American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-08-06

topennhfcn, Denmark. - CO-Opora-
tive enterprises have r-evolutlonlzed
agricultural Europe and now dominate
the rural life OF the entire continent.
Without cooperation the Belgian
would not be the efficient agricultur.
ist which he Is; Germany would not
have developed is agricultural possi-
bilities to the point where It's home
grown food supply Is 30 nearly self
sufficient: Denmark would not be ex.
porting sixty million dollars worth Of
the best dairy products In the world;
Ireland would not be facing the future
with a hopefulness TO which she has
been a stranger ever since her lands
were coniiscated as a result OF tho
early wars.
Belgium has 1900 rural organiza-
tions representing a membership OF
100000. AZ Luvaine we saw a single
federation OF cooperative farmers
league which represented a member
ship OF over 10000 and did a business
mounting into the millions. In Ger
many II Is estimated that there are
thirty odd thousand cooperative So
eieties OF various kinds and every so
ciety. with true German t%horoughness
OF organization federated, affiliated.
and associated until together they
form an Industrial unit with a mem
berahip Of over i've million. In Den
mark one out OF every four lnhabl
tants belongs to a society engaged in
some cooperative activity. One man
will belong TO eight or ten different
cooperative societies. each society
performing some necessary function
In the economic life OF the individual.
Permeates Danish Life.
To Illustrate how cooperation per
meates Danish rural life: At Freder>
ickssund while visiting the ope
tive bacon factory we came In con
tact with a little group OF farmers and
their wives who were inspecting the
f~actory-the factory OF which they
were part owners Upon getting them
I'm conversation we discovered that In
hat little group OF ~ persons, ~ dir.
ferent cooperative organizations we're
represented. These were n co-opera.
i've bacon factory. a cooperative egg
export organization, a cooperative
store, an organization for the cooper
alive purchase OF fertilizers: a coop
erative hre insurance society, a CO.
operative life insurance society. a so
ciety for tho Insurance OF animals.
another society for the insurance OF
members against sickness. a co-opera-
tive credit society. a farmers water
works company aud an electrical sup
ply company. All OF these men and
women were from the farm aud were
or the ordinary type OF farmers. neith-
er rich o poor but a thoroughly rep
resentative group. II Is probable.
Judging from our inquiries. that in
any group OF a similar number would
have been found representatives OF a
similar number OF cooperative enter
prises.
In Ireland We found. that co-opera-
tion. under the leadership OF Sir Hor
ace Plunkett ably seconded by Rev.
Thomas A. F1nlay. George W. Rus
sell and r. A. Anderson. has revolu-
tionized rural Ireland. In fact cooper
alton and the opportunities which
have come from the new land tenure
laws have well nigh remoulded the
lrsh ACC itself. II is evident that In
many sections his economic welfare
has been so well served hat the Irish
man 10 sven losing his p~ugnacity. He
IA no longer necessarily "asin the
government but is becoming a well
contsnted citizen more intent upon his
economic situation thar upon his po-
1itical surroundings He is losing his
interest In politics and we talked to
many Who seemed loath eve to dis
FUSS 20 important a question as the
home rule bill which was then pending
and over which the politicians were
beccming excited. The land tenure
Law has made IL possible for him 70
secure . home; co cooperation has made
II possible sor him to secure a homes
cooperation has made II possible for
hIm TO feed and clothe his family.