INFORMATION RELATING TO CO -OPKR.\TION AND ASSOCIATION 



market. On the day on which the stock is consigned members who are in 

 need of cash bring the slips showing the weight, grade, etc, of their animals 

 to the secretar)^ who advances them as much as is compatible with the 

 retention of a safe working margin. When the secretary has received the 

 returns of sales he makes out the sum of the total expenses, divides this 

 by the total weight, and then finds out the expenses for loo lbs. Each 

 consigner then receives a statement showing the amount received for his 

 stock, minus the costs calculated at the rate per loo lbs. and any advances 

 he ma}' have received. A cheque for the balance is handed or posted to 

 him. The costs and returns of every consignment thus balance, and ever\' 

 consigner receives the full net i)rofits realized by his stock, including such 

 as formerly went to the middleixian. 



Altogether some thousands of dollars have been saved, and prices have 

 been kept up as far as the quotations of the middlemen have been concerned. 



ITAIvY. 



r. THE DEIyTBERATIONS AND VOTES OF THE THREE CO^IMISSIONS FOR CO- 

 OPER.\TIVE PRODUCTION AND lyABOUR, CO-OPERATIVE CONSUMPTION 

 AND AGRICUI^TURAI, CO-OPERATION, NOMINATED BY THE CONGRESS OF 

 ITAI^IAN CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES [IN DECEMBER 1916. — La Cooperazione 

 Italiana, organ of the Le^a Nazionale delle Cooperative, No. 1240, Milan, 27 April 191 7. 



At the Congress of Italian Co-operative Societies on 17 and 18 Decem- 

 ber T916 (i) three commissions of experts were nominated to investigate the 

 most urgent problems connected with co-operative production and labour, 

 co-operative consumption and agricultural co-operation. In a congress of 

 these three commissions recently held at Milan some important decisions 

 were taken, among others, as to the " interior reorganization of co-operative 

 organization ". The necessit}'^ of undertaking this reorganization imme- 

 diatel}' was recognized, of grou])ing, that is, in accordance with their respec- 

 tive commercial and industrial acti\dty, the A'arious forms of co-operative 

 societies existing in Italy, in a manner which will increase their economic 

 and vSocial importance : and the Lega nazionale was invited to di.stribute the 

 federated societies in branches, according to whether they are concerned with 

 a) consumption, h) production and labour, or c) agriculture. Until these 

 three distinct national federations should be constituted the commissions 

 themselves undertook to assist and givide the three groups of societies, in 

 the matter of their business and by advising them as to their technique, ad- 

 ministration and book-keeping, each of the commissions agreeing to work, 

 in agreement with the league's directing council, as a central committee 

 for its respective federation. It was determined that the commissions 

 should devote themselves especially' : a) to giving increasing unity of action 

 to the co-operative movement and favouring the fusion of local societies 

 in federations and consortia b}- connecting each with its respective na- 

 tional federal group ; h) to defending the rights of co-operative societies and 



(i) See our issue for March 191 7, page 26. 



