February, 1910.] 



153 



Miscellaneeous. 



the people must be shown what ought 

 to be done, and inspired to do it,, by- 

 educated men who live among them and 

 who exercise the influence inseparable 

 from the wealth and status of a 

 zemindar. Not only the vital economy 

 of the villages but their prosperity 

 depends upon the presence in their 

 midst of enlightened men who realise 

 that it is their duty to render public 

 service to the people, not in Calcutta, but 

 where the people live and toil. Of this 

 fact we are reminded by the Resolution 

 of the Government of Bengal on Co-oper- 

 ative Credit Societies, which appears 

 below. These societies form, as every 

 one who has given any attention to 

 the subject knows, the most perfect 

 organisation ever devised for deliver- 

 ing the peasantry from crushing debt 

 atid enabling them to win their way 

 towards financial freedom and the new 

 courage and hope which independence 

 brings. Such societies have been estab- 

 lised in Bengal and have achieved excel- 

 lent results. The number of Societies, 

 urban and rural, has risen to 395 with 

 14,640 members, showing an increase of45 

 societies and over 2,540 members during 

 the year. The capital invested in 

 them now amounts to Rs. 3,65,086. The 

 most interesting and important feature 

 of the movement, however, is the growth 

 ot the rural societies of which there are 

 359. But owing to this gratifying expan- 

 sion, "the development of co-operative 

 credit in the Mof'ussil," says the Resolu- 

 tion," has reached a critical stage." The 

 success of the societies depends on 

 careful supervision, but the number of 

 societies being what it is, the Registrar 

 and his assisstant are unable to visit 

 each society more than once or twice a 

 year. Yet the need for more societies 

 is, as all must perceive, urgent. A few 

 hundred societies cannot possibly do 

 more than touch the fringe of the 

 indebtedness of rural Bengal. The 

 circumstances are such as should make 

 an irresistible appeal, especially to the 

 zemindars, the natural leaders of the 

 rural community. "The real work of 

 forming societies and educating the 

 members, says the Resolution, " must 

 devolve on local voluntary helpers, and 

 the Lieutenant-Governor agrees with 

 the Registrar in the opinion that, unless 

 and until it is adopted in earnest by the 

 eople themselves, the movement will 

 e confined within the very definite 

 limits of a kindly but ineffective official 

 experiment." This pronouncement is a 

 grave reflection upon the amount of 

 genuine public spirit in Bengal and 

 especially among its zemindars. Ger- 

 many could produce its Raiffeisen who 

 redeemed a poverty-stricken peasantry 

 20 



from debt, but in Bengal a movement 

 which has been given the advantage of 

 a start by the Government is crippled in 

 its progress by the lack of men who are 

 prepared to give a little time and 

 trouble for the salvation of the ryot. 

 In the light of the explanation given 

 by the Hindoo Patriot, the main reason 

 for this failure is that a large number 

 of the zemindars regard it as a sacred 

 duty to stay in Calcutta and nurse 

 their own health. The peasant is left 

 to cholera, malaria, and debt. 



Government Resolution on Last 

 Year's Report. 



The following Government Resolution 

 on the annual report on Co-operative 

 Credit Societies in Bengal during 1908-09 

 is published as a supplement to the 

 Calcutta Gazette : — 



The report deals with the working of 

 Co-operative Credit Societies for a period 

 of nine months only, because in place 

 of a year ending on the 30th June it 

 has been decided to adopt the ordinary 

 financial year ending on the 31st Match. 

 Throughout the year Mr. Buchan 

 held the post of Registrar and Babu 

 Jamini Mohan Mitra that of Personal 

 Assistant. The report was written by 

 the former officer before his departure 

 on leave in April last ; and the latter 

 officer has prepared and reviewed the 

 returns. 



2. Since the passing of Act X of 1904 

 progress in Bengal has been along very 

 simple and uniform lines. No attempt 

 has been made to experiment with 

 different forms of rural societies, and 

 attention has been concentrated on the 

 Raiffeisen type only. The earliest socie- 

 ties were disconnected units, formed 

 sporadically where opportunity offered. 

 Subsequent additions were in many 

 cases due to the exertions of individual 

 organisers of the older societies, whose 

 personality served as a connecting link 

 between them. This year a further step 

 has been taken, and such groups of 

 societies have been combined in self- 

 administered unions. The policy has 

 been followed of developing compact 

 areas in each district and extending 

 from these as centres, with the object 

 of avoiding the waste of power which 

 would follow from the dissipation of 

 attention over single scattered societies. 



3, The societies in Bengal are of two 

 types. In the first the liability is limited, 

 and for the most part the societies are 

 urban; in the second the liability is 

 unlimited and they are rural ; and it is 

 this second class which demands the 

 particular attention of the Registrar. 



