These last are subdivided into eighty-five shares,
of which two are held by each chief factor, and one by each chief
trader.
"Clerks are paid by salary. Only a clerk can be promoted to a chief
tradership (1-1/85 share), and only a trader to a chief factorship (2-
1/85 shares). The promotions are made by the Company on the nomination
of the chief factors, though this rule has not always been adhered to.
On retirement an officer holds his full interest for the first year,
and half this interest for the succeeding six years. The deed poll
authorizes the Company to put an officer on the retired list, without
reasons assigned, after he has served four years, but they cannot
deprive him of his retired interest except for proved misconduct; but
neither of these regulations has ever been put in force. It is possible
the wintering partners might raise a question whether, under the
existing deed poll, the Company could make any great changes in their
business, or embark in new undertakings, if likely to affect
injuriously the incomes of the officers on the active list, or the
interests of those on retirement.
"One mode of removing this obstacle would be to ascertain the value of
a retired interest, and to give a money compensation to each officer on
his entering into an agreement to consent to the abrogation of the deed
poll.
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