The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 27, 1921, Page 6

’ o Co-Operation Is Winning Out in Italy People Hope to Produce and Distribute All the Country Needs by New System—Banking Being Taken Over by Co-Operatives Mr. Bird is an American now visiting in Italy and study- ing political and economic conditions. BY IRA W. BIRD N THE midst of civil war, with armed forces of reaction making daily raids on the offices, meeting places and homes of the organized workers, the co-operative movement of Italy con- tinues to make tremendous strides to- ward its goal—the production and distribution of all that Italy needs for her own censumption and for export. The grown so fast during the last five years that there perhaps is not a form of industry that is not repre- sented by a-co-operative, and there is not a city or town in Italy without one or more co-operatives. The co-operative movement has grown so fast in Italy during the last 10 years that the government and the central co-operative organizations have not been able to prepare complete figures on their num- ber, membership and amount of business. The minister of agriculture, industry and commerce or- dered the first survey of co-operatives in 1911, to ascertain the extent of the country’s co-operatives on December 31, 1910. According to the report of the survey, there were then 5,065 co-operatives in Italy, divided as follows: 1,764 consumers’ co- operatives, 926 farmers’ co-operatives, 87 manu- factories of food products, 31 fisheries, 564 of vari-- ous products, 379 building construction, 1,017 of laborers and 297 miscellaneous. These co-operatives had 1,165,702 members, with a capital of 151,852,597 lire, and 19,880,166 lire in reserve. (The lira normally is worth 20 cents.) These are the only governmental statistics on co-operatives, and they are not correct because they deal only with the legally incorporated co-oper- atives. There are many without a charter from the government. Among these is the great Turin Co-Operative alliance (Alleanza Co-Operative Tori- nese), which is third in importance among the great co-operatives of the country and yet is not included in the government’s statistics. The statistics presented by the gov- ernment are also incomplete because only 4,233 co-operatives out of 5,065 . furnished information in reply to the questions presented by the minister of agriculture, industry and commerce. WAR SAW BIG GROWTH IN co-operative movement has - Leaders of the co-operative movement estimate that there are 10,000 co-operatives in Italy today in which nearly all classes of workers partici- pate. This is a tremendous growth in 40 years, for in England, the birthplace of the co-operative movement, there are only 1,400 co-operatives, with 4,000,000 members. The great number of co-oper- atives in Italy, as compared with England, indicates the Italian tendency for division, independence and ’ autonomy. In Milan there are 50 distinct and au- tonomous consumers’ co-operatives. This multi- plicity of co-operatives is contrary to the spirit of co-operation, which ought to unite instead of divid- ing the forces of the producers and consumers. Much is being done by the co-operative organiza- tions to eliminate duplication by the amalgamation of co-operatives and their federation in provincial and regional leagues. The great number of co-oper- atives indicates that-the seed of the movement has been well planted. Their continued isolation might cause some to die, and to prevent this the Lega Nazionale Delle Co-Operative (National Co-Opera- tive league) was organized to form a vast chain of the co-operatives of all kinds with regional directors. The Lega Nazionale Delle Co-Operative is the central co-operative organization for the federa- tions of co-operatives of farmers, industrial work- ers and consumers and the local branches and so- cieties. The league is of great value to the co-oper- ative movement because the small societies are rep- | BY AN ITALIAN CARTOONIST | resented in it and profit by the regional direction, technical and legal advice, and the congresses at .which are discussed questions of common interest. The league was started in 1886, with 203 feder- ated co-operatives. It now has 3,700 co-operatives united together for their common betterment. The federated societies contribute from 30 to 100 lire annually, according to their ability, giving the league an annual income of about 200,000 lire. The league has its headquarters at Milan, with a branch office in Rome. The league is divided into three main groups, the co-operatives of farmers, indus-, trial workers and consumers. The farmers’ co-op- eratives have their headquarters at Bologna, the industrial workers at Rome and the consumers at Milan. There are also further subdivisions into provincial and regional federations. All of the most