Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-11-25
Where Fifty Thousand Belgian Peasants Cooperate.
EUROPE'S COOPERATIVE MESSAGE
BY MATTHEW 6. DUDGEoN
(Copyright 1914. Western Newspaper Union.)

EUROPE'S COOP
Copenhagen, Denmark. Co-opera-
tive enterprises have revolutionized
agricultural Europe and now dominate
the rural life of the entire continent.
Without cooperation the Belgian
would not be the efficient agricultur-
list which he is; Germany would not
have developed its agricultural posi-
bilitles to the point where its home
grown food supply is so 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 hopefulness to which she has
been stranger ever since her lands
were confiscated as q result Of the
early wars.
Belgium has $500 rural organiza-
lions representing membership of
100000. At Luvaine we saw a single
federation Of cooperative farmers
league which represented a member
ship Of over $4,000 and did business
mounting into the millions. In Ger
many it is estimated that there are
thirty odd thousand cooperative so
cieties Of various kinds and every So
ciety, with true German thoroughness
of organization federated, affiliated,
and associated until together they
form an Industrial unit with a men,
bership of over five million. In Den
mark one out of every four inhabi-
tants belongs to 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-
1ckssund while visiting the co-opera-
tive bacon factory we came in con-
tact with little group of farmers and
their wives who were inspecting the
factory-the factory of which they
were part owners. Upon getting them
In conversation we discovered that in
that little group of II persons, II diff
ferent cooperative organizations were
represented. These were a co-opera-
tive bacon factory, cooperative egg
export organization, cooperative
store, an organization for the cooper
alive purchase Of fertilizers; a COOP
erative fire insurance society, a CO.
operative life insurance society, a So
| ciety for the insurance of animals,
another society for the insurance of
members against sickness, a co-opera-
tive credit society, a farmers water
works company and an electrical sup
| ply company. All of these men and
women were from the farm and were
Of the ordinary type Of farmers, Meth
er rich nor poor but thoroughly rep
resentative group. It is probable,
judging from our inquiries, that In
any group of similar number would
have been found representatives of a
similar number Of cooperative enter
prises.
In Ireland we found, that co-opera-
ton, under the leadership of Sir Hor-
ace Plunkett ably seconded by Rev.
Thomas A. Finlay, 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 we'll nigh remoulded the
Irish race itself. It is evident that in
many sections his economic welfare
has been SO we'll served that the Irish
man is even losing his pugnacity. He
is no longer necessarily "agin the
government" but is becoming a well
contented citizen more intent upon his
economic situation than upon his po.
litical surroundings. He is losing his
interest in politics and we talked to
many who seemed loath even to dis.
cuss so important a question as the
home rule bill which was then pending
and over which the politicians were
becoming excited. The land tenure
law has made it possible for him to
secure home; cooperation has made
It possible for him to secure a home:
cooperation has made it possible for
him 10 feed and clothe his family.