8 AGPilCULTURAL CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN FRANCE. [Sept. 1894. 



directors are always elected at the general meetings for a period 

 varying from two to nine years. When the operations of a syndi- 

 cate extend over a considerable area it is usual to select a director 

 for certain districts or divisions. Thus, in the large departmental 

 syndicates a director is elected for each arrondissement. Smaller 

 bodies having members resident in several communes or villages, 

 generally arrange that the syndical chamber shall be comprised 

 of delegates representing each village, or commune, in which not 

 less than ten members reside. In both cases, the director or 

 delegate acts, as a rule, as the administrative agent for his 

 district, and conducts the necessary correspondence with the 

 central office. 



The syndicates derive their resources mainly from the 

 members' subscriptions, and from a small commission levied on 

 the sales and purchases effected. Some of the more fortunate 

 among them have been the recipients of gifts, and legacies, 

 while others are subsidised by the " conseils-generaux " and by 

 the agricultural societies. Usually the subscription ranges from 

 2s. 6d. to 5s. per annum, though in a few cases it is less than 

 half the smaller sum mentioned. Sometimes there is a graduated 

 scale of subscriptions arranged to meet the circumstances of the 

 different classes of members, so that a poor peasant farmer pays 

 less than his richer neighbour, while the labourer's contribution 

 is merely nominal. Another vsystem has been adopted by three 

 or four associations whereby the ordinary members' subscriptions 

 are proportional to the area of land they own or occupy or to 

 the amount of land tax to which they are assessed. Then, too, 

 in many syndicates there are, in addition to the ordinary 

 members, " founders " and " honoi ary members," chiefly country 

 squires, retired officers, and other local magnates who are 

 candidates for the more piominent positions in the syndicates, 

 and whose subscriptions always exceed those of the ordinary 

 members. It is not improbable that the success which has 

 marked the rise and progrei-s of the co-operation in French 

 agriculture is in no small measure due to the experience and 

 intelligence of these founders and honorary members, most of 

 whom are energetic as well as ornamental supporters of the 

 movement, as is shown by the flourishing condition of the 

 organisations with which they are connected. 



It is an almost general practice to charge a small commission on 

 the transactions undertaken on behalf of the members, especially 

 in respect of the purchase of manures. This is done to defray 

 the expenses of analysis and distiibution. The commission is 

 usually fixed at 1 per cent, or 2 per cent, on tlie invoiced prices ; 

 it seldom exceeds 4 per cent. 



Of the 870 agricultural syndicates existing in Fiance, 59 have 

 less than 20 members each, 291 have from 21 to 100 members, 

 871 have between 100 and 500 members, 71 have more than 500. 

 but not more than 1,000 members, and in 72 ca^es the number of 

 members exceeds 1,000. Among these last, there are 13 associa- 



