Co-operative Agricultural Societies. 79 



Item Ao. 16 (6). — With a view to securing uniformity of action 

 stivralating the co-operative movement in South Africa and 

 ensuring the future of co-operative officials, this Congress 

 expresses itself in favour of technical examinations for all 

 secretaries, emhracing the three following subjects at least : 

 (a) hook-keeping , (b) secretarial practice, and (c) co-opera- 

 tive legislation and principles, equivalent to the senior grade 

 of the National Com^mercial Examinations ; the administra- 

 tion thereof to he vested in the Registrar of Co-operative 

 Societies and not in the Advisory Board for T echnical Educa^ 

 tion. 

 In introducing' the motion, a delegate said tliat the failure o£ 

 some societies could be directly attributed to maladministration, due 

 to the appointment of incompetent officials. Very often directors 

 were not in a position to judge as to whether an applicant for the 

 secretaryship of their societies possessed the necessary qualifications. 

 The introduction of a test such as was indicated in the motion would 

 not only result in societies getting qualified and capable men, but 

 would ensure uniformity of administration. The Congress resolved : 

 " To adopt Item No. 16 (b) and to request the Registrar to ascer- 

 tain whether the proposal can be carried out." 



Itein No. IT. — The desirability of the Government'' s fostering to 

 the best of its ability the manufactiire of maize into food- 

 stuffs, as carried ont in America, as the export of 7naize 

 foods should be of greater benefit to the country than the 

 export of the grain itself. This also ajjpHes to wool and hides. 

 Accepted without discussion. 



Item No. 18. — That the Central Agency should open an office for 

 fire and general insurance business on behalf of all co-opera- 

 tive societies. 



The representative of the Central Agency informed the Congress 

 that his Agency had been appointed as agent of the London and 

 Liverpool Assurance Company and had secured a discount of 5 per 

 cent, for societies doing business with that company. Other delegates 

 were opposed to the societies starting an insurance business them- 

 selves, as the premiums would, as yet, be too little to enable the 

 undertaking being conducted with success. 



The item was noted. 



This concluded the agenda. 



The following motion was then proposed by one of the delegates 

 and accepted nem. con.:- — 



" That this Congress resolves to send a telegram to the Minister 

 of Finance requesting him to increase by £1,000,000 the funds of 

 the Land Bank, whose functions have lately been greatly extended." 



In reply to a question, Mr. Retief informed the Congress that it 

 had been decided to establish a federation of the central agencies of 

 the different Provinces. Some trouble had been experienced owing to 

 the articles of association of some of the central agencies being in 

 conflict with the Act. He had been delegated to draft a set of regula- 

 tions for the agencies, and until such time as these were accepted by 

 the agencies concerned, the question of the establishment of a federa- 

 tion TTOuld have to remain in abeyance. 



Alter the usual motions of thanks had been passed, the Congress 

 closed. 



