MISCELLANEOUS NEWS 35 



ers' co-operative societies, the co-operative nursery gardens, the cocoon 

 drying co-operative societies, the co-operative granary of Bagnolo Mella; 

 the co-operative societies for the sale of table grapes, vegetables, fruit, 

 wool, eggs, honey etc. 



On the other hand, it is easy to classify the Agricultural Mutual So- 

 cieties, for the distinctive characters are clearly defined. 



As we have seen, there were 1,055 o^ these societies in all, 250 being 

 fire insurance societies 799 livestock insurance societies, 4 accident insurance 

 societies and 2 others societies insuring against malicious damage to vineyards, 

 but of small importance. 



We have little information with regard to the mutual fire insurance 

 societies. The largest is the " Fossanese " at Fossano (Cuneo), assuring an 

 amount of 11,000,000 frs., with a thousand members. 



According to the estimate of the National Federation of Mutual Fire 

 Insurance Societies, the above 250 societies assure a capital of about 

 400,000,000 frs. 



The mutual livestock insurance societies are more numerous, but also 

 smaller : they would all together assure a capital of about 70,000,000 frs. 



The most important of the 4 mutual agricidtural accident insurance 

 societies of Vercelli, Milan, Florence and Bologna, is that of VercelH. It 

 was founded in 1902, on the initiative of the farmers' association of the re- 

 gion. It engages to give compensation in case of death and permanent 

 disablement, total or partial, to all labourers, fixed or temporary, and also 

 intervenes in certain cases of temporary disablement. 



4. — The constitution of a central bank for the district 

 OF BRESCIA. — Recently a Central Bank has been formed for the Rural 

 Banks of the district of Brescia, under the form of a limited liability co-oper- 

 ative society for the " exercise of credit and the moral and economic im- 

 provement of its associates. " 



According to its rules, it may have as members, first of all the legally 

 constituted Catholic rural banks of the Province of Brescia, and also, with 

 the approval of the general meeting, other co-operative societies and private 

 individuals who may be of use to the society in attaining its objects. 



Societies afiiliated to it must submit, at any moment and above all 

 before entering into business relations with the Bank, to a full and detailed 

 examination of their situation and to the measures the Board of Manage- 

 ment may judge advisable. Credit societies must forward to it a state- 

 ment of their accounts every month and their balance sheets every year. 



Those societies and persons shall not be admitted or shall be expelled 

 if already admitted : (a) who do not conform to the above rules ; (b) who be- 

 come insolvent or are condemned ; (c) who oblige the Bank to sue them be- 

 fore the Courts ; (d) who carry on business similar to that of the society ; 

 (e) who are opposed to the Catholic Church and the established Government. 



