ioo6 State Aid to Agriculture in Norway, [march, 



Central and Southern Italy, inaugurated in the first months 

 of the past year a special "Section for Rural Banks." 

 This Section will, in addition to granting loans and accepting 

 deposits, discount bills, open current accounts, and, in 

 different ways, encourage the work of the rural banks and 

 institutions of a similar character. 



For several years Italian co-operators have expressed the 

 desire that the State should take the initiative in forming a 

 central credit institution for the benefit of co-operative 

 societies. In response to this desire the Minister of Agricul- 

 ture introduced into the Chamber of Deputies on the nth 

 February, 1910, a Bill for the "Institution of the Bank of 

 Labour and Co-operation." The initial capital of the Bank, 

 fixed by the Bill at 15 million francs (^600,000), has already 

 reached over 22 millions (,£880,000), and it is believed that 

 by the commencement of operations it will have reached 

 30 million francs (;£ 1,200, 000). The contribution from the 

 State will be ^400,000. The Bank is to be empowered to 

 transact credit business with all the co-operative societies 

 without distinction and to discount commercial bills given by 

 them. The Bank will give preference to small credit transac- 

 tions, speculative transactions being excluded. It will be 

 managed by a council composed of representatives of the 

 Ministry of Agriculture, the Treasury, Ministry of Public 

 Works, the Bank of Italy, and of other institutions con- 

 tributing to the capital, and will be under government 

 inspection. 



Some information as to the steps taken in Norway for the 

 advancement of agriculture, dairying, and forestry, has been 

 transmitted to the Board through the 

 State Aid to Foreign Office by H.M. representative 

 Agriculture in at Christiania. The Central Adminis- 

 Norway. tration is focussed in the Department of 



Agriculture, which, in addition to a 

 headquarters staff, maintains a number of officials who travel 

 about the country and give advice on matters connected with 

 agriculture, live stock, and dairying. They also assist the 

 Central Administration in carrying out public works for the 



