80 ROUMANIA - CRJEDIT 



The advance "made in lO years is therefore really considerable. Of 

 the 510,118 members at the end of 1911, 463,795, that is more than 90 %, 

 were farmers, 9,253 were dealers, 3,823 priests and 4,801 schoolmasters. 

 Of the whole number of members, 48.86 % were illiterate. 



Ivct us give a few figures showing the distribution of the paid up capital: 



Lei 7,312,486.15 or q.io % 2-50 Lei 



Lei 79,592,265.52 100.00% 



The members were divided as follows in regard to their paid up shares: 



289,089 members, or 56.67 % with a capital of 2-50 Lei 



85,240 16.71 >• )) 50-100 » 



59,960 11-75 » " 100-200 )) 



41,816 " 8.20 » )) 200-500 » 



18,031 » 3.53 )) » 500-1,000 » 



10,001 ) 1.96 » y> 1,000-2,000 » 



5,981 » 1. 18 » '» 2,000-5,000 » 



Total 510,118 100.00% 



When the law on "the People's Banks had to be amended, divergences 

 arose, based on the assertion that the capital, instead of belonging to the 

 more needy peasants, really belonged to the rich farmers of the villages. 

 Now, if this assertion appears partly true as regards the paid up 

 capital, 21.12% of which belongs to members who have contributed more 

 than 1,000 lei, it is seen to be no longer so when we consider that 85 % 

 of the members have contributed less than 200 lei. The numerical pre- 

 ponderance of less well to do members is therefore such that these banks 

 may be considered as institutions really popular in character. 



The total number of loans granted was 688,545 for a total of about 

 101,000,000 lei. Of these loans, 237,196, for an amount of 52,600,000 

 lei, were granted for purchase of Hvestock or agricultural implements; while 

 95,319, for a total amount of about 21,000,000 lei, were granted for pur- 

 chase of farms. 



