May 1907.] 



303 



Miscellaneous. 



they have paid their way. Yet, for some reason, they are not extending with the 

 rapidity which their utility would lead one to expect. We regret to note that the 

 Registrar of Co-operative Societies in Eastern Bengal confesses in his last annnal 

 report that he has not met with the success which he had hoped for in the formation 

 of new societies. Oae cause which he suggests as accounting for this failure fur- 

 nishes additional evidence of the mischievous effects of the policy pursued by the 

 late Lieutenant-Governor. "The feelings of the educated classes,'' writes the 

 Registrar, "have been much agitated, and I found it difficult to reach the cultiva- 

 tors without the help of the more respectable community." The political moral lies 

 on the surface. Throughout the recent troubles the tendency has been to minimize 

 the influence of the educated classes, on the assumption that they represented only 

 themselves, and that the inarticulate masses would, if they could be consulted, 

 dissociate themselves from their so-called leaders. The admission of the Registrar 

 tends to disprove this hypothesis. The educated people are, in a very real and 

 practical sense, the leaders of the community. " The cultivators," the Registrar 

 continues, "look at the movements initiated by Government with suspicion, and will 

 not believe in any Society which is not approved by the educated people of the 

 village, whom they are accustomed to follow and look up to in all strange matters." 

 But, while laying stress on the obvious expediency of conciliating the educated 

 classes, we are bound to express our surprise at the part they have taken in creating 

 a prejudice against the spread of institutions which are so clearly beneficial to the 

 cultivators. Nothing could be more foolish than to adopt or encourage a hostile 

 attitude towards valuable reforms in order to spite a Government which has nothing 

 to lose if they are rejected. The highest wisdom in politics is to accept all that can 

 be got and ask for more. Political disconteut was, however, not the only circum- 

 stance which contributed to the indifferent success in the promotion of co-operative 

 societies. The social conditions to be coutended against were unfavourable. On the 

 one hand there was the indifference of the Zemindars. The land system of Bengal 

 encourages that worst evil of private ownership,— absenteeism. The majority of the 

 landowners live away from their estaces and "take but little interest in the welfare 

 of their tenants," who are consequently left without guidance. On the other hand, 

 there are, as might have been anticipated, certain influences which are from inter- 

 ested motives opposed to any reform calculated to interfere with the profits of 

 moneylending. Individual moneylending, as contrasted with the banking system, 

 is exceedingly rife in India. ''The richer people," observes the Registrar, "are 

 almost all moneylenders and kept aloof from the societies when they did not actively 

 oppose." Again, " many of the petty landlords are themselves usurers and opposed 

 to this movement." One of the results of this combination of apathy and hostility 

 is that capital to finance the societies in their early stages is difficult to obtain, and 

 for this condition of things aid from the Government seems to be the only remedy. 

 Happily, help can be given without much risk of loss.— Indian Agriculturist, 



AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION. 

 By E. T. Mullens, 

 Secretary) Minister of Agriculture,, Natal* 

 This article has been prepared with a View of .'answering the question 

 *' What is the best form of Agricultural Co-operation for Natal ? " In order to 

 arrive at an answer to this question it is, first of all, necessary to ascertain what 

 has been done in other countries, so that the errors into which the pioneers of the 

 movement fell may not be repeated in this Colony, and that we may profit by the 

 accumulated experience now available, 



