AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION IN FRANCE.
WE have heard a great deal during the last few years of the remarkable success which has attended a co-operative movement among French agriculturists, resulting in the formation of a great number of what are termed syndicats agricoles. A literal translation of the name would convey a wrong impression, as the syndicats are much more nearly akin to our wholesale purchasing and retail distributing Co-operative Associations, than to the speculative combinations of capitalists which are styled " syndicates " in this country and in the United States. But they are rapidly developing into combinations of Co- operative Associations for the sale of their own pro- ducts, as well as the resale of what they purchase, Chambers of Agriculture, and Trade-Unions, and they are beginning to use their power politically for the protection and advancement of the interests of their members. The most complete account of the origin, con- stitution, objects, and operation of these Associations yet published in the English language has recently been issued by the American Department of Agriculture, and it is to this account that we are indebted for a great deal of the information about them which we are about to place before our readers. Previous to 1884, the French laws in relation to the right of association were severely restrictive. The formation of trade associations as well as of assemblies of more than twenty persons without previous authorisa- tion was prohibited, and it was not until the measure providing for liberty to establish Syndicates had been repeatedly discussed during two or three years, that the demands of its promoters were conceded by the French Legislature. That Bill, passed on March 21st, 1884, empowered persons of the same or related occupa- tions or trades to unite in associations without previous permission from the authorities, under prescribed condi- tions. One of these conditions might have been expected to keep the operation of the new bodies within a narrow scope, as their exclusive object was prescribed as "the study and defence of their economic interests, industrial, commercial, and agricultural ;" but this article in the new law was intended, as explained by the Minister of the Interior in a circular sent to the Prefects of De- partments, "to be interpreted in a very wide sense," —and it certainly has been so interpreted. Most of the real limitations are of a formal character, such as the necessity of depositing copies of the constitu- tion of each Association, and lists of its officials, at the Mayoralty of the place in which it is established, and at the Prefecture of the Seine in Paris. There is one re- striction, however, of considerable importance, as it stands in the way of one form of co-operative production, though we have not heard that it has been yet felt as an incon- venience. The Syndicates are allowed to acquire only so much real estate as may be necessary for their business, meetings, libraries, and places for the instruction of the members in their respective callings. They are empowered to employ or invest funds derived from assessments, to establish funds for the aid of their members, including superannuation allowances, and to organise and carry on bureaux of information as to the supply of labour and the demand for it.
The early advocates of the new law, it is said, had chiefly in mind the organisation of the working men of France upon some such model as that of our Trade-Unions ; but agriculture was included in the occupations to which the Bill applied, and it was soon seen that the representatives of that industry were not likely to be surpassed by those of any other interest in their eagerness to avail themselves of the advantages of co-operation. The farmers, and par- ticularly the small cultivators, had long been victimised by extortionate and dishonest dealers in seeds, fertilisers, and other commodities. Indeed, it was the feeling excited by such practices which led to the establishment of the first Agricultural Syndicate. In 1883, the frauds in rela- tion to fertilisers had become so flagrant and common, that a few leading agriculturists instituted prosecutions against traders in the Department of Loir-et-Cher, and obtained a number of convictions. After that, the departmental Professor of Agriculture, M. Tanviray, undertook a searching investigation of the system of frauds, and con- vened several conferences with a view to its prevention. At a meeting held on July 7th, 1883, in anticipation of the early passing of the Syndicates Bill, he submitted a plan for an Association to be called the " Syndicat des Agriculteurs de Loir-et-Cher," the objects of which were to be the substitution of wholesale for retail purchases, the reduction of the cost of transportation by concentrating orders so as to obtain truck-loads by rail, the procuring of fertilisers of guaranteed quality at reduced prices, and the acquisition of certain advantages in respect of payments. The Syndicate was formed as soon as the law allowed, and proved immediately successful. M. Lecouteux, one of the leading agricultural writers of France, on the occasion of the presentation of a gold medal to M. Tanviray by the French National Society of Agriculture, said of the starting of the first syndicat agricole :—" The orders for fertilisers became so numerous, the competition between dealers aspiring to the honour of supplying the united body of customers resulted in such advantageous offers, each member of the Syndicate became such an apostle of mutuality and solidarity, that M. Tanviray was soon deluged with letters from all parts of France, request- ing information as to the details of the organisation." So speedily and extensively was the example of Loir-et-Cher followed, that a recent official inquiry showed that up to some date of last autumn, 557 Agricultural Syndicates, out of a total of 2,322 of the various classes, had