26 AUSTRIA - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



And yet in 1900 the District Agricultural Consortium of Riva founded a 

 society for that district and immediately afterwards others arose, under the 

 name of Catholic livestock insurance societies, in 9 other localities. 



The difl&culties these first societies had to bear revealed a whole series 

 of defects and errors to be ehminated and overcome ; it was seen 

 that in associations for very large areas it was not possible to exercise ef- 

 fectual supervision ; that by facilitating matters too much for the members 

 the societies increased their expenditure disproportionately and the annual 

 premium, as it could no longer be kept within the desired limits, became 

 too heavy a charge. 



lyivestock insurance societies must have as hmited as possible a 

 field, so that every member may exercise the necessary supervision over 

 the others ; the societies must also call on the member to bear part of the 

 loss so as to prevent owners abandoning a sick animal to its fate. 



Finally, these small societies must be guaranteed by a provincia 

 reinsurance institute ; so that in case of numerous losses they will not be 

 obliged to ask too high premiums or to contract debts by which their 

 prestige and their existence are compromised. 



On these principles, the Provincial Executive Committee in 1903 in 

 fact drew up very simple model rtdes, with which a society was founded in 

 every commune where there were at least 25 members with 100 animals 

 to be insured. 



The premium is i % per ann., to be paid in advance in two half yearly 

 instalments, from date of the valuation ; the society contributes 80 % in 

 case of loss, leaving the cost of the treatment of the sick animals to be borne by 

 the member himself. 



The Provincial Council provides the societies with printed forms and 

 the Provincial Executive Committee grants every society a subsidy of 

 200 crs. towards the cost of its installation ; the societies may reinsure 

 with the Provincial Reinsurance Institute, which advances the amount 

 without interest and, if required, keeps the books of the societies adhering 

 to it paying half the amounts of the claims in return for half the annual prem- 

 iums as fixed in the rules, less the proceeds from the sale of the animals 

 injured or compulsorily slaughtered. 



Already in 1904, 15 societies were estabHshed governed by the 

 provincial rules. The Society for Mutual Insurance and Improvement of 

 Horned Cattle for the Communes of the Legal District of Trent, founded in 

 1899, as it was unable to exercise the necessary supervision, was subdi- 

 vided into many small communal associations governed by the provincial 

 rules. The same was done in the case of the Vezzano district society. 

 In 1 905- 1 906, 12 other societies of similar character were founded ; every 

 year new ones arise and all are working very well, so that many have suc- 

 ceeded in realising savings by no means inconsiderable. 



The Provincial Reinsurance Institute, founded in 1907, by the Pro- 

 vincial Executive Committee on the model of that existing in Bavaria, also 

 undertook the work of propaganda and the answering of all enquiries with 

 regard to reinsurance : the Trent Division of the Provincial Council exerts 



