52 HOLLAND - INSURANCE AND THRIFT 



The horticultural organization was first founded. On March 25th. , 1909 

 the meeting of the Dutch Horticultural Council [Tuinhouw-Raad) instit- 

 uted the Horticultural Co-operative Society {Tuinbouw-Onderlinge) , which 

 began work on July ist., 1909. 



The agricultural organization, in view of the larger area to which it 

 was to extend, required a somewhat longer period of preparation. 



Onl}^ on July ist., 1909, at a large meeting held at Utrecht, attended 

 by delegates from the societies and unions belonging to the Permanent 

 Committee and numbers of interested persons, was it decided to found a 

 Central Mutual Agricultural Society {Centrale Landbouw-Onderlinge) for 

 agricultural accident insurance. The following months were employed in 

 forming the provincial and local organization and explaining the purpose 

 of the society in the different regions of the country ; after that the society 

 could begin work on January ist., 1910. 



Organization — The insurance society was organized on the principle 

 of decentralisation. The provincial associations {Provinciate Landbouw-On- 

 derlinge^ of which the farmers are members, act as real and true insurance 

 agencies. Only one undertaking of very large size {Nederlandsche Heide- 

 maatschappij) is directly afhliated to the Central Society. In case of small 

 accidents, such as have not caused disablement for a period of more than two 

 months, the risk is exclusively borne by these organizations. The^^ are au- 

 tonomous, have their own rules that of course must all be uniform in essen- 

 tial points, and separate Boards of Management, composed of a president, 

 a secretary and a varying number of members. In most societies one of the 

 members of the board is appointed by the provincial agricultural societies 

 taking part in the foundation of the particular society. 



The provincial associations are then divided into Afdeelingen (Di- 

 visions), managed by a local commission elected by the members {Ptaatse- 

 lijke-Ondertinge-Commissie) (i). These Commissions are the intermediaries 

 between the provincial insurance organizations and the individual members. 

 They have not only to manage the local business of the association but 

 also represent it with its members. This office, which they had not at 

 the beginning, was gradually imposed on them by force of circumstances 

 and was sanctioned at the meeting of the members of the central co- 

 operative societ^^ held on December 19th., 1912, and inserted in the 

 rules. The same meeting also decided that at the plenary meetings of 

 the provincial associations, which any member may attend, the votes 

 must be taken no longer per head, but per afdeeling. Before every plenary 

 meeting the members of each afdeeling must agree in regard to the sub- 

 jects placed on the agenda and appoint a delegate to vote at the meeting 



(i) This division of all the provincial institutions into Afdeelin'^en was onl}- reccntty made, 

 as a result of the decision of the plenary' meeting of members of the Central Mutual Society, 

 held on December 19th., 1912. F'reviously, there were only two provinces thus divided. Fries- 

 land and Guelders. In the other provinces the local conduct of affars was entrusted to the 

 Plaatselijke Commissies, the members of which were appointed by the Central Society [CoUegit- 

 van Commissarissen), according to the desires of the persons locally interested. 



