GERMANY - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



great distances ; but, on the other hand, this development has been consid- 

 erably assisted by the extensive propaganda carried on by the electric 

 power works. In fact, when the supply of electricity in the urban and in- 

 dustrial centres was well developed, or rather when the industrial crisis 

 ofi907-i909 checked further progress, the electric power works sought 

 to compensate themselves by extending their attention to the country dis- 

 tricts. Now it is certain that this propaganda was not always kept within 

 proper limits, so that undertakings were started that could not have a 

 health}' life. In especial, small firms showed great activity in building electric 

 works to suppl}'- one or more villages with current, and these undertakings, 

 founded exclusively for the benefit of the promoters, were necessarily a 

 cause of serious loss to the farmers. The movement, ably making pro- 

 fit out of individual interests and local patriotism, threatened to become 

 a greater danger, as it was able to use the legal form of the co-operative so- 

 ciety, so dear to the agricultural population, for its own selfish ends. In 

 consequence of this astute and untiring agitation, which shrank from no 

 excess, a real electric fever (" bacillus electricus ") broke out and spread in 

 the rural districts. The organizations for the protection of the economic 

 interests of the agriciiltural population, the chambers of agriculture, the 

 federations of co-operative societies etc., were therefore obliged to with- 

 stand these exaggerations and, thus, they were induced to turn their atten- 

 tion to the problem of the supply of electric power to the country in order 

 to give a proper direction again to the movement. 



Very important reasons of economic character militate in favour of 

 a larger supply of electric power for the country, on condition of all excess 

 being avoided. The most solid argument is based on the growing lack 

 of field labourers. In fact, the great industrial development of Germany 

 has led to the annual immigration of 400,000 men for agricultural work 

 of the first necessity. And it is not only the large farms that suffer from 

 this dearth of labourers, but also, and to a far more considerable degree, 

 the middle sized farms. JSTow, it is evidently more difiicult for these 

 latter to supply the lack of local labovirers by means of foreigners. Be- 

 sides, they are at a disadvantage, compared with the large farms, in 

 respect to the employment of machine motors, and especially of steam 

 engines, as they have not suflicient use for large motors and the 

 work of the smaller ones costs comparatively very much more. Under 

 these conditions, the owners of medium sized farms find the electric 

 motor, the work of wliich is economical, as less power is needed for it, 

 an exceptional!}'- useful and important machine. The electric motor 

 is more simple to use and easier to keep than any other machine, 

 It is always ready for use ; it is easy to clean and -keep in good 

 order. The farmer working on his own farm has therefore recourse 

 to it even more readily than the large landed proprietor, since he has di- 

 rect experience of the saving of labour due to it. The small size of the elec- 

 tric machines, which may be placed in any comer, against the wall or in 

 the garret, and their absolute safety are additional reasons in favour of 

 their use. Add to this the ease with which electric motors can be moved 



