.34 



Insurance of Live Stock. 



[APRIL, 



stock, and in order to meet the disadvantages of small inde- 

 pendent groups they have been affiliated to a central organisa- 

 tion in such a way that part of the risk is borne by the local 

 society and the remainder by the whole organisation. 

 Whatever method may have appeared most suitable to the 

 special circumstances of the community concerned, the attempt 

 to protect owners against the unexpected losses occasioned by 

 the death of their cattle appears to have met with considerable 

 success. In almost all cases, however, these insurance societies 

 are recruited from among the smaller farmers, to whom the 

 advantages offered naturally appeal with the greatest force. 



Holland.* 



The insurance of live stock in Holland has been very generally 

 adopted in the districts where small breeders predominate, 

 and although attempts to centralise them have been made 

 at different times these have not met with any success. The 

 advantages of the local over the central type are held to consist 

 in its inexpensive administration, which is usually quite honorary, 

 and in the control which members can exercise over each 

 other when the operations are limited to a small area. 



The following table, taken from the Report of the Ministry 

 of Agriculture for 1906, shows the extent of the operations of 

 the associations : — 





. No. of 

 Societies. 



No. of 

 Members. 



No. of 

 Animals 

 Insured. 



Percentage of 

 Animals Lost 

 during 1906. 



Horses 



Cattle 



Pigs 



Sheep and goats 



1 



377 3° 3 447 



748 ! 72,797 



56 4,357 

 55 3,857 



56,814 

 273,099 

 9,096 

 6,362 i 



3\b 

 1-9 



6- o 



7- 7 



It will be seen that the number of horses insured is less than 

 two, and of cattle less than four, per member. 



As has been stated, the societies are usually confined to a very 

 limited district, such as a few adjacent villages or communes ; 

 it is thus possible not only for all the members to know each 

 other, but also for the costs of management and administration 

 to be reduced to a minimum. The director or secretary 

 of the society occasionally receives some small remuneration 



* Summarized from information supplied by the Netherland Government 

 and forwarded through the Foreign Office. 



