Part 1 : Co-operation and Association 



GERMANY. 



THE GENERAL RAIFFEISEN FEDERATION 

 IN 1914-1915 {concluded) (i). 



§ 2. The Rurai, Banks {Spar- imd Darlehnskassenvereine) 



The rural banks constitute 80 per cent of all the 5,680 co-operative 

 societies belonging to the General Raiffeisen Federation, for they number 

 4,598. At the end of 1914 there were 4,558 rural banks. In 1915 fortj^- 

 eight more joined the federation while eight left it. The increase was 

 therefore one of forty societies. In 1914 it had been one of seventy-three. 



All the rural banks are unlimited liability societies. 



The report on these societies for 1914 was presented by 4,421 rural 

 banks — 137 of them not reporting because their whole staffs had been 

 mobilized. 



The 4,421 societies included 485,416 members, that is an average of 

 no for one society. The increase since 1913 was one of 8,839 members, 

 the membership of 1913 having increased by 15,206 on that of 1912, which 

 year had recorded an increase of 17,069 on 191 1. 



The capital in shares of the 4,421 rural banks was 5,057,345 marks (2), 

 the reserve fund 32,778,993 marks, the working capital 827,605,640 marks. 



The turnover was less in 1914 than in previous years, namely : 1914 — 

 1.435. 215. 859 marks ; 1913 — 1,572,013,669 marks ; 1912 — 1,573.887.576 

 marks. 



The decrease is a result of the restriction of credit during the war. 



(i) See first part in our issue for February 191 7, page i. 

 (2) I mark = about 11 Vi d. at par. 



