50 CO-OPEBATION IN DANISH AGEICULTURE 



the better protection of their common interests. Of these 

 Dairy Associations there are now 21 in different districts, and 

 they comprise 1203 of the Co-operative Dairy Societies. These 

 Dairy Associations again formed three provincial Unions oj 

 Dairy Associations, which from 1899 co-operated through a 

 kind of general purpose committee consisting of the three chair- 

 men. This committee among other works started an Insurance 

 Society and a Joint Purchasing Society for Co-operative Dairy 

 Societies (to be mentioned later on) and built the first Co- 

 operative Sanatorium for patients suffering from tuberculosis. 

 In 1912 this committee was re-organised and became the 

 Central Organisation oj Danish Dairy Associations, consisting 

 of seven members, viz. the chairmen of the three Unions of 

 Dairy Associations and four members elected for two years 

 at the annual meeting of delegates. Each local Dairy Asso- 

 ciation elects one delegate for each 20 members, i.e. Co- 

 operative Dairy Societies, to attend the General Meeting of 

 Delegates, which is the highest authority of the Central 

 Organisation ; the annual meeting elects the chairman for 

 one year at a time. 



This Central Organisation represents the Danish Co-opera- 

 tive Dairies in their internal and external relations ; it deals 

 with any question relating to the dairy industry which may be 

 raised by the legislative or administrative authorities, such as 

 Bills before the Rigsdag; it has its statistical office which 

 collects information concerning the management of the co-opera- 

 tive dairies, and the prices paid to them for their butter ; it fixes 

 a weekly butter quotation through a committee elected at the 

 annual meeting, and so forth. The Central Organisation has 

 appointed a consulting expert to advise dairies on the economical 

 use of fuel whereby a considerable economy has been effected, 

 and another expert to advise them on dairying generally. A 

 Committee for Dairy Statistics, to which the Central Organisation 

 elects three members and the Danish Dairy Managers' Society 

 two members, publish annually the '* Danmarks Mejeri-Drifts- 

 Statistik" or "Danish Statistical Report on Dairy Manage- 

 ment," containing tables and charts giving detailed information 

 for each of the dairies sending in their accounts (in 1916 reports 

 came in from 742 dairies) showing : the number of members. 



