Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/bylawsofjointstoOOkawerich THE BY-LAWS OF THE JOINT-STOCK COMPANY, LIMITEO, ^^i^^^L- mmmm^;mm^m A Co-operative Commonwealth, Located in the Giant Forest and on the North Fork of the Kawoah River, Tulare County, Cal., P. 0. Address, care J J. Martin, Secretary, at VIS ALIA, TULARE County, California. ^"'^^n^^^^rs^^'* J. J. MARTIN. SECRETARY VIS/\L1A, CAL. 2 - JOINT STOCK COMPANY BY-tAWS Articfe I. Membership, Sec. 1. The capitalizati<>ii cf this Company may be in- creased or (letreased from tin e to time by a two-thirdt* vfite of the bh^ire holdets: Itis fixed at preRrntat $250,000. divi- ded into five yiundred sharns to bt- sold at their pfir value as hereinafter provided, said par value being Five HiHKbed dol- lars per share. Sec. 2. In consideration of thf> receipt of this ^500 as here- inafter provided, the company admits the pnrchaser to a spec- ified interest and conditional estate for life or years in the Colony. This estate consists of an equal share in the ad\ an- ta, es, emoluments, dividends, profits declared during his es- tate and privileges appertaining, or in any wny belonging thereto, and the full use and enjoyment of the same in com- mon with ;vll its members. The lelation established by admitting a member is a per- sonal relation and each and every member is a trustee fir each and all others and for thi- Company at large. Sec 3. Membership shall commence upon payment of the , fir t ten dollars of the amount of capitalization, ^vbject to' the oonditions and agreements stipulated and set forth ui>on the cei tificate of membershi]). S«c. 4. As soon as a member has contributed in money the 8(.m of One Hundred ($100) dollars, he or she w^ill be n - titleu to residence and empb yment on the j rounds (rf i\ ^^ Colony. He or she will be placed upon a liwt of meml ef-h i» in rolHlion in order of pavment. Tho^*e M-ho.M' nauie^ Jai v. fir^t oii this list will be entitled to precedence in ihea iegn.;.r order, and will have the first privile- e to emp'o\ment iii lie CoJoijy. >ev. 5. Mendierv will be !.'iven the oppoitunity to p.<> their cajMtaiization of$500bv installment. But, these inhtali- mcuth uiUhl be paid at the rate of n. t Icsk than $5 \nx uionlli. Any uiembei in aire rs in f)avment of his monthly nif-tall- meiiU toi thiee months- u'ay bv vote of any General Mtei- ing, be cropped hwUi the member^hii. roll. Sec, 6. Ajiplicanta for memberfihip, ncvt vouched for by any member of this C"lony, must giTe sjitisfactory reference* as to his fitnesH for membership. All applicants for meml er ship will lie required to fill out the blank form of application prescribed by the Colony. Kejected applicants for member- ship will have the amount deposited by them returned. Si(;. 7. No member shall have any advantage, privilege, benefit or emolument over the others. Sec. 8. Children of metiibers are eligible to become mem- bers <.f the Colony, at tlie age of eighteen years, upon the payment of the fee prescribe*! Ity the By-Laws as applied to anyone wishing to become a niember, provided, however, that if 8uch*app>licaTita haNe been residents upon the giounds of the Colony foj- the period of five yeais, ]>rior to their majori- ty, then their fee may be paid entirely in labor, if so desired. Sec. 9. Every member shall hav*» equal opportunity to work for the Colony in the avenue of employment for which he or she is best fitted. Sec. 10. Every member will be required to render value in either labor, money, material or services for everything he or she receives from the Colony. Sec. 11. A member can withdraw from the Colony at any time by giving three month's notice to the Secretary, of bis intention to do so. He will be entitled to receive back all that he has paid upon his certificate, but any debts he may owe the Colony will be deducted therefrom. The payment fihall he made at the earliest possible convenience of the Col- ony, but shall not be given priority over other liabilities whose payment is necessary tf» the perpetuity of the Colony. Sec. 12. Upon the withdrawal of a member his private dwelling and improvements, if he hare any, will be valued at a fair valuation upon the basis of cost, and he will be al lowed the full vaiue of the appraisement, whatever it may be. Sec. 13. The Board of Trustees shall provisionally accept or reject all members. All names of members thus accepted or rejected shall be published in the monthly report to all members, and if no contrary vote a& provided, is received within thirty days, then the Board's decision, shall stand. A negative vote of any five members suspends the applicant un- til the Board submits his case, which they shall do in their - 4 - next