16 



DANISH BACON FACTORIES. 



[June 1895. 



30 days before delivery. But he is not allowed to send in one 

 year more than 10 pigs purchased from non-members. The 

 association usually defrays the expenses incurred in conveying 

 the swine from the nearest railway station to the factory , 

 all other charges for carriage are paid by the consignors. 

 On removal to the factory, the pigs are divided into classes 

 according to quality, the values of the different classes being 

 fixed weekly by the council on the advice of the manager. 

 In some cases the prices are paid by dead weight, but in the 

 older establishments, payment by live weight is still the practice. 

 The offal is generally sold to the members of the association, 

 or to the general public at the current prices of the day. 



The regulations do not, as a rule, contain any restrictions on 

 the methods of feeding swine intended for the factories. Some- 

 times, however, the employment of fish and fish cake is pro- 

 hibited, as is also the use of a ration containing more than 

 50 per cent, of maize. 



Whenever it is found that the supply of swine is falling ofi", the 

 manager of the factor}^ is empowered to purchase pigs from 

 non -members of the association at a price fixed weekly by the 

 council, and posted up for the information of members. 



At the close of the year the profits arising from the opera- 

 tions of the association are distributed amongst the members, 

 after provision has been made for the payment of the working 

 expenses, the allocation of a certain sum to the reserve fund, 

 and the part repayment of loans. Each member receives a share 

 of the profits in proportion-to the weight of , pork he has delivered 

 during the 3^ear. The amount carried to the reserve fund is 

 determined annually by the council. 



In some of the Danish co-operative bacon factories it is the 

 practice to elect the members of the council as representatives 

 of the members residing in different parishes. Thus, in the 

 rules of the Esbjerg factory, it is provided that any parish in 

 which 10 members of the association reside may be represented 

 by a delegate on the council. The president is chosen by the 

 council from amongst themselves. 



According to the latest information contained in the Tidshrift 

 for LandoJwnomi, the managing committee of the co-operative 

 bacon factories in Denmark have recently combined for the 

 maintenance of their general interests. The practice of the 

 associations to accept any number of swine consigned to the 

 factories by their members has been found to operate pre- 

 judicially to the bacon trade by rendering the supply unsteady. 

 In some seasons a serious fall in price has been experienced, 

 owing to the markets being overstocked with factory bacon ; while, 

 on the other hand, it has frequently happened that, w^hen prices 

 were at a remunerative level, the associations have derived little 

 benefit therefrom, because their members were unable to supply 

 a sufiicient number of swine to meet the demand. Steps have 

 already been taken, by the joint committees of the factories, to 



