INFORMATION RELATING TO CO-OPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 27 



bility for five times its amount so that the extent of liability incurred by a 

 share varies from 100 to 250 marks. No member may have more than ten 

 shares. Most of the members are agriculturists. 



Data as to their working capital were furnished by only fifty-seven of 

 these societies. 



The capital held by these societies amounted to 2,025,012 marks 

 including 934,748 marks of paid-up share capital and 1,090,264 marks of 

 reserve fund. The liability of the members extended to 9,926,000 marks. 

 The societies also disposed of capital belonging to outsiders formed by de- 

 posits of individuals and credit obtained from co-perative credit societies. 

 Until 1908 private deposits provided the larger part of the working capital. 

 In that year the general meeting passed a resolution that in future the so- 

 cieties should accept fewer deposits from individuals and increase the sum 

 of the credit afforded to them by co-operative credit societies. In conse- 

 quence the societies for purchase and sale, in order to obtain larger credit 

 from the credit societies, formed with them a species of personal union, 

 admitting to their administrative councils two or three members of the 

 administrative council of a credit society. At the end of 1914 the socie- 

 ties' debt was 12,532,526 marks, one third being deposits of individuals 

 and two thirds on current account with credit societies. 



These societies for purchase and sale undertake two kinds of business : 

 they buy for their members goods necessary to agriculture (seeds, manures, 

 forage) ; and they sell agricultural produce on commission. Their business 

 of the latter kind is the more important, the selling being also practised by 

 the co-operative credit societies and the agricultural circles. 



Their total turnover amounted to 46,000,000 marks, 28,000,000 marks 

 standing for sales and 18,000,000 marks for purchases. 



3) The co-operative societies for subdivision were first formed in 

 1890. Today there are altogether thirty-one of them and twenty-two be- 

 long to the Polish federation. 



All the societies for subdivision have limited liability. 



Shares are from 100 to 500 marks and each involves liability for from 

 two to five times its amount. The total membership of the societies belong- 

 ing to the federation was 5,070. The members are mostly agriculturists, 

 large or small proprietors ; but the so-called burgher societies include as 

 members a certain number of traders and artisans and even some profes- 

 sional men. 



Their capital amounted to 11,422,092 marks, made up of a share capi- 

 tal of 7,533,970 marks and a reserve fund of 3,888,152 marks. They also 

 receive very large credit from the co-operative credit societies and from the 

 Federal Bank and other Polish and German banks. The deposits of out- 

 siders form a mininumi of their working capital. lyike the societies for 

 purchase and sale they often enter into a personal union with the co-op- 

 erative societies in their respective districts. 



Their business is of two kinds : 



i) They regulate the mortgage debts of landowners ; 



