The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 21, 1921, Page 10

1 H | T s AT Y ST s g - Where the Farmers “Started Things” The Story of Co-Operation in Belgium and Holland—Peasants’ ' Leagues and How They Operated -~ s S SHOWN in previous articles the modern movement for. agricultural co- operation started in Germany. It was started there by order of the state au- thorities and not by the farmers them- selves. Largely because of the pa- ternal interest of the government, German farmers never formed real fighting organizations for their own good. They put too much trust in their gov- ernment because the government had shown an interest in their prosperity and allowed their rulers to build up a great military machine that finally brought disaster on farmers and government alike. In other parts of Europe, however, the co-opera- tive movement sprung out of the action of the farm- ers themselves, banded together to demand fair treatment. 4 This was the case in Belgium and Holland. These two small countries, lying side by side, could both be lost in the middle of any one of a number of our western states. Both countries depend largely upon agriculture. Both consist of low, flat lands on the sea coast. Much of the land of Holland, in fact, is below sea level at high tide and great dykes are built to keep this water back. Both countries for many generations were held as possessions of foreign rulers, but in both coun- tries the independent spirit of the farmers led them to throw off the foreign yoke. In Holland the farm- _ers went so far as to cut the dykes, so that the ocean came in to drive off the invading armies, even though this meant the loss of the fields and crops of hundreds of farmers. . The chief difference between the two countries is that Belgium is principally®Catholic and Holland principally Protestant. In Belgium, as in Italy, the Catholic church had much to do with the organ- ization of the farmers. The Catholic church is the founder and sponsor of the Belgian League of Peas- ants, which organizes the local co-operative socie- ties. It does much more than this, however, for it recognizes that legislation is needed to help the farmers and has been responsible for some of ‘the most advanced Belgian laws. Rev. J. F. Mellaerts, a Catholic priest and secre- tary of the Belgian League of Peasants, has pre- pared and issued a pamphlet, in question and answer form, explaining the purpose of the League of Peasants, from which we_quote the following: “What is the Belgian League of Peasants and what is its end ?”’ * “The Belgian League of Peasants is a profes- sional or class union formed out of parochial syn- dicates, which are professional or class unions of peasants, established in all the villages of the coun- try. The Belgian League of Peasants aims at the moral and material improvement of our:rural popu- lation by grouping it into professional (class) or- ganizations.” . “Is this double aim in accord with the encyeclical of his holiness Leo XIII. and with the commands of - their reverences, the bishops?” FARMERS OF BELGIUM OPPRESSED BY “BIG BUSINESS” AND MIDDLEMEN “Absolutely, for after having said that among in- stitutions capable of relieving misery and bringing about friendship between classes the first place must be given to societies of workers, his holiness gives the following advice: ‘It is of great im- portance to adopt as the universal rule of conduect always to organize and direct these associations in such a way that they procure for their members proper means for obtaining as quickly and as easily as possible the aims for which they were associated. These aims must be none other than the improve- ment of the moral and material conditions of the members of the association.”” C “By what means does the League of Peasants attempt to realize the material welfare of. agricul- ture ?” “It extends its activity in equal measure to agri- . culture, to economic legislation as it bears upon agriculture and to the professional or class organ- ization of the agricultural classes.” ; “In what why does the league show its activity in regard to agriculture?” “Above all things the agriculturist should have professional education. The peasant who is 2 mem- ber of the league has at his disposal the monthly review of the league, called ‘The Peasant,’ the ex- perience of his fellow members and the addresses which are made to them. “For the exercise of their profession. the farm- ers need stock and implements, particularly ferti- lizer, foodstuffs, seeds, fuel and agricultural ma- chinery. If they wish to prosper and progress they should be able to buy this material at the lowest possible price. Now the isolated peasant is obliged to apply to the middleman and he often pays in- flated prices. A cantonal league or even a provin- cial league is powerless in the face of the big busi- ness houses. But an association of all these leagues forms a power wjth which large factories, syndi- cates and big houses have to reckon.” - ° “Is a powerful league necessary from the point of view of legislation ?” ; “We have often shown in our paper, ‘The Peasant,’ that the causes of the ruin of agriculture are to be found primarily in the sphere of political economy. If we wish to see agriculture flourish again we must first of all obtain economic legislation which will be favorable, not only to industry, but also to agricul- ture. It is obvious at first sight that these things HIS