THE REGIONAL ORGANISATION OF AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION 



Goritz and Gradisca, " says von Schullern in the work above cited, "shows 

 us the colonat in its most ancient form and so widely extended that 

 it is of the greatest importance for the whole economic and social life of 

 the country and it is very easy to understand that the first appeals for re- 

 scue have come from these districts. Here the evils of the system are 

 most apparent ; and the more so, as we find, together with stipulations 

 unworthy of modern times, forms of contract not only perfectly acceptable, 

 but very suitable for all parties, to which the prosperous condition of the 

 farm bears witness. On studying the matter more closely we find that the 

 essential defects of the ancient system of colonat are the uncertain or excess- 

 ively brief period of the contract; the absence of any guarantee the tenants 

 have of eventual compensation for improvements on the farm, but rather 

 almost the certainty of not receiving any ; and finally and this is a peculi- 

 arity of the region, — the existence of base service {EohoUverpfUchtungen) ; 

 the effect of all which, wherever these defects prevail, is most clearly mani- 

 fested in the inadequate working of the farm, defective methods of cultiv- 

 ation, a very low level of education and so a situation not only disadvant- 

 ageous for the farmers, but even for the proprietors themselves. " 



Generall}'^ speaking we may distinguish two classes of colonat in Friuli. 

 First of aU, that in which the land with the buildings is let for a fixed rent, 

 all taxes being paid by the tenant. The second class includes all forms the 

 conditions of which, taken generally, correspond with the system of medioeval 

 colonat. The use of the land and buildings — the latter generally in ex- 

 tremely bad repair, — is granted to the peasants in return for compensations 

 in kind (cheese, silk, poultry, eggs, fruit, wine, cartage, personal service 

 etc.). To this is usually added the payment of a certain sum in money 

 and of all the taxes. The landowner has, besides, the right to any compens- 

 ation granted for loss through hail, inundations etc. Besides these heavy 

 charges, the peasant must undertake other burdensome duties. He must 

 first of all engage to repair serious damage done to his crops by hares, 

 pheasants and any other game the landlord reserves, which may devastate 

 the maize plantations and vineyards. The landlord has exclusive right 

 to hunt and shoot. The peasant is strictly forbidden, under penalty 

 of heavy fines, to remove or hunt game. Contraventions are severely 

 punished and entail cancellation of the contract of lease. By definite 

 clauses in these contracts the landlord is enabled to evict the tenant 

 and his family at any moment. 



It is not astonishing that under such conditions the farms have suf- 

 fered. The burdens under which the population lived prevented the intro- 

 duction of all modern and scientific methods of labour. At the same time, 

 there was also unrestricted usury. The peasant, consequently, could not 

 better his situation by borrowing money. 



A certain number of energetic priests united in 1895, with the object 

 of finding a remedy for this insupportable situation. The successftd results 

 obtained by co-operation in other countries, such as Italy, Germany, 

 Switzerland and especially Upper and I^ower Austria, induced them to 

 make a trial of co-operation also in Friuli. Model rules were drafted fot 



