1904J Insurance of Cattle in France, 



547 



The system of co-operative insurance against losses through 

 death or compulsory slaughter of cattle has gained ground in 

 France within the last few years, largely in 



CaitTeTn^rlnci* conset l ue " ce of the efforts of the F ™<* 

 Department of Agriculture to foster and 



encourage its development. Until 1898 no assistance was 



afforded by the State to these mutual insurance societies, but 



since then a sum of about £20,000 has been annually included 



in the Agricultural Budget, out of which sums, usually about 



£20, have been granted to new societies in order to cover the 



expenses fi{ formation and to give them a few pounds in hand. 



Recently, in consequence of the number of applications, the 



grant has had to be reduced to £12, but it is proposed to 



increase the amount of the vote in future years. 



In order to facilitate the formation of these associations? 



some legal difficulties as to their constitution were removed 



by a law passed in 1900, and they were also exempted from 



stamp and registration dues ; while in 1902 the Minister of 



Agriculture, in a circular letter to the Departmental Professors of 



Agriculture, urged upon them the importance of doing everything. 



in their power to promote the establishment of societies of this 



character, and they were directed to make a Quarterly Report 



on the steps which they had been able to take with this object. 



As a result it appears from a Report by the Minister, dated 2nd 



November last, that the insurance societies, which at the end of 



1897 numbered 1,484, had increased to 4,820, of which 4,719 were 



for the insurance of cattle, and the remainder for insurance against 



hail, fire and accidents. The capital insured was rather over 



£10,000,000 and the number of members 265,015, giving an 



average of 5 5 members to each society and an average insurance 



of £38 to each member. The size of these societies, it will be 



seen, is very small, but this is largely due to the fact that it is 



considered desirable that their operations should be restricted as 



a rule to a single commune, experience having shown that small 



societies are likely to be most successful, as they allow members 



* Notes have appeared in previous numbers of this Journal respecting the insurance 

 of live stock : in Belgium, Vol. VI., June, 1899, p. 25 ; Vol. IX., June, 1902, p. 36 ; 

 and in Bavaria, Vol. IX., June, 1902, p. 60 ; and Vol. XL, April, 1904, p. 26. 



