172 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



becoming bankrupt without it, from insufficiency of business, 

 but which has since shot up rapidly into remarkable pros- 

 perity with it. 



It is very much to be hoped that in this country likewise, 

 in one shape or another, combination between agricultural 

 and domestic store business may be brought about. The 

 sale of household requisites may not be quite as pressing 

 here as it is in Ireland, where the gombeen man simply 

 bleeds the poor farmer white. But it is wanted, and for 

 reasons already explained will be a distinct benefit, as 

 producing money by overplus where money is wanted, 

 and as training to Co-operation, quite apart from its imme- 

 diate benefit in cheapening the supply of goods. The very 

 successful practice of the Lincoln Society, spoken of elsewhere, 

 supplies conclusive proof of the practicableness and recom- 

 mendations of such service. 



The action recently, very rightly, taken by the United 

 Board of the Co-operative Union is of good augury for 

 such development. The Board has decided to enter into 

 communication with the newly formed " Allotments Associ- 

 ation " which desires to procure for its members the very 

 benefits which Distributive Co-operation assures, and to 

 link up with it for common action. Of course, the Co- 

 operative Union is, very rightly, actuated in making such 

 proposal by a desire to prevent possible friction by over- 

 lapping and, not badly meant, but all the same detrimental 

 competition between its own societies and those of the 

 Agricultural Organisation Society. Such friction may very 

 well be avoided — and should be — by a very close connection 

 between the Co-operative Union and agricultural societies. 

 As one move towards bringing this about one might have 

 wished that the Co-operative Wholesale Society, having 

 a very well-equipped and well-managed Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, which already does a considerable business in agri- 

 cultural requisites, had been accepted as the wholesale 

 organisation for the gradually forming agricultural societies. 

 All division and separation means waste of power. And 

 waste of power retards growth and restricts business. An 

 arrangement similar to that which the " Dresdner Bank " 



