1 10 ITALY 



constant accessions from the rural districts : that 

 the emigration of Italians who despaired of their 

 country went on at a greater rate than ever ; 

 and that Italy seemed to be ill-equipped, indeed, 

 to meet the coming economic struggle for the 

 markets of the world. 



The conclusion arrived at by some of the most 

 far-seeing of Italians was that to compete with 

 the aforesaid virgin soils of new countries the 

 peasants of Italy must resort to improved 

 methods of culture, and must especially make 

 use alike of the fertilizers that agricultural 

 chemistry was offering to the world, and of the 

 improved forms of agricultural machinery. But 

 to do this meant the expenditure of money, and 

 the problem that arose was — How can the im- 

 poverished peasantry obtain the necessary capi- 

 tal ? The solution of this problem was found in 

 the argument already stated — that the earnings 

 of the people in the towns should be made avail- 

 able for the use of the agriculturists in the 

 country. 



Savings banks had already been in operation 

 in Italy since the year 1822, and it had from the 

 first been one of the principles of these banks 

 that the deposits should be so employed as not 

 only to secure a benefit for the members, but 

 also to promote the general economic conditions 