report. In s)ieh vote, five j>er cent, of ruirative \^>if^ finally reject^J. Any applicant rejected liy the Boaid nja> , njion recornniendiition of five niend>ers, appeal to the full membershi|», in which case a two-thirds v. te shall elect Sec. 14 The certificates of membership herein are n t transferrable withon't, the consent of the C« n'])aiiy. Sec. 15. No person shall hob] more than (»iie certificate ..f membership in the Company. St-c. IG. Two votes inhere to each share where the share holler is married; one of the^^e votes may Ite cast by the wife and the other by the husband. Where the share hnhU-r i> unmarried he or she shall be entitled t<' cast but one vote. Sec. 17. All land, buildings, stock, croi)s, machinery, warehouses, tools, stores nTid other propeity, except private dwellin;.,'s and personal effects and hereditaments (.f niend t) contained therein, and other K<»ods an , si. all be lield in e(»n - mon bs the share holders. See. 18. Each member shall be eiititled to a piece of land n(»t less than one hundred and fifty by one humlred and fifty (150x150) feet, upon which he may eie-t a dw*lllit, an*' shall enjoy exclusive use and privilege of the same mm U^rii- a.« he remains a member of the Company. Sec. 19. No member or other person will l)e allowed to keep a store for the sale or exchanjj^e of t,M)od> or wares of any kind or description u])on the lands of the Company, nov shall any one colonis"/ emph)y another. Sec. 20. The Colony shall ke/^p a store for th. convf^nience r)f members, at whicli all articles of nece^sity can be pur- chased by them with the labor time < hecks ])rovifle.i fo) by the Colony. Cost shall be the lindt of ]>rice Sec. 21 In case of the fleath of a member, the amount paid ui)on his certifieafe. t<»!.;ethe]' w 'h the actual cost of Ihe buihliivjs and useful imj)rov. ments (if anyi that he nmy Jiave erected upon the buildini,' lot o(!. upird by him shall be [taid to his legal heirs. P.ut the same shall liot be pa} aT>le nntii one year after the death of the mendter. unlrs>! at the «vi)tioi^ of the Board r)f I'nistees. - 5 — A rtic le 2, \ dministra t i. on. Sec. 1. The principal place of business >>\ i\\e Couipan}' shall be the Comi)any ^'roiuuls at Kavveah, 'I'tilaie (.Jount.N , California. Sec. 2. The (General Meetings of the Oomp.jny shall be held at the principal place of business on the fiist Saturday of each month at 2 p. M. A quorum shall consist of twenty members but a lesser number may adjourn from time to time until they secure the attendance of the requisite numi t-r of members. The firht business of each such meHtin- shall !)« the election of a chairman. The (general Secretary of the Company shall act as the Secretarj' of the General Meeting. In his absence a secretary pro tern, shall be elected. Sec. 3. The proceedings taken at any General Meeting shall be notified to the whole m« ujbership by the (general Secretary in his monthly report. Sec. 4. The supreme authority of the Company is the Membership and except as otherwise herein provider rendered to the Colony by the lueni- bers, and by the Colony to the members until otherwise or- dered by the Colony. 8 — 8 — Sec, 3. At least twenty-tive j)er cent., of all surplus in the liiinds of the Treasurer each year sliall l»e in vested under the direction of the Colf)ny, by the Board of Trustees, in a plant of some kind that w ill tend to promulgate our co-opera- t ive views, and to benefit h\inianity in general- such plant or iiinds to be forever used for purposes tending to elevate mankind under the control of the ( 'olony. The balance shall t>e declared as dividends among those to whom time (■heck-* wf>r'=' is>-ued. in proportion to the hours worked, or shall by ( 'ompany vole be devoted tw the improvement of the Colony phiiit. Taxation of Company members shall be equal. .Sec. 4. The Trustees shall create from time to fcime as oc- casion arises, the necessary departments for the fu^ndnistra- tion of the work of the Comi>any upon the lines laid down in (Tronlunrl's Co operative Commonwealth. Sec. 5. These by-hiws may be altered or amended by res- oitition i)resented in writing at any meeting of the Colony, provided however, that all such resolutions shall be filed with the Secretary, open to the inspection of members at }i,t least twenty days before said meeting. Immediately upon such filing the Secretary shall notify ail non-resident mem- pers of the purport thereof. Sec. 6. For the amendment of the foregoing by-laws a majority vote of the membership shall be required. Sec. 7. The Deed of Settlement can Only be amended by a three fourths vote of the membership aud no by-law can be ])rtssed in conflict therewith, it being of superior binding force.