AGRARIAN TENDENCIES IN EUROPE 53 



dicalism is producing profound effects with reference 

 to agricultural practices and economic policy, and 

 out of the agitation may come a more hopeful agri- 

 cultural situation in Spain. 



Agricultural Unions in Germany and Scandinavia 



In Germany agricultural laborers were forbidden 

 by law to form rural unions until 1919. Since 

 that time a number of local agricultural unions have 

 been formed. According to German newspapers, 

 there were nine thousand of these unions in 1920, 

 with a total membership of approximately 700,000. 

 Economic conditions since the War have given the 

 German farmer increased influence. The depreci- 

 ated currency for a time almost reduced exchange 

 to a state of barter. As the German farmer con- 

 trolled the food supply with which he negotiated 

 for manufactured goods, he was able almost to make 

 exchange on his own terms. This situation, together 

 with the increased power resulting from unionism, 

 brought about better working conditions and more 

 satisfactory standards of living. In the northeastern 

 part of Germany, where the landlords and the farm 

 peasants represented the leading element of rural 

 society, the effects were especially noticeable. 



In recent times agricultural unionism has not 

 exerted so great an influence in the Scandinavian 

 countries as in other parts of Europe. The reason 

 is easy to understand. They are countries of peas- 

 ant farmers, the farm laborer constituting a rela- 



