GERMANY - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



realisation of initiatives already discussed by the Board of Management and 

 in the General Committee, and even formulated as really definite proposals 

 in the latter months of the life of Wilhelm Haas and with his approval. 



The General Congress unanimously approved the proposals of the 

 Board of Management and the General Committee, without the intro- 

 duction of any amendments. The most important of these proposals are 

 the following : 



By the new rules, the executive authorities of the National Federation 

 are : the General Congress, the General Committee, the Board of Manage- 

 ment, the Director and the Special Committees. 



The Director {Anwalt) shall be an employee paid by the National Feder- 

 ation and be subject to the supervision of the Board of Management. He 

 shall no longer be appointed by the General Congress, but by the General 

 Committee, on the proposal of the Board of Management. In the conduct 

 of the business of the National Federation, he must conform to the rules, the 

 business regulations and the contract in accordance with which he is appoint- 

 ed. Thus, his position is considerably changed. From being an independent 

 head, as was the former General Director, who, as President of the National 

 Federation, of the Board of Management and of the General Committee, con- 

 centrated in his own hands all the powers of the Federation, he has now 

 become a dependent employee. 



The provisions regarding the composition and powers of the Board of 

 Management {V erwaltumisrat) have imdergone a similar change. According 

 to the old rules, the board only acted as permanent adviser to the General Di- 

 rector. Now, on the other hand, it will supervise the whole conduct of the 

 business of the National Federation, and in this way also the action of the 

 Director. Besides this, it has been established that the Director may indeed 

 be a member of the Board of Management, and the General Committee, but 

 may not be president of either. The central management of the National 

 Federation is entrusted to the Board of Management, the president of which 

 must also represent the Federation. 



The powers of the General Committee (Gesamtausschuss) have also been 

 considerabh^ extended. It appoints its own president and two vice-presidents, 

 chosen from among the managers of the affiliated provincial federations. The 

 same persons are at the same time presidents of the Board of Management 

 and of the General Congress. In addition, the General Committee appoints 

 three other members of the Boards of Management and their three deputies, 

 who, when necessary, are in\'ited to attend the meetings. 



The provisions relating to the Special Committees (Sondetausschusse), 

 existing for co-operative credit, co-operative purchase and sale of goods, 

 and co-operative dairies have been changed and the powers of these com- 

 mittees considerably enlarged. First of all, every committed has a right to 

 appoint its own president, whilst formerly the president was the General 

 Director or his deputy. No^v the Director can only speak at the meetings 

 and not vote. The numbers of the members of the Special Committees 

 has also been increased, for now, not only may the central co-operative 

 societies of the particular class of business be represented, but also every 



