2o8 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



long as the patient agriculturist, being deliberately kept 

 out of the useful self-purveying trade — which has been the 

 making of our industrial working classes — allows himself 

 to be put off with specious but transparently false excuses. 

 Abroad that consideration is freely avowed, and it has led 

 to very marked discrimination indeed — but only in countries 

 whose institutions we profess ourselves distinctly unwilling 

 to copy — always with the exception of Ireland. Abroad, 

 alike in Austria and Hungary, and France, agricultural 

 co-operative societies have been distinctly forbidden, in 

 consideration of money help rendered and preferential buying 

 of their produce directly by Government departments, 

 to set up any business in domestic requirements — the right 

 which they are made to forgo being worth very much more 

 than the ostensible quid pro quo given in return, even 

 materially, to say nothing of the all but total sacrifice 

 of the educational value of their organisation. In Germany 

 Governments have not gone quite the same length. Agri- 

 cultural co-operative societies may there deal in household 

 articles. But they have received a plain hint that it is 

 not desired that they should do so. Distributive societies 

 are in Germany — as also in Austria— distinctly under a 

 Government ban, half of them being suspected of being 

 tainted with Liberalism, whereas the other half are known 

 to be at least in sympathy with Socialist ideas. And, 

 obedient to Government hints, even Raifteisen societies 

 have thus far abstained from encroaching upon the trades- 

 men's reserve, though holding the threat in terrorem over 

 the traders that, should they carry fraud or overcharge 

 too far, they will be met by rivalry. 



There are other Governments, really far more favourable 

 to agricultural Co-operation, which have gone on an entirely 

 different tack, and whose action has been marked by signal 

 success. In Denmark farmers are ahead of all others in 

 co-operative distribution. In Switzerland there are not 

 a few villages in which the farmers' co-operative society 

 has effectively crowded out the private trader. And the 

 community, all being members, experiences the advantage 

 of obtaining cheaper and better goods. Notwithstanding 



