THE BENEFITS SECURED 139 



small or a large scale, according to the import- 

 ance of the society. The Agricultural Unions 

 have also been the means of bringing about the 

 establishment of agricultural credit banks on 

 the Raiffeisen principle, with a central organiza- 

 tion in Utrecht ; while in the South of Holland 

 the Roman Catholic clergy have taken up the 

 movement, and are actively engaged in forming- 

 separate societies and separate banks exclusively 

 for Roman Catholics. 



What, therefore, with the very practical aid 

 given by the Government, and the active adop- 

 tion of self-help principles by farmers and 

 peasants, a network of agricultural organization 

 is being gradually spread throughout the whole 

 of Holland, and abundant evidence is forthcoming 

 that the results are proving beneficial to every- 

 one concerned. The cultivators of the soil get 

 better results and higher profits ; new sources 

 of revenue have taken the place of those that 

 were falling off ; the " Dead Cities of the 

 Zuider Zee " are showing a good deal of life and 

 vigour ; the operations of the dealers and com- 

 mission agents are facilitated ; and the railways 

 are enabled to quote rates which are more satis- 

 factory alike to the traders and to themselves 

 than would be the case if the freight they 

 handled came from an entirely unorganized body 



