32 ITALY - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



group of these to be ready for any emergency. In the provinces of Man- 

 tua and Pola they have several times substituted strikers during various 

 conflicts. The Agrnria Paniien-sc (Agricultural Society of Parma), has 

 formed the largest group (664) into a Provincial Federation. 



The few registry offices especially instituted to recruit labourers in 

 times of need, and to find free labourers, are almost entirely inactive, owing 

 to the distrust the working men, and also the employers themselves, have of 

 them. On the other hand, in many places, the labourers' syndicates 

 make vigorous efforts to secure the monopoly of the labour market. 



But the systems and means indicated could not be efficacious in 

 the more serious strikes, and they have often embittered the conflicts. 



It was also necessary to dispose of sure and abundant funds in order to 

 continue work even during strikes, to ensure the soHdarity of small propri- 

 etors, and to be able to give up production or harvesting when absolute re- 

 sistance was indispensable. The employers' associations have therefore con- 

 stituted a mutual society against strikes, which intervened in the greater con- 

 flicts from 1908 to 1911, to compensate the injured proprietors. To this, as 

 to other economic institutions formed by the agricultural societies, we shall 

 devote a special section. 



§ 3. The NATIONAL, CONFEDERATION 

 AND THE INTERPROVINCIAL AGRICUETURAI, FEDERATION. 



These are the two chief associations of employers for mutual protection 

 that need to be taken note of here. 



The foundation of the older of these. La Federazio7ie Interprovinciale 

 Agraria, was proclaimed at the first Agricultural Convention held at Parma 

 in October, 1907. It is a union of the most important associations of 

 Emilia, Romagna, lyombardy and Venetia. Its aim is to decide on the 

 best means of preventing conflicts, facilitating pacific solutions, regulating 

 contracts between agricultural employers and employed, co-operating 

 with administrative and political bodies for the defence of agricultural 

 interests in general, and promoting insurance against losses caused by 

 strikes. 



From this confederation have sprung three mutual societies insuring 

 against strikes, accidents and hail respectively ; these we shall consider 

 later on. 



The Confederazione Nazionale Agraria, with its head quarters at Bologna, 

 was founded in 191 1, not in any way to substitute the Interprovinciale ; 

 its scope is much wider, as it groups together distant associations differing 

 both in their forms and interests. It indicates to them the fines on which to 

 maintain uniform action in regard to the more general questions concerning 

 the defence of the rights of property and industrial freedom ; for this purpose 

 it unites the various associations in a common action and makes their 



