Thus it will be seen the Stock Exchange is governed under a system of
dual control--that of the Managers representing the proprietors on the
one hand, and that of the Committee representing the members on the
other. It is the system of a proprietary club. In its efforts for the
good order and government of the House, the Committee has no funds that
it can expend. It may make representation to the Managers, but it can do
no more; although there is every sign that the Managers are always
reasonably willing to accede to these representations. At the time of
the imposition upon unauthorised clerks of those badges of which mention
has been made, there was much delay in issuing them, and the story went
round that whilst the Committee had declared their necessity, the
Managers refused to advance the money to provide them. That was probably
merely a playful little suggestion, but it serves as an illustration of
the drawbacks of dual control. This dual control is, however, gradually
becoming abolished under the operation of the rule which compels every
new member to hold one or more shares in the Stock Exchange.
CHAPTER V
BROKERS AND JOBBERS
In the preceding chapters the Stock Exchange has been considered as an
institution complete in itself, rather than as an important element in
the world's business. We have obtained some idea of its constitution as
it affects its proprietors and members rather than as it affects the
outside public. The market-place and its frequenters are there, but we
have not yet seen them at work, as we shall now proceed to do.
The members of the Stock Exchange are divided into two sections: the
jobbers who are ever ready to buy from or sell to the public the wares
in which they deal, and the brokers ever ready to act as agents for the
public in their transactions with these jobbers. These brokers and
jobbers--there are twice as many jobbers as brokers--are equal in all
respects as members of the Stock Exchange; they pay the same fees and
subscriptions, and they are governed by the same code of rules,
although, of course, some of these rules are specially applicable to the
one class and some to the other. At the outset a member of the Stock
Exchange has to declare whether he proposes to act as a broker or a
jobber. He may not act as both, or what would practically amount to the
same thing, no partnership may exist between a broker and a jobber.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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