58 ITALY - INSURANCE AND THRIFT 



Basilicata is altogether without local ordinary credit societies or 

 branches of large banks. 



Lombardy, as it is the region in which there are the largest deposits 

 in the ordinary credit societies, is also that in which the deposits in the 

 co-operative societies are largest. Other regions in which there are plen- 

 tiful deposits in both the ordinary and the co-operative banks are Venetia 

 and Piedmont. While, however, in Lombardy and Venetia the deposits in 

 the co-operative banks exceed in amount those in the ordinary banks, 

 it is otherwise in the case of Piedmont. A region in which there is a large 

 amount deposited in the co-operative banks, whilst comparatively little 

 is deposited with the ordinary banks, is Emilia. Two regions, on the other 

 hand, in which the deposits in the ordinary banks are very considerable and 

 those in the co-operative banks very unimportant are lyiguria and I/atium. 

 Of the other regions, we find the deposits in the ordinary banks more con- 

 siderable than in the co-operative banks in Campania, Tuscany and ApuUa, 

 and to a less degree in Sicily and Umbria. On the contrary, the deposits 

 in the co-operative banks are more important than in the ordinary ones 

 in Marche, Abruzzi and Calabria. Finally, while, in the above table, for 

 Basilicata there appear no deposits in the ordinary banks, there are de- 

 posits of 7,000,000 frs. in the co-operative societies, and, in contrast with 

 this, we find Sardinia with a large amount deposited in the ordinary banks 

 and quite without deposits in the co-operative societies. These results 

 naturally correspond with the number of banks of either kind in the differ- 

 ent regions. 



§ 4. Deposits in rural banks. 



The rural loan banks, on October 31st., 1905, the date of the hist official 

 return, were 1,386. Of these,, 1,309 held deposits amounting to 32,499,463 

 frs. and their paid up capital together with their reserve fund, amounted to 

 1,200,522 frs. 



The enquiry we are considering showed, 1,660 banks on December 

 31st., 1911 and 1,652 on December 31st., 1912. Of these 1,371 at the end 

 of 1911 held deposits amounting to 91,559,142 frs. and 1,359 ^^ ^^^ ^^^ 

 of 1912 deposits altogether of 99,203,074 frs. 



Since 1905, therefore, the amount of the deposits in the rural banks 

 has increased more than threefold and in 1912 alone it increased by about 

 one tenth. 



These deposits are almost exclusively savings deposits ; but it is not 

 possible to give an accurate classification. 



The 1,359 rural banks collecting deposits had, on December 31st., 1912, 

 funds (paid up capital and reserve fund) amounting to 4,011,535 frs. 



