BEGINNINGS OF THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN AGRICULTURE 43 



M. Michel rightly remarks that what is most observable in this table 

 is the high percentage of the reserve fund. "Although, " he writes, " several 

 of these syndicates are not more than a year old and all began work with 

 a sufl&ciently large amount of capital, the total amount of the reserve 

 funds is 17 % of the total amount of the capital. This is a result that 

 many European co-operative societies might envy. It is due partly to the 

 comparative^ large profits made ; in 1912 the profits amounted to 6 % of 

 the total business done and 30 % of the capital. The rudimentary con- 

 dition of trade in the villages and the high cost of money allow of the syndic- 

 ates making large profits, while still rendering considerable services to 

 their members. The competition of the co-operative societies against each 

 other and private traders would make it impossible, in most European 

 countries to sell seed at a profit of from 10 to 20 %, as at Nahiah, or to 

 lend at 9 %. " 



This then is the general situation of the Egyptian agricultural asso- 

 ciations and the environment in which they must develop and work. If 

 the agricultural co-operative movement in Egypt stopped with the above 

 mentioned associations, which are rather syndicates than real and true co- 

 operative societies, it would present very little interest. But the movement 

 is now giving signs of greater vigour and with this new phase of activity 

 it is our intention briefly to deal in the following paragraph. 



§ 4. New tendencies of agriculturai. co-operation. 



The -first attempt made by Prince Hussein in 1908, if indeed it did 

 not quite attain the end the Commission and the Klhedivial Society had in 

 view, that is to say the passing of special laws for the co-operative 

 societies, still succeeded in giving birth to these first associations of which 

 we have just spoken, which form a nucleus round which the movement will 

 develop. In view of the excellent financial and social results attained by the 

 associations already existing, Prince Hussein thought in 1912 of pressing 

 forward to the complete realisation of his ideals. For this purpose, M. 

 Ribet, an officer of the French Agricultural Department, and quite a spe- 

 cialist in the matter of agricultural co-operation, was invited by the Khedivial 

 Society of Agriculture to come^to Egypt to give courses of lectures there and 

 prepare a complete scheme for the organization of agricultural association. 



The scheme consisted of four parts : organization for purposes of the 

 law, finance, and administration and organization for extension and propa- 

 ganda. Although his proposals have not yet been accepted b)' the Egyptian 

 Government, we think it well to summarize them briefly, since, whatever the 

 special form the agricultural co-operation the Government sanctions may 

 assume in Egypt, it cannot differ widely from the general lines laid down by 

 Ribet in his proposals. 



Let us give the principal heads of the bill drafted and the proposed rules. 



