82 CO-OPEEATION IN DANISH AGEICULTURE 



This has been effected by means of the amalgamation of 

 Co-operative Dairy Societies ; as a rule, those in a hmited district 

 have combined to form a Co-operative Butter Export Society. 

 The dairies bind themselves to sell all the butter they make, 

 beyond that supplied for the use of their members, through 

 the Export Society. The butter is paid for in the usual way 

 according to the Copenhagen quotation, but some modification 

 is made in the price according to the quality as found by weekly 

 testing of sample casks. The surplus at the end of each year's 

 trading is returned to the Dairy Societies in proportion to the 

 amount of butter deUvered by each. The Dairy Societies can 

 only withdraw from the Export Society at the end of a working 

 year, and must give six to nine months' notice of withdrawal. 

 They are jointly hable for the debts of the Export Society ; 

 sometimes, however, only to a limited extent. The affairs of 

 the Export Society are managed by the general meeting at 

 which each Dairy Society is represented by a number of repre- 

 sentatives, generally including the dairy manager. The general 

 meeting elects the directors and auditors, and the directors 

 appoint a manager who carries on the business of the Society, 

 consisting cliiefly in exporting the butter to Great Britain. 

 Membership in the Export Society is not confined to Co-opera- 

 tive Dairy Societies, privately owned dairies being also accepted 

 as members in some or all of them. 



The first of these export societies was " The Farmers of 

 Denmark Butter Export Association," formed in 1889 by 85 

 Co-operative Dairy Societies in Sealand and the islands of the 

 South. But as this association was not managed on co-operative 

 principles, but rather was a kind of " one man's affair " 

 founded on spite and political prejudice, and came to an igno- 

 minious end, there is no need to do more than just mention it. 

 The reform in the Copenhagen quotation in 1894, brought about 

 by the strong opposition to the increasing *' overprices," gave 

 rise to the formation of some export societies which still carry 

 on business. 



The Farmers of South Fune7i Butter Export Associatio7i began 

 operations in January, 1895, with 13 members, consisting of 

 dairies in the south of Funen with its headquarters at Svend- 

 borg. There are now 29 members. The annual turnover has 



