CHAPTER X 

 AUSTRIA 



IN Austria the principle of State aid in agri- 

 culture has been developed to an extent 

 that is altogether abnormal, and without the 

 exceptional conditions of the sister country of 

 Hungary. 



The chief progress made in regard to Austrian 

 agriculture has been effected since 1890, when 

 the first co-operative credit bank of the Raiffeisen 

 type was formed. There are now in Austria 

 over 2,000 institutions of this kind. Close on 

 800 came into existence in the three years 

 between 1897 and 1900. The Raiffeisen banks 

 have, in turn, been followed by many purchase 

 societies, co-operative dairies, societies for the 

 sale of wheat, fruit, hops, oats, etc. ; societies of 

 wine-growers, societies for the improvement of 

 live-stock, and so on. 



But the whole movement has been the out- 

 come mainly of oilieial action, supported by 



numerous and liberal subsidies. Most of the 



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