Co-operation in Russia. 



89 



A form of co-opsration which has made great progress in 

 the past few years is live stock insurance. By a law passed 

 in 1896 a cattle insurance bureau was established, and in 

 1898-99 there were 1,270 local unions affiliated to it, with 

 59,998 members and 271,936 cattle insured. 



Co-operation in Russia. 



The Board have received, through the Foreign Office, a 

 copy of a despatch from Mr. H. Cooke, British Commercial 

 Agent in Russia, relating to the co-operative purchase of 

 agricultural machinery in that country. Mr. Cooke states 

 that in several Governments of Russia the zemstvos (or 

 territorial councils) have organised depots for the co- 

 operative purchase of such machinery of foreign production. 

 Hitherto difficulty has been experienced in obtaining the 

 goods direct from the manufacturers ; but the Orlov zemstvo 

 has lately succeeded in doing so, and its example has been 

 followed by the zemstvos in the Volga district. Tne progress 

 of the depots has nevertheless been rapid ; the turnover of 

 three large zemstvo depots in the government of Samara 

 reached 700,000 roubles (£ 70,000) in 1900, and their utility is 

 increasing. 



An important meeting of agriculturists was lately held at 

 Moscow, at which a discussion took place upon the measures 

 to be adopted for distributing improved machinery, imple- 

 ments, and seeds. The desirability of joint action by the 

 zemstvos to further the co-operative purchase and distribu- 

 tion of such goods was unanimously lecognised. Several 

 speakers advocated the establishment of a central bureau for 

 arranging the purchases, but it was thought preferable that 

 there should rather be district depots, each district embracing 

 various neighbouring governments. 



