30 INFORMATION RELATING TO CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



the end in view. They would have been fed and have gained noticeably in 

 weight and quality. Thus consumption would not be robbed of this stock 

 which would on the contrarj^ eventualh^ augment the quantity of meat. 

 Since the society has already established business relations with large and 

 small stock keepers, breeders and fatteners in all the provinces, the insti- 

 tution and organization of such a market as we have described — at Vienna 

 in the first place — would meet with no insurmountable ol)stacles. 



The Society's share in Vienna's provision of meal amounted in its first 

 year — 1913-1914 — to 5 per cent, of the total suppty and to 13 per cent, at 

 the end of the second year. The society has already, by this means alone, 

 acquired on the Viennese market an influence which majHncrease, the more 

 so because, being constantly superintendend b}^ the government, it can face 

 extreme fluctuations in prices. 



Guided by the moral duty imposed by its participation in the provi- 

 sioning of Vienna, the society has often undertaken risk}^ business by which 

 it incurred loss, as for example the importation of live stock for slaughter 

 and meat from northern countries. Its very extensive business relations 

 and its important functions of public supply allowed it however to attain 

 during its third year to a turnover of about 170 million crowns (i) whence it 

 derived a net profit of 5,000,000 crowns. 



When the war broke out the society was obliged to become busy over 

 the supply of war provisions, to w"hich the course of events naturalh" gave 

 a large preference over normal business. It offered to supply live .stock at 

 cost prices, as to which it furnished evidence, adding only the actual costs of 

 the transaction. Before the stage of providing public supplies of this kind was 

 reached, the society was for long responsible for buying on its own account 

 large quantities of live stock for slaughter and placing them at the disposal 

 of the imperial and royal administration of the army at given times and on 

 given terms. This mode of delivery involved enormous risks not exempli- 

 fied in the case of delivery on commission, those namety of the dangers run 

 by the stock and the losses they suffer during transport by railway. They 

 are then exposed to loss of weight, to the outbreak of illnesses, and 

 to the infection of epizooty attaching to large centres in which stock are 

 collected. We should mention also the fluctuations of prices wich cannot 

 be anticipated and for which no allowance can therefore be made. 



The representative of the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Agriculture, 

 by which the entire administration is controlled, takes part in all the society's 

 councils, meetings and assemblies and can control at any time the manage- 

 ment of its business and enterprise. 



Finally its by-laws, the governmental decrees and its engagements oblige 

 the General Austrian Society for the Sale of Cattle to limit the interest on 

 its shares to 5 per cent, and to paj' a part of its profits into the funds of which 

 the constitution is prescribed. As for eventual excess profits the Imperial 

 IMinistry of Agriculture will decide how they are to be employed. 



(i) I crown of gold = lo^/jjt?. at par. 



