i84 



Agriculture Abroad, 



[may, 



resources to make advances to the smaller banks. Such transac- 

 tions were carried out through the medium of a central agency, 

 which received and distributed surplus funds. This agency 

 also possessed the right to decide the use to which the money 

 should be put. ' 



The organisation spread through Germany, and eventually 

 was divided, in every German state, into two distinct, but 

 closely united, sections. The first section comprised depart- 

 ments of inspection, auditing, advertisement and technical 

 instruction, and aimed at spreading among agriculturists a 

 knowledge of the principles of farm husbandry. 



The second section dealt with questions of finance. It served 

 the purpose of a large bank, in which were centralised the funds 

 of the subsidiary banks. In addition to arranging credit 

 facilities, it also carried on an important trade in machinery, 

 manures and supplies of all kinds, which were bought wholesale, 

 and could, therefore, be resold on the best possible terms. 



The extent to which Raiffeisen Banks have developed in 

 Alsace-Lorraine is well shown in the fact that there are now 

 over 470 of such banks in the country. 



Another institution was set up by the Government of Alsace- 

 Lorraine some thirteen years ago, owing to special circumstances, 

 to compete with the Raiffeisen Banks. It was formed on much 

 the same model as the Raiffeisen Banks, and, as in the case of 

 these banks, was divided into two sections. By the assistance 

 of the Government the new institution has prospered, side by 

 side with the Raiffeisen Banks. Its organisation now includes 

 228 savings and loan banks, and some 60 miscellaneous asso- 

 ciations engaged in agricultural work, and according to the 

 balance sheet for 1917 it has collected about 26 million francs 

 (normally more than £1,000,000), which are invested in loans 

 to communes or in movable property. 



