258 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



purely gratuitous to the strictly economic- minded man. 

 To many not of the least worthy among mortals, on the 

 other hand, those ideal ends constitute the best part of 

 Raiffeisenism. And we have seen with what eagerness 

 Mother Church has taken hold of these societies to make 

 Co-operative Credit serve its own purposes. It is in these 

 " ideal " ends that Indian registrars avowedly see a pro- 

 spect of providing a precious substitute for the practically 

 extinct ancient " village community," so dear to the Indian 

 mind. It was in consideration of them, mainly, that our 

 late Princess Royal, the Empress Frederick — as well as 

 her husband and her father-in-law — particularly favoured 

 the Raiffeisen societies. However, all men are not so 

 shaped as to value ideal ends and the strict eclecticism, the 

 narrow limitations on which the Raiffeisen system is bound 

 to insist. We all, on the other hand, have a keen eye for 

 " business." 



Raiffeisen's rather angular manner and extreme rigour, 

 and his insistence upon uniformity and strict central control, 

 which unquestionably to some extent retarded progress, 

 gave rise early in the career of his movement to a secession. 

 His whilom lieutenant. Dr. Haas, being intent upon " busi- 

 ness," set up his own movement, which was " Raiffeisen 

 minus its very pronounced ends." Being a first-rate organi- 

 ser, and holding out a prospect of benefit to large farmers — 

 mainly squires — as well as to humble folk, who came, in 

 contrast with what they do in the Raiffeisen Union, to play 

 only a secondary part in his movement led by junkers — 

 he managed to attract a fair number of followers. The 

 Prussian Government, being then — some twenty- three years 

 ago — very much on the look out for popular support of the 

 ambitious policy which it had framed, was not slow to discern 

 the advantage which such a movement as that of Dr. 

 Haas might secure to it, if enlisted in its favour. To make 

 sure of the bulk of the rural population, led by junkers, 

 and held in leash by the Government itself, by assistance 

 with money given to a movement ostensibly designed for 

 the pubUc benefit, was too tempting an opportunity to be 

 allowed to pass unused. Accordingly the Government 



