Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-03-04

tive enterprises have reyolutionized
agricultural Europe and now dominate
the rural life OF the entire continent
Without cooperation the Belgian
would not be the efficient agricultur-
lat which he is; Germany would not
have developed it's agricultural posi-
bilities to the point where its home.
grown food supply IL 80 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 a stranger ever since her lands
were confiseated as a result of the
early wars. ~...
Belgium has $500 rural organize
tons representing q membership OF
100000, At Luvaine we saw q single
federation of cooperative farmers
league which represented u member.
ship Of over $4,000 and did business
mounting into the millions. In Ger.
many II Ia estimated that there are
thirty odd thousand cooperative So
cieties of various kinds and every so
eiety, with true German thoroughness
OF organization federated, affiliated,
and associated until together they
form an Industrial unit with a MEM
bership of over fiva million. In Den.
mark one out of every four inhabi.
tants belongs to q society engaged In
some cooperative activity. One man
win 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.
meatea Danish rural life: At Freder-
iekssund while visiting the eo-opera.
tive bacon factory we came In con.
tact with little group of farmers and
their wives who were inspecting the
faetory~~the factory OF which they
were part owners, Upon getting them
in conversation we discovered that In
that little group OF IL persons, IL diff.
ferent cooperative organizations were
represented. These were a co.opera'
tive bacon factory. cooperative egg
export organization. q cooperative
store, an organization for the cooper.
alive purchase Of fertilizers; a coop.
erative flre insurance society, q co.
operative life insurance society. a so.
ciety for the insurance of animals,
another society for the insurance of
members against sickness, q co.opera.
tive credit society, 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. 1t 10 probable.
judging from our inquiries, that in
any group OF similar number would
have been found representatives Of
similar number OF cooperative enter,
prises.
In Ireland we found. that co-opera,
ton, under the leadership OF Sir Hor>
ace Piankett ably seconded by Rev.
Thomas A. Finiay. George w. Rus.
sell. and r., A. Anderson. has revoiu,
donised rural ireland. In fact cooper.
alton aud the opportunities which
have come from the new land tenure
laws have well nigh remoulaed the
Irish race itself. IL In evident that In
many sections his economic welfare
has been so well served that the Irish.
man In even losing his pagnacity. He
In no longer necessarily "agin the
government" but In becoming a well
eontented citizen more intent upon his
economic situation than upon his po,
htieai surroundings, He il losing his
interest In politics and we talked to
many who seemed loath even to dis,
cass 30 important question a. the
home rule bin which was then pending
and over which the politicians were
becoming excited. The land tenure
law has made II possible for him to
secure home. cooperation has made
It possible for him to secure home:
cooperation has made 1t possible for
him to feed and clothe his family.