The Department of Agriculture during the War. 469 



Co-operative Agricultural Societies. 



The Division of Co-operation is mainly concerned with the 

 establishment and control of co-operative agricultural societies regis- 

 tered under the provisions of the Co-operative Agricultural Societies 

 Acts in force in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. 



Several changes took place on the stafi of the division during^ 

 1914-15 ; the Registrar and Assistant Inspector resigned to take up 

 posts in the Central Agency for Co-operative Societies. During the 

 year the extent of the transactions of most of the societies was affected 

 by drought, and several of them sustained loss on the year's working 

 as a consequence. There were eighteen societies established in terms 

 of the Co-operative Acts, and, while progress was made by many of 

 them, others again were not conducted as satisfactorily as could be 

 wished, the position of two or three being very unsatisfactory. On 

 the whole, however, the societies showed a distinct improvement m 

 the way in which the majority of them conducted their business, and 

 as a result of the year's working had materially strengthened their 

 financial position. A serious mistake made by many was the custom 

 of giving indiscriminate credit to members in connection with the 

 sale of farming implements. 



In 1915-16 three more co-operative societies (in the Orange Free 

 State) were in process of formation. Of the eighteen societies one 

 was liquidated during the year, and the condition of four others was 

 unsatisfactory, the finances of the remainder being considered sound. 

 The membership was 10,825, their turnover being 919,891 bags of 

 maize, 2,057,203 lb. of tobacco, and £107.039 worth of other produce, 

 and farming requisites to the value of £139,052, the societies doing a 

 great deal of good in assisting farmers to dispose of their mealies and 

 tobacco and steadying the trade in these products. _ While there was 

 progress in the general administration of the societies, it was evident 

 that mistakes were made in credit sales and the holding of produce for 

 a rise in the markets, matters contrary to the principles of co-opera- 

 tion. ' The troubles in which some of the societies became involved 

 were due primarily to want of knowledge and supervision ; careless 

 ness in the admission of members to the societies, which have un- 

 limited liability, and lack of attention and personal interest by 

 members to the expenditure and affairs of the societies. 



There were twenty co-operative societies in existence in 1916-17, 

 most of them almost entirely occupied with the sale of maize and a 

 certain amount of other produce and the purchase and supplying of 

 agricultural implements and other farm requisites. One society, 

 however, was devoted to the handling of tobacco, another maintained 

 a threshing machine, a third dealt with the supply of dairy cows to 

 its members and the sale of milk, and a fourth manufactured cheese. 

 The societies had a total membership of 10,234, their turnover being 

 644,899 bags of maize, 1,544,076 lb. of tobacco, and £76,959 worth of 

 other produce, and farming requisites to the value of £140,481. The 

 turnover in produce for the year 1916 was less than that for 1915 

 owing to a poor harvest. The division was fully occupied in advising" 

 and inspecting the several societies under its aegis and generally in 

 promoting the growth of co-operation. The benefits derived from 

 these societies were many, both growers and consumers of the products 

 dealt with being helped. The majority of the societies were in a 



