34 GERMANY - INSURANCE AND THRIFT 



itself to seconding, by its actions and b}^ support in the form of advice, the 

 federated societies and to reinforcing their interior organization . The res- 

 toration of societies which had not been able to survive the crisis had also 

 to be secured. 



Already small proprietors were represented as well as agricultural la- 

 bourers, the betterment of whose peculiar economic conditions is one of the 

 first tasks of local societies for the insurance of cattle. 



The large landowners tended to form societies among their employees 

 and cause the small local agriculturists to adhere to these. They adhered 

 to them themselves because they wished to encourage their development ; 

 they assumed the duties necessary to their conduct and showed their in- 

 terest in them on ever}- occasion. The need for insuring the cattle of the 

 employees of large estates, and the profit the employer derived from such 

 insurance, were increasingly recognized. 



The principal efforts of the federation were towards generalizing its 

 own scope. But among the old societies of the province more difficulty was 

 encountered thrm in districts where societies were freshly founded : the old 

 societies very generally looked upon the federation as an enterprise having 

 a compulsor}^ character and enclosing the seeds of a greater or less restriction 

 of liberty. A meeting of insurance societies had the effect of dissipating 

 these prejudices ; and made clear the principles on which were based the 

 terms of affiliation and the consequence of the measures which facilitated 

 the decision to affiliate. 



Since the Minister of Agriculture attached particular importance to 

 the insurance of pigs, the federation undertook encpturies into the scope such 

 insurance would have and the question of whether or not it would supply 

 a need. If the federation should extend its activity to this branch of insur- 

 ance it propo.ses to keep its risks entirely separate, that is to differentiate 

 cattle and pig insurance because the latter is attended with very serious risks, 

 especially in East Prussia. Consequenth^ a part of the reserve fund — 

 10,000 marks (i) — has alreadj'^ been earmarked for pig insurance. 



In spite of its comparatively small number of members the federation 

 believed itself able to do without larger guarantees, and therefore rejected 

 for the time a scheme cherished by the province of Brandenburg of group- 

 ing provinces in one vast Reinsurance Federation. This scheme embraced 

 East Prussia and Silesia in addition to Brandenburg. 



The federation's technique of insurance has been tested in the past 

 years. It tends to secure within the federation equal losses or compensa- 

 tion for losses, the favourable condicions with regard to losses which ob- 

 tain in some societies compensating for such as are less favourable in others. 



If losses indirectly due to the war be left out of account — although 

 the period which has passed may be considered normal as regards casualties 

 among the live stock — it maj'^ be concluded that succeeding years will see 

 this S3^stem of compensation realized, even if important casualties should 



(i) I mark =^ about 11 ^/^ d at par. 



