1908.] 



Insurance of Live Stock. 



41 



Germany. 



In several of the German States the small local societies, 

 which, as in other countries, operate in a limited area, are 

 affiliated to a central organization in such a way that part of the 

 risk is borne by the local society and the remainder by the 

 whole organization. Such associations are now recognized, 

 and receive assistance from the Government in Baden, Bavaria^ 

 and Alsace-Lorraine. 



Bavaria. — -The Bavarian Cattle Insurance Office is based upon 

 the principle of mutuality, and provides compensation for losses 

 incurred by stockowners from the death or compulsory 

 slaughter of their cattle and goats, and from the carcases of 

 slaughtered cattle being subsequently condemned by the 

 authorities as wholly or partially unfit for food owing to their 

 being affected with some scheduled disease. The insurance 

 office is an association of all the local insurance societies, which 

 accept certain rules applicable to all alike. On the creation of 

 the office the Bavarian Treasury provided a capital sum to be 

 administered as a special fund, and also makes it an annual 

 allowance of £6,250. 



In 1906 there were 1,572 local societies, with 79,113 members, 

 representing 505,769 animals valued at £4,006,000. Each 

 society therefore was composed on the average of 50 members 

 with 322 animals. The average value of the cattle insured 

 was £15 6s. and of the goats 15s. The number of cattle insured 

 represented 8.61 per cent, of the total number in Bavaria. 

 The losses of stock during the year amounted to 10,587, or 

 3.43 per cent, of the number insured, made up of 7,601 cattle 

 and 2,639 goats, together with 262 carcases condemned after 

 slaughter. The compensation paid amounted to £90,700, 

 towards which £31,400 was received from the sale of slaughtered 

 animals. The central insurance office pays half the compensa- 

 tion, the other half being paid by the local society. The 

 amount of compensation is seven-tenths of the value in the case 

 of animals which die, and eight-tenths for those compulsorily 

 slaughtered. The premiums are fixed annually according to 

 the needs of the society, and averaged 1.40 per cent, of the 

 insured value in 1906. Any owner of cattle or goats can 

 become a member of such a society, but he must enter the whole 

 of his stock, if healthy, except those under three months or 



