14 RUSSIA - CO-OPERATIOX AND ASSOCIATION 



1482 new co-operative institutions were organized., only 888 in 1915 and 

 601 in 1916. 



This relative!}^ weak development is explained by the fact that during 

 the war co-operation for credit has directed all its efforts towards organiz- 

 ing unions, by means of which it has been able to exercise a multiple and 

 intense activit^^ The large decrease in loans to members and the increase 

 in deposits have allowed the members to develop a series of various forms of 

 co-operative action which did not previously exist. Co-operation for credit 

 has been drawn into the sphere of co-operative consumption, has taken 

 a very active part in suppljdng the army with various products, and has 

 participated in a growing movement for the creation of co-operative indus- 

 tries. At the outbreak of war only eleven unions, or one for every 1,324 

 societies, existed ; but in 1916 they already numbered sixty-two, that is one 

 for every 249 societies ; and on i January 191 7 there were eighty-eight of them 

 — twelve being mixed unions — that is one for every 181 societies. This 

 increase would have been far larger had twenty-five other unions, who 

 applied to the competent authorities for authorization during 1916, been 

 authorized to begin operations. 



On the basis only of very incomplete data, which are below the actual 

 level reached, it can be concluded that the unions for co-operative credit 

 supplied to the army in 1915-1916 the following quantities of agricultural 

 products : 



41,427,544 puds (i) of corn; 5,734,684 puds of hay; 



2,488,798 " " flour ; 272,663 " " buckwheat. 



The co-operative institutions of the province of Charkov alone supplied 

 hay, sacks, leather, buckwheat, etc. to the value of more than two million 

 roubles (2) ; and those of Astrakhan about twent}^ million roubles' worth 

 of fish. 



At the same time co-operation was driven to set up factories for the con- 

 struction and repair of agricultural machines and implements. This form 

 of co-operative production was provoked and stimulated on the one hand 

 by the lack of agricultural machines which resulted from the difficulties 

 of importation, and on the other by the increased demand for machines aris- 

 ing from the insufficiency of labour caused by the mobilization. The co- 

 operative credit institutions had therefore to organize factories and work- 

 shops for the making of agricultural machines and implements. 



Their unions took the lead in this enterprise because they could most 

 easily find the necessary capital. Co-operative industrial activity did not 

 however confine itself to making the machines necessary to agriculture : 

 it began to fabricate other articles, especially those for which agriculture 

 furnishes the primary material. 



Mills were set up and also machines for the essication of fruit and vege- 

 tables. 



(i) I pud = 40 lbs. 



(2) I rouble = about 2s id. at par. 



