GERMANY - CO-OPEKATION AND ASSOCIATION 



installation. The local organizations are 500 co-operative societies {Elek- 

 irizitdts und Maschinengenosscnschaften) , working as local societies for the 

 distribution of electric power (Strombezugsgenossenschaften). In other 

 districts, the supply of electric power is principally in the hands of large 

 societies hmited by shares, limited liability societies and private under- 

 takings formed among the best known and most important firms of this 

 class, with the support of the large banks, large industrial undertakings 

 and tramways. 



This report is confirmed by the statistics of the Federation of German 

 electrical engineers above mentioned. According to it, in 2,526 electric 

 workshops and installations for the distribution of electric power, for which 

 statistics were supplied there were : 



1,745 which were private property, 

 725 propeity of the city or the State, 

 56 the ownership of which was not known. 



-\'ow attempts are being made to prevent this prevalence of private 

 capital which nearh^ resembles a monopoly. Urban and rural communes, 

 administrative district and provincial organizations are endeavouring, 

 by participation in the great undertakings limited by shares, to assure 

 for themselves a certain influence over their business, in the interest 

 of the public and of the consumers. And also very often the district or 

 provincial administrations or the State appear as the only or at least 

 the principal supporters of the undertaking. 



We are especially interested in the following problem : In what xvay 

 is the agricultural co-operative movemert to assist in the supply of electric 

 power to the country districts ? Three ways are possible : first, the found- 

 ation of large central societies [VberMndzentralen) under the legal form 

 of co-operative societies ; second, the foundation of smaller local electric 

 workshops on a co-operative basis ; third, the formation of co-operative 

 societies for the supply of electric power [Leitungsgenossenschajten) for 

 the local distribution of the current produced by the central society. 

 And all three methods are indeed followed. According to the Mitteil- 

 ungen zur deutschcn Genossenschaftsstatistik, published by the Preussiche 

 Central-Genossenschajts-Kasse ^Prussian Central Co-operative Bank), on 

 Jan\iary ist., 191T, there were altogether 343 co-operative electric light 

 and power societies, namely : 



Workshops, directly producing power 82 



of these. Central Societies {Vberlandzentralen) ..... 16 



smaller offices 66 



Co-operative Societies for Distribution of Power {Leitungs- 



genossenschaften) 261 



of these, for distribution at a distance or both at a di- 

 stance and locally 32 



only for local distribution 229 