OWN The farmer who will not co-operate with his fellow farmers is his own worst enemy, John Baer says in picture form. The unorganized farmer, who votes the Republican tickef one year and the Democratic ticket the next, is fighting himself most of the time. The unorganized farmer wheo tries to beat organized market gamblers is just as bad. F 4 can only be realized through the unanimous efforts of all the peasants, ranged together under the flat of a united-and powerful league. " “What is there to be 'said as to the grouping in syndicates of all agricultural populations?” “All Christian sociologists are unanimous in ad- vocating the grouping together of all members of society in professional or class unions as the best means of bringing about the reign of justice and of promoting peaceNand a good understanding between capital and labor, master and workman, rich and poor. Let my friends, the agriculturists, realize plainly that- isolated economic institutions in scat- tered places, such as rural banks, syndicateés, in- surance societies, etc., are incapable of revolution- izing” agriculture and that this result can only be obtained by the grouping together of all the local Christian associations in a powerful league.” L There is: no “pussyfooting” or ‘“hedging” here. PAGE TEN 4 The Catholic church in Belgium was establishing no farm bureau headed by bankers and politicians. It was organizing a genuine class organization and did not hesitate to say so nor to point out that the principal enemies of the farmers were -the middle- men and “big business” who were unfairly oppress- ing them. It is pointed out, too, that political pow:air is necessary before full justice can be se- cured. Principally un&er the direction of the Belgian League of Peasants there were established in Bel- gium a federal savings bank, 15_agricultural mort- gage banks (similar to the farm loan banks of the United States) and at the time of the war ‘more than 600 Raiffeisen banks, extending short-time personal credit. There were also established co- opdrative creameries, purchasing associations and the like, similar to those of other Ewropean coun- tries. / THE “FEDERATION OF DUTCH PEASANTS” AND ITS WORK Statistics show that both production and the prices received by the farmer increased materially after the birth of co-operation. In Protestant Holland agricultural co-operation started .only 25 years ago. At this time Holland was far behind all neighboring countries in co-oper- ation and agriculture, the principal industry of the country, was in a‘bad way. A few citizens, who knew about the success of the Raiffeisen banks in . other countries, attempted to introduce them, but there was no general knowledge of co-operation among the farmers and they met with no success. In 1896 agriculture reached its lowest ebb and few farmers were able to make both ends meet. A national organization sprang up, with no aid from the church or civil authorities, called the Federation of Dutch Peasants, and spread through the country like wildfire. Like the Belgian League of Peasants, it was a class organization, but with- out any church influence. It organized local co-op- erative societies as the Belgian league -did. After a few years, however, the religious issue arose, and _a portion of the co-operative enterprises were or- ganized on a sectarian basis in the Catholic part of Holland, while the main organization remained non- sectarian. The principal farmers’ banks in Holland are Raiffeisen banks for personal credit. The Raiffei- sen banks operate to a large extent as branches of the three central banks. The entire system gets government aid and support, the government bear- ing a large.share of the cost of management, so that the money that is deposited in the banks or secured - by loans can be loaned to individual farmers prac- tically at cost. Besides securing government aid for the banks the influence of the Federation of Dutch Peasants led to the establishment of a government depart- ment of agriculture which gives financial grants to encourage the breeding of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and pouitry, in addition to courses of . instruction and experiment work such as is provid- “ed by our department of-agriculture. Other co-operative societies are organized for the purchase of feeds, seeds and fertilizers. There are co-operative creameries and co-operative insurance societies in large numbers. There are also about 100 co-operative societies for the disposal of fruit and vegetables. Only mar- ket gardeners and fruit growers can be members of “these societies. These members elect from their lo;wn number a council of from five to seven mem- ers. - Each council has purchased, on behalf of the=so- ciety, a tract of land on which their own building is constructed for the purpose of holding what are known as “Dutch auctions.” This method for the sale of truck and garden produce is so mnovel that it is worth while describing in detail. - The low land-ef Holland, almost on-sea level, is cut up with numerous small canals which make it possible to transport all produce and other freight ip boats at low cost. The auction house is estab- lished near one of the main canals, and a small branch canal is cut in front of the auction house. Across the canal from the auction house is a large clock-like dial with a pointer. Figures around the rim of the dial indicate the prices. In the auction N 4 4 o r4 4 4 = ¥