80 SPAIN - CREDIT 



The remedy would be, then, merely to entrust the management of 

 the Posito to the rural organization of the locaUty, possessing civil per- 

 sonality and suited to the work, or one which might be founded specially 

 for the purpose. Thus also the second defect pointed out, the fear of the 

 pubHcity of the loan would be got rid of : experience showing that every- 

 where where there is a special organization for credit, this false concep- 

 tion of credit has disappeared. 



In a village where the posito is inactive or where there is no agricultural 

 institution, where even people refuse to found one for any reason, the 

 Royal Delegation should entrust the capital, as a loan, to the Posito de 

 la Tierra, working in the region, the nearest Federation, loan bank or 

 Syndicate, reserving to the inactive Posito the ownership of the money 

 and a reasonable interest, for example, 2 %. " We have no right to deprive 

 a village of the ownership of its Posito, but there i*; no law, human or divine, 

 which obHges us to support an incapable administration. The property is 

 not to be touched, but its managers may be, when there is risk of the 

 general interests suffering severely ". 



On these considerations, the Federation of Agricultural Syndicates 

 of la Rioja has urged the Government to give the administration of the 

 Positos to the labourers themselves. 



We reproduce its principal proposals : (a) that the Municipalities be 

 authorized and obhged to cede the management of the positos to the labour- 

 ers organized in legally constituted agricultural associations on their apply- 

 ing for it; that the Royal Delegation have power to compel this transfer 

 in the case of municipal councils managing the positos badly or leaving 

 them inactive, (b) That the funds liquidated and administered by the 

 Delegation not belonging to special municipal positos be used for the 

 foundation of Positos de la Tierra. The 72 agricultural syndicates of la 

 Rioja urge the foundation of a Posito de la Tierra for themselves and all 

 their members at I.ogrono, to be founded with 250,000 pesetas taken 

 from the above funds. For its part, every syndicate or association adher- 

 ing undertakes to contribute to the capital of the society a minimum of 

 5 pesetas per member or 200 pesetas per union. 



It seems that the syndicates of Navarre and Aragon intend to follow 

 the example of those of la Rioja. The Spanish farmers hope that, in one 

 way or another, there will soon be realised the definite organization of an 

 institution which, without being free from defects, has, however, potent 

 vital forces, as is proved by its maintaining itself for centuries in spite of 

 numerous abuses. 



