GERMANY - CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



As regards the Provincial Co-operative Bank {Landesgenossenschafts- 

 kasse) it is noteworthy that in spite of the difficulties of the year the manage- 

 ment were able to obtain a balance of 133,994 rnarks (i) on its business. 

 If the amount of expenses and of dues for registering the by-laws, as well 

 as bills worth 33,931 marks, be deducted, there remains a credit balance 

 of 41,549 marks. 



The balance-sheet shows the total sum of deposits by co-operative 

 societies to have been 11,984,424 marks as against 7,658,306 marks in the 

 preceding year. The debts of co-operative societies amounted, on the 

 other hand, to 2,738,276 marks as against 3,461,308 in the previous year. 



The turnover was 136,212,182 marks in 1913-1914 as against 170,860,995 

 marks in 1914-1915. 



During the year under review the Central Agricultural Co-operative 

 Society [Landwirtschaftliche Zentralgenossenschaft) considerably increased 

 its trade in cereals, dealing with 462,712 zentners (2) of the value of 

 4,645,949 marks, as against 313,525 zentners and 2,660,716 marks in the 

 previous year. In round figures therefore the increase was one of 150,000 

 zentners. Altogether this central co-operative society dealt with 3,359,046 

 zentners of the value of 16,289,767 marks as against 3,249,182 zentners of 

 the value of 14,033,613 marks in 1913-1914. The general increase was 

 therefore one of 109,864 zentners and 2,256,154 marks, that is of 3.38 per 

 cent, as regaids quantity and of 16 per cent, as regards value. 



The balance-sheet shows a net profit of 76,114 marks as against 72,252 

 marks in the preceding year. This central co-operative society has resour- 

 ces of its own of the value of 571,446 marks. Of the 499 co-operative so- 

 cieties which belonged at the end of 1 914 to the federation 357, or 71.6 per 

 cent., belonged to this central co-operative society. Besides the Provin- 

 cial Co-operative Bank and the central institute 321 co-operative societies 

 had part, as in the previous year, in circulating the money. 



As a consequence of the considerable increase of savings deposits 

 many co-operatives societies reduced the rate of interest on these on i 

 January- 1915. Others on the other hand established a balance bj* sub- 

 scribing largely to the war loan. 



In the year under review 335 co-operative societies took part in oper- 

 ations for the purchase of merchandise, the purchases being distributed 

 among the various tj^pes of societies as follows : 



Purchase of Merchandise 



75 societies for purchase and sale, pro- zentners ar 



perly so called 2,382,815 10,624,463 



37 collective savings and loan banks . . 518,987 1,968,682 



220 savings, credit and purchase societies. 2,536,888 10,301,019 



3 other co-operative societies 188,631 977,440 



Total 5,627,321 23,871,604 



(i) I mark of gold = about 11 ^,4 d. al par. 

 [?.) 1 Zentner = 110.236 lbs. 



