Irish Co-operative Societies. 



229 



There is stated to have been an increase in the number of 

 "auxiliary" dairy societies, particularly in the north and 

 west. In the majority of cases the "auxiliary" is an inde- 

 pendently registered society, and is affiliated with another 

 society for purposes of churning only. The affiliation is 

 effected by the auxiliary society taking a certain number of 

 shares in the central society, w^hereby it becomes a member 

 and participates in the profits. In other cases the auxiliary 

 is merely a branch or part of the parent society in which its 

 milk suppliers are shareholders, and enjoy equal rights and 

 privileges with the suppliers to the parent creamery. Nearly 

 all the new creameries are being equipped with pasteurising 

 plant. 



The total sales of butter effected by 72 of the dairy socie- 

 ties, from which information was furnished on this point, 

 amounted in 1897 to ^334,7 1 1, and other produce was sold to 

 the value of £ig,2i:^. The average price paid to members 

 for milk supplied during the year was 3-6^. per gallon, and 

 the average price realised per lb. for the butter sold was 

 9'8i^. 



Tne agricultural societies, of which there are 77, generally 

 confine their operations to the purchase of farming requisites 

 for their members ; but some of them have made considerable 

 sales of live stock. These societies have also been useful in 

 procuring large numbers of spraying machines, which are 

 hired out to the members at a small charge, thus bringingf 

 within the reach of the poorest what would otherwise have 

 been too costly a means of checking potato disease. 



Fifteen agricultural banks have been started on the 

 Raiffeisen system, but twelve of them did not commence 

 operations until 1898. Returns furnished by the three older 

 banks show that the number of loans granted in 1897 was 

 124, the sums lent amounting in the aggregate to £41 the 

 average loan was therefore nearly £4. The Irish Agricul- 

 tural Organisation Society attach very great importance to 

 the introduction of the Raiffeisen system into Ireland and 

 are inclined to put it in the forefront of their propaganda. 

 In 1897 the Congested Districts Board, Ireland, made a grant 

 of 100 to the Society in aid of the expenses of organising 



