  barrels  at
41  cents;  pay  17  for  staves  and  heads;  15  for  making,  and  8  cents  for  a  set
of  hoops.  We  generally  get  a  little  profit  out  of  the  poles,  so  as  to  pay
expenses,  and  the  balance  we  divide.
