THE MIDDLEMAN IN AGRICULTURE. 89 



competition only holds good so long as it is unchecked. 

 There are artificial barriers in most cases against too 

 great an inundation of new blood in the ranks of any 

 business, while the existence of " rings " to maintain 

 prices above their normal level is a disturbing factor in 

 the situation. There is, however, one highly effective 

 weapon, and that is co-operation. 



The principle underlying co-operation is the union 

 of producers or consumers for the purpose of saving the 

 middle profits. Combinations of consumers have been 

 immensely successful, as the case of the great " stores " 

 in London testifies. The system has, however, found its 

 greatest success among the working classes. Started in 

 a very modest way by the " Rochdale Pioneers," the 

 co-operative movement has now reached enormous 

 proportions. There are at present 1,744 industrial 

 co-operative societies throughout the United Kingdom, 

 including over 1,100,000 members. Taking each member 

 to represent a family, we have 5,500,000 of the population 

 whose daily food is mainly purchased on the co-operative 

 principle. 



A suggestion has lately been made — which has not, 

 perhaps, obtained so much consideration as it deserves 

 — that English farmers should make an attempt to 

 secure for themselves the supply of this vast organised 

 demand, so to speak. Such an idea, however, 

 predicates an organisation of producers large enough 

 and solid enough to be in a position to make terms. 

 At present, the co-operative societies buy, of course, 

 in the cheapest and most convenient markets, which 

 in many instances are foreign, even in the case of 

 articles which are largely produced in this country. 

 Whether they would be disposed to give any preference 

 to the home supply — presuming that there were farmers' 

 organisations in a position to deal with them on a large 

 scale — is an obvious element of doubt in the matter. 

 The idea is evidently very much in the air, and possibly 



