34 ILALY - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



To become a member, a candidate must belong to an association 

 federated with the Interprovincial Federation; the adherent societies which 

 are best able to meet risks and losses act as intermediaries between the 

 Mutual Society and the individual associates. Its reserve funds at present 

 amount to 1,500,000 frs. 



{b) Mutual Hail Insurance Society. — This society, founded by the In- 

 terprovincial Federation, commenced its operations in 191 1. The premium 

 consists of two parts, the one fixed, the other variable, though always lim- 

 ited, and only demanded when the fixed premium is insufficient. The 

 Society is in the habit of reinsuring the greater part of its risks in the '' Ex- 

 cess Insurance Company, Limited " of I^ondon. 



(r) Accident Insurance Societies. — From the time of their formation, the 

 Employers' Societies have provided for the insurance of their labourers 

 against accidents in their work. 



With a few exceptions for certain classes (those working with 

 threshing-machines, wood cutters and ploughmen), no one is obUged to be 

 insured, as is the case with industrial workmen. But the employers have 

 themselves felt the need of insuring their own workmen against accidents, 

 and have formed special mutual societies for this purpose. The first of 

 these was the " Associazione fra gli agricoltori del Vercellese " , founded 

 in igoi. In the following year, a co-operative bank was established 

 there, transformed in 1904 (in consequence of the new law on accidents 

 in work) into a consortium bank. 



This provides compensation in cases of death, and permanent dis- 

 ablement, total or partial, for all labourers, whether fixed or working by 

 the day, and also in certain cases of temporary disablement. The 

 premium is fixed at five frs. for every thousand paid in wages. On Novem- 

 ber 10*^., 1911, this bank of Vercelli had 654 members, insuring a total 

 area of about 90,000 hectares, with 78,000 workmen. 



In 1909, there was founded in Tuscany, on the model of the Mutual 

 Society of Vercelli, the Rural Landowners' Mutual Bank with head 

 quarters at Florence. This, on February 28*''., 1913, had 531 members 

 with 698 farms (with 100,372 persons insured) on a tract of 264,186 hectares. 



The next society founded was the Cassa Mutua Lombarda, formed 

 in 1 9 10 by the Milan association of proprietors and farm managers, with 

 its head quarters at Milan. - 



A fourth society arose at Bologna in 1911, modelled more or less on 

 those of Vercelli, Florence and Milan. It shows a noteworthy simpHfic- 

 ation in the calculation of premiums, payment being made according to 

 the area insured. In the three last working years, the premiums varied 

 from lire o.io to 0.50 per hectare. This includes both compulsory insur- 

 ance of labourers and voluntary insurance. 



In case of work of special character and workshops for the manipulation 

 or manufacture of agricultural produce, an extra premium is paid in pro- 

 portion to the increased risks incurred. 



