Hutchinson gazette., 1901-08-01

being 10 further the economic, indus
trial, commercial and agricultural In
forests OF their members and TO at
tach the farmer more closely TO the
country. They are organized under a
general law, which authorizes any
twenty persons OF one trade, or OF
several similar trades, 10 combine In
O society. The dues are fixed at from
10 cents to 81 per month.
There had been established under
this law and were In operation Janu-
ary /, 1900, 7,O7O societies, divided as
as follows among 8,601,OS farmers
and farm workers OF the two sexes In
France.
Syndicates Of employers :. ...,,2,157
Syndlcates Of workingmen. ,,.2,095
Employers and workingmen
mixed :, - ',,,''''''''''''' lIO
Agrlculturlsts - ',,'' '''''','''2,Oof
------
Total ...,..............7079 =.
This is an Increase of 656 over the
agricultural syndicates of $780, 1t
was almost evenly divided between
the workingmen and owners OF farms.
OF tho 1,102,200 members Of the
various syndlcates, the farmers num-
ber 512,70i,
These farmers syndicates combine
and organize in larger society, called
a union, Of which there are ten in
France. Over these unions 10 q CEN
trail body in Paris, to which all the
subordinate unions report and which
represents their interests before the
French Parliament, railroad compan-
les, and the public generally. A union
has all the rights and powers Of the
syndlcates, except that II can not sue
or be sued or hold real property, pre-
negatives which are conferred only
upon the syndlcates and which they
can not delegate,
The special objects are 10 favor the
discovery Of new agricultural prod
ucts; to obtain, at the lowest cost, the
best fertilizer and seeds, the best ag-
rlcultural implements and animals;
to Increase production; 10 make labor
easier; TO diminish the cost Of pro-
duction and Of living In the country;
to give instruction in agriculture by
lectures, tracts, books, ETC.; to buy or
hire the best agricultural implements
and rent them at low price to mem
bers; to facilitate the sale of agrlcul-
tural products at good prices; to ad-
wise on all questions relating to farm
Ing; to provide judges and experts for
the settlement Of differences that
would otherwise 60 before courts; to
offer prizes; TO Insure men and animals
against accident or death and to Sc
cure mutual aid, cooperation, loans,
and, in general, to cooperate for the
amelloration of the condition Of agri-
culture.
The number Of farmers syndcates
has increased since 1892 from S63 to
2,067, and the membership from 313,-
800 In 1898 TO 5l2,794 In 1899, The
most notable growth was during the
last four years, when the member
ship rose from 403,26l at the end Of
1895 to 512,794 In 1S9S-99. 1t Is be-
lieved that In few years every
farmer In France will be member or
a syndicate.
The syndlcates are neutral-abso-
lutely shut out from all influence Of
political parties. No instance is yet
known where an agricultural syndi-
cate has been made use OF by a pollti-
cal party or by a candidate for Office
The farmers are emphatically Of the
opinion that the usefulness Of their
organizations would be greatly i'm
paired, II not entirely destroyed, II
politicians were permitted to use
them. There has not been, since the
organization Of these syndicates, a po-
litical movement among the farmers
in France.