1 66 AUSTRIA 



Raiffeisen societies, especially, are administrative 

 creations, due either to the State or to the munici- 

 palities, and showing little of that principle of 

 self-help to which British farmers should, prefer- 

 ably, pin their faith. The associations in general 

 are further authorized by law to call for pecuniary 

 aid from the State in (among other things) the 

 export of agricultural products, the employment 

 of persons possessing technical or expert know- 

 ledge, the construction of buildings, the pur- 

 chase of agricultural machinery and implements, 

 and in the event of general financial difficulties 

 arising. 



It would seem to be a normal state of things 

 in Austria that a Provincial Administration 

 should hold meetings to distribute State funds 

 among the various co-operative agricultural 

 societies in a particular district. From both 

 State authorities and municipalities, indeed, the 

 societies get aid in the form of subventions, or 

 loans either entirely free of interest or bearing 

 a nominal rate of interest only. Then the 

 governors of provinces, the prefets of cantons, 

 the Provincial States' Committees, the Provincial 

 Agricultural Councils, the priests, and the 

 teachers in the elementary schools are all 

 required to enlighten the rural populations on 

 the importance and the utility of co-operative 



