COLI.ECTIVE DAIRIES 17 



by them. In 1913-1914 this federation received 6,231 kilogrammes (i) 

 of butter from its fourteen adherent dairies, and sold this butter at Ber- 

 gamo, Clusone and Trezzo for 19,731.65 liras. This sum, when 1,236.30 

 liras had been deducted for costs of transport and packing, postage, etc., 

 gave a balance of 18,495.35 liras, that is 2.96 Hras a kilogramme. This 

 initiative was excellently received not only by the dairies but also by all 

 the agricultural institutions, the agricultural consortium of Bergamo un- 

 dertaking the society's book-keeping and treasurership. 



§ 5. The national union of collective dairies 

 and the provincial federations. 



With the object of co-ordinating the co-operative movement in Italy, 

 protecting and assisting collective dairies, promoting their diffusion, and or- 

 ganizing whatever can be useful to the cheesemaking industry and co-oper- 

 ation therein, there was formed in 1907 the Unione Nazionale delle Latterie 

 sociali e cooperative which has its premises at Rome. It groups 294 soci- 

 eties (2),; and by means of pamphlets of propaganda, other publications and 

 its official organ, // caseificio nwderno, it seeks to advance among agricul- 

 turists co-operative principles and all technical and scientific knowledge 

 which can develop and perfect the scientific technique of cheesemaking. 



Among numerous and various forms of activity its organization of or 

 participation in important congresses should be recalled, among them 

 those of Reggio Emilia, Piacenza, Udine and Cremona, in which the most 

 urgent problems of cheesemaking technique and economy were discussed. 

 We note discussions on: "The exemption from income-tax of the collect- 

 ive dairies "; "Legislation relative to co-operative societies and especially 

 dairy societies " ; " Associations of milk producers and cheesemaking 

 societies " ; " IVIilk contracts and producers' societies " ; " Itinerant in- 

 structors in cheesemaking and co-operative cheesemaking ";" The collect- 

 ive sale of the products of cheesemaking ", etc. 



Recently the society gave attention to two other questions, the ex- 

 port of dairy produce and the milk supply of large urban centres. With 

 regard to the former it took effective action in relation to public author- 

 ities in order that a limited right of export on stated terms might be grant- 

 ed in the interest of the cheesemaking industry, and it therefore formed 

 a special office of commercial information and assistance. With regard 

 to the second question it placed itself at the disposal of various administra- 

 tions, offering to siipply them with milk. It began with Rome and obtain- 

 ed that 25,000 litres (3) of milk should be sent there daily from the large 



(i) I kilogramme = 2.2 lbs. 



(2) It is calculated that the federated dairy societies comprise about 20,000 agri- 

 cultimsts and treat more than half a million quintals of milk . 



(3) I litre = 0.88 quart. 



