Outside of Paris, the initiative of creating a _Bourse du Travail_ was generally taken by the workingmen themselves. The local syndicats would elect a committee to work out statutes and a table of probable expenses and income. The project of the committee would then be submitted to the general assembly of the syndicats. The assembly would also elect an administrative council, a secretary, treasurer and other officers. The statutes, the list of adhering syndicats, and the names of the administrative officers would then be presented to the municipal authorities, and the _Bourse du Travail_, which in fact was a local federation of unions, would be formally constituted. In many places, local federations existed before 1887. These simply had to assume the new title to transform themselves into _Bourses du Travail_. The municipalities would then intervene and grant a subvention. Up to 1902 inclusive, the municipalities of France spent 3,166,159 francs in installing _Bourses du Travail_, besides giving the annual subventions. In 1902, the subvention received by all the _Bourses du Travail_ of France from the municipalities amounted to 197,345 francs, and 48,550 francs besides were contributed to their budget by the Departments.[84] The readiness of the municipal councils to subsidize the _Bourses du Travail_ was due mostly, if not always, to political considerations. [84] _Annuaire Statistique_. Though soliciting subventions from the municipalities, the syndicats insisted on being absolutely independent in the administration of the Bourses. The first Congress of the _Bourses du Travail_ in 1892 declared that: Whereas the _Bourses du Travail_ must be absolutely independent in order to render the services which are expected from them; Whereas this institution constitutes the only reform which the workingmen have wrested from the ruling class; The Congress of _Bourses du Travail_ of 1892 declares that the workingmen must reject absolutely the meddling of the administrative and governmental authorities in the functioning of the Bourses,--an interference which was manifested in the declaration of public utility; Invites the workingmen to make the most energetic efforts in order to guarantee the entire independence of the _Bourses du Travail_, and to refuse the municipalities if they or the government desire to interfere with their functioning.[85] [85] Seilhac, _Congrès Ouvriers_, p. 231.