been formed. The Associations, moreover, have grown in membership as well as in number. One which had 730 members in 1884, had 3,600 in October, 1889; the membership of another had risen from 300 to 6,000; and that of a third had in- creased from 442 to 7,500. A further development of the movement was combinations of Syndicates, of which several are now in existence. We notice in the current number of the Journal d'Agricultures Pratigue a report of a meeting of the Society of French Agriculturists, under whose auspices a combination known as" L'Union des Syndicate" has been organised. At that meeting it was stated that 370 of these Associations, consisting of about 380,000 members, had been affiliated to this Union. The business done by the 370 Syndicates referred to, it was further stated, was to the value of a hundred and fifty million to a hundred and eighty million francs ; but it is not clear whether this means the volume of business for one year, or for the three years during which the Union has been in existence. Another Union of Syndicates has a capital of five million francs, and there are some smaller combinations of the same kind. But if the Syndicates have found it necessary to combine in order to increase their power, they have also found it advantageous to subdivide. Thus, several of the large departmental syndicates have communal branch syndicates, which are found greatly conducive to the stirring-up of local interest and to the intercourse of members at local meetings. The cost of membership is very small,—usually only two to three francs a year, and. only one franc in some cases. This cheapness of operation is only secured by the zeal and generosity of the officials, most of whom give their services gratuitously. Expenses, however, are necessarily incurred in the analysis of manures and feeding-stuffs, the examination of seeds, the publication of scales of standard purity for various com- modities, and the considerable clerical work of the busi- ness. As to the advantages secured by the Agricultural Syndicates to their members, there is no doubt that they are very great. The American Department of Agriculture cites seine striking examples of the lowering of prices secured by several of the Associations, the estimates of saving ranging from 10 to 30 per cent. It is to be borne in raind, too, that the old high prices were frequently paid for nearly worthless articles, whereas approximate purity in quality and efficiency in manufacture are now effectually secured. It has been intimated that the advantageous purchase of manures, seeds, implements, and other things of ascer- tained quality was the first object of the Agricultural Syndicates. But this is by no means the only object, for the sphere of operations has been gradually extending since the Associations were first established. The Syndi- cates differ considerably in the direction of their efforts. in accordance with the needs of the prevailing branches of agriculture in the several departments and communes. The corn-growers, breeders and graziers, vine-growers, and producers of beets for sugar, have varying interests to conserve and promote, each of which is served by the Asso- ciations devoted to it. The direct sale of farm produce to consumers has become a prominent object with some Syndicates, and will probably before long be undertaken by them all. Agricultural education, conferences and discussions, field experiments, trials of implements and machines, improvement in the breeding of live-stock, the publication of agricultural information, and the destruction of noxious insects and vegetable parasites, are taken in hand by many of the Societies. Among the latest developments or proposals, are assistance to members in the selection of manures for various crops and soils, seeds, and implements ; the establish- ment of credit societies, insurance societies, and benefit clubs ; and relief in cases of damage to crops or loss of live stock. Even such a benefit as help in the work of members during illness, particularly valuable to small cultivators, is not beyond the scope of operations in some instances. We read of one Syndicate proposing to take action after the fashion of the " trusts " which have become too common a feature of commercial life in America, by determining "normal selling-prices" for the products of its members ; but we hope that development in this direction will not be encouraged. As to political action, many of the Syndicates have begun to discuss such legislative measures as they deem desirable, such as a reduction of taxes on land and the increase of duties on imports of agricultural products. We regret to notice that the President of the Union of Syndicates, at the meeting above referred to, strongly denounced the treaties of commerce which will expire in 1892, and de- claimed against their renewal. He declared, too, that his Union was strongly impressed with the need of further "fiscal reform" in France, which is now, he said, the question of the day. That the Syndicates will be able to ex- ercise a great amount of political influence if they generally deem it prudent to take action in this direction, there is no doubt ; but the danger of such a course is obvious, and as it is now proposed to establish Chambers of Agriculture in France, we are disposed to think that the Syndicates had better leave politics to those institutions. M. Lecouteux, ardent Protectionist as he is, strongly opposes political action on the part of the Syndicates. It would be a pity to run any risk of breaking a course of prosperity which has been hitherto as remarkable as any economic move- ment of modern times. The success of agricultural co-operation in France, we may point out in conclusion, is in striking contrast to its failure in England, where there are, perhaps, as many agricultural Co-operative Associations as there are hundreds on the other side of the Channel.
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