INFORMATION RELATING TO CO-orKKATIOX AND ASSOCIATION 



Supervising Unions. — The number of supervisini^ unions did not 

 alter during the year under review. Two of them did useful work ; the 

 third had been classed as a central bank. 



AgricnlUiral Societies. — Altogether twenty-seven new agricultural 

 societies were registered in 1915-1916. Members' deposits rose from 

 Rs. 79,962 to Rs. 83,794, the rate of interest on deposits remaining 6 ^ 

 per cent, as in the preceding year. Loans to the value of Rs. 1,46,801 were 

 issued to members, the average loan being Rs. 9-4. The rate of interest on 

 loans varied from 12 ^^ P^^ cent, to 18 % per cent, per annum. The ma- 

 jority of loans were made for a period of more than a year. 



All the profits of agricultural societies, amounting to Rs. 22,935, were 

 carried to the reserve funds. 



N on- Agricultural Societies. — No non-agricultural society was registered 

 in 1915-1916. One society of this kind was transferred to the class of cen- 

 tral banks : and in consequence the total capital, including reserve funds, 

 decreased from Rs. 2,58,307 to Rs. 1,74,077, the deposits of members from 

 Rs. 97,982 to Rs. 60,671, those of non-members from Rs. 73,573 to 

 Rs. 43,486, and the amount of loans outstanding with other societies from 

 Rs. 72,358 to Rs. 30,093. The rate of interest on deposits was the same as 

 in 1914-1915, namely 4 to 4 ^ per cent, on current deposits and 5 to 9 per 

 cent, on fixed deposits. 



The total net ]:)rofits of the non- agricultural societies amounted to 

 Rs. 7,622, and they declared dividends varying from 6 ^ to 12 14 P^^ 

 cent. On the whole all of them had a very satisfactory year. 



Reserve Funds. — Partly owing to the transference of one non-agricul- 

 tural society to the class of the central banks the reserve fimds of the latter 

 increased largely, from Rs. 7,348 to Rs. 14,019, wliile those of the non-agri- 

 cultural societies fell from Rs. 15,706 to Rs. 14,496. The reserve funds of 

 the agricultural societies made a substantial advance from Rs. 49,529 to 

 Rs. 63,255. 



In spite of the continuance of the war and the prevalence of distress 

 in most parts of the country \-ery little difficulty was experienced in financ- 

 ing rural societies during the year under review. No government loan was 

 issued to central or non-agricultural banks. lyoans from central banks and 

 non-agricultural societies' increased from Rs. 1,74,833 to Rs. 2,10,376. 

 Deposits of indinduals in central banks and non-agricultural societies 

 increased from Rs. 3,29,081 to Rs. 3,58,592. Deposits from individuals 

 — members and non-members — in agricultural societies increased from 

 Rs. 95,434 to Rs. 99,299. 



CANADA. 



1. CO-OPERATIVE TRADING INSASKATCHEWAN. — r/i<; Pm6/(V; Service Monthly, pub- 

 lished by the Department of Agriculture, Saskatchewan, Vol. V, No. n, p. 209, Regina, 

 June 191 7. 



The details in the following tabic show clearly and concisely the satis- 

 factory- development of the co-operative movement in Saskatchewan, from 