important co-operatives-of the nation are fed- erated in the league. The co-operatives outside are small and lead an isolated life in contrast with the principle of co-operation. BIG BANK IS ORGANIZED TO HELP THE MOVEMENT Long ago the farmers and industrial workers of Italy realized the necessity of co-operative banking to keep their funds from the control of big business and for the financing of co-operatives, but it was not until recently that great banking institutions were formed by the co-operative movement. The Instituto di Credito per le Co-Opera-- tive was formed in Milan in 1904. On: September 30, 1919, it had capital of 1,624,500 lire, with a reserve of 449,- 125.70 lire. This bank has branch offices in Turin, Reggio Emilia, Musocco, Ni- guarda, Parma, Reggiolo, Mirandola and Suzzara. In 1919 it had conducted credit operations with co-operatives amounting to 65,914,682 lire. The Banca Ligure was established in Genoa in 1915 to finance co-operatives. It now has a capital of 2,000,000 lire. At Tolmezzo there is a small co-opera- tive bank with capital of 211,233 lire. To assure the co-operatives larger and more extensive credit, the Insti- tuto Nazionale di Credito Della Co- Operazione was organized in 1918. This bank has its central office in Rome; with branch offices in Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Pa- lermo, Ravenna, Trieste, Udine, Venice and Verona and agencies in many Mrs. Banker: What an able man you are, husband mine! So industrious, economical and provident. Mr. Banker: Yes, my dear, under my guidance the nation will not perish. N~ 3 i3 / '.r‘} T \ 4l Y A \"J! ‘_c‘h‘ G D NUMBER OF CO-OPERATIVES In 1915 a more complete study of the co-operative movement was made by the Lega Nazionale Delle Co-Oper- ative (National Co-Operative league). The league found that there were 7,429 co-operatives, with 956,085 members. No distinction was made in this survey between co-operatives which had government charters and > smaller cities. The institute started with a capital of 7,750,000 lire, sub- scribed by progressive banking organ- izations. During 1918 it did a busi- ness of 162,036,985 lire, including loans to 3,077 co-operatives, of which 195 were farmers’ co-operatives, 2,123 consumers’ co-operatives, 640 indus- trial workers’ co-operatives and 119 miscellaneous co-operatives. ~In 1920 1/ 0 C the institute had a capital and reserve //// N=®: those which had none, nor was any distinction made between, co-opera- tives which were affiliated with the league and those which were not. The 7,429 co-operatives in 1915 had com- bined capital and reserve of 118,817,- 841.90 lire. Their turnover for the year was 648,000,000 lire. There was an enormous growth of co-operatives during the war. Hun- dreds of them undertook war con- tracts for the government and enabled the government to hasten prepara- tions for the war when private indus- try was paralyzed by war conditions. The successful operation' of the co- operatives during the war furnished such excellent advertisements that there was a great boom in the co-op- erative movement after the war. The cost of living was so high, and the profiteering so great, that many turn- ed to co-operative production and dis- tribution of necessaries as the only means of escaping starvation, Y Mrs. Banker: Woe is me! We are perishing. It was fine while the bank lasted. Mr. Banker: Poor Italy! is against religion! Not like a cartoon by Baer or Morris, is it? In the top picture big business of Italy pumps the big business bank and it waters the gardens of the rich. The farmer’s function is merely to put the money in, while his crops. dry up for want of credit. In the bottom picture we have the people’s (co-operative) bank, and the farmer both puts in the money and works the pump, which this time waters the farmers’ crop instead of the rich folks’ garden! cartoon is from the Co-Operative Almanac of Italy. PAGE SIX They look upon us as nothifig. This of 150,604,252 lire, part of which was subscribed by the government for the assistance of co-operation. S The co-operative movement of ‘Italy. has the assistance of the General Con- federation of Labor, with its 2,500,000 members, and takes an active part in politics. Four of the members of the exectitive committee of the Lega Na- zionale Delle Co-Operative were mem- bers of the chamber of deputies which was dissolved by the king-on April 7 and they are candidates for re-elec- tion. They are Nullo Baldini of Ra- venna, Arturo Bellelli of Reggio Emi- lia, Giuseppe Garibotti *of Cremona and Enrico Dugoni of Mantua. Bal- dini is one of the veteran organizers of the Federazione Nazionale die La- voratore Della Terra (Agricultural . Workers’ federation) and has “done much to bring the message of co-oper- ation to the farmers of Italy. The Agricultural Workers’ federa- (Continued on page 15) The