5 S 4 



CO-OrERATION FOR SMALL HOLDERS. 



[NOV., 



tion is also considerable. Only one rent would have to be 

 collected instead of say twenty to thirty, and the committee 

 of the association would select the tenants and be answerable 

 for the proper cultivation of the land. The gain to the members 

 of the association would also be great, mainly because of the 

 help which it would be to them in their farming operations. 

 An association could invest a portion of its capital in some of 

 the heavier farm implements, such as Cambridge rolls, drills, and 

 the like. There is indeed no limit to what can be done by self- 

 help and co-operation. 



" There is another most important factor to consider in connec- 

 tion with the movement, namely, the position of the industrial 

 or distribution societies in relation to it. The turnover of these 

 societies runs into millions, the Leeds society alone deals with 

 produce which it would take from 60,000 to 70,000 acres to 

 grow, not counting beef, mutton, milk, poultry and eggs. 



" I much regret to find that societies of the kind have not 

 shown any serious indication at present of either applying for 

 land or of a desire to establish their members upon it. In my 

 humble judgment, schemes of the kind would be bound to succeed 

 owing to the ready market which the industrial societies have at 

 their command, and even supposing that the astute business 

 men at the head of the industrial co-operative movement 

 cannot see their way to recommend their members to embark 

 in the cultivation of land, I would impress upon them the 

 desirability of forging a bond of union between the agricultural 

 and industrial branches of the movement, whereby the organised 

 producer of the country is brought into direct touch with the 

 organised consumer of the town. 



" There is only one other matter in connection with co-opera- 

 tion to which I will refer : it is the very important one of mutual 

 live stock insurance. In view of the conditions under which 

 the small holder will farm, it is essential to his success that he 

 should run as few risks as possible, and to that end he must be 

 placed in a position to insure his crops and his stock. He 

 would find no difficulty in covering them against fire or against 

 hail, but he would find considerable difficulty at the present 

 time in protecting himself against other risks at anything like 

 a reasonable rate. The death of a horse, a cow, a fat pig and the 

 like would be a very serious matter indeed to the small man, and 



