New Britain herald., 1916-01-07
COOPERATIVE IDEA
 SPREADS IN HOLLAND
Organizations Spring Up All Over
 the Country

The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 31--
 "War time conditions such as prevail at present prove more clearly than yards of academic discussion the
 practical value and usefulness of the cooperative principle to the com munity," according to G. J. D. c. Goedhart, president of one of the greatest cooperative societies in Hol- land. Originally styled "Eigen Hulp'' (Self help) this organization, which was founded here in 1878 with a membership of 315 and the modest capital of $2,1O0 has now close upon 10000 members and an annual turn over of about s1,O0O,O0O. The basic principle of the Self Help organiza- tion was to enable the somewhat scantily paid middle and lower class officials of the Dutch civil and mili- tary services to procure household necessities at minimum prices; all net profits realized being returned to the mem bers in the shape of divi- dends which have grown from $500 in the aggregate in 1878 to nearly $1O0,00O for last year. Membership is ensured by a first payment of twelve cents, which is the tenth part of "share,' and no member is al- lowed to hold more than ten shares. On this deposit money fixed inter- est rate of 4 per cent. is paid.
 Widespread in Holland.
 Of late years the cooperative prin- ciple has made enormous strides in Holland. All over the country, CO., operative organizations have sprung up. The idea, originally intended for the benefit of government officials only, has been extended and made to apply to widely diversified objects; TO agricultural, dairy farming. building and credit societies, until the forma- tion of a, central Netherlands Co., operative Union became a necessity. This body had an advisory board of experts in all matters concerning CO., operation.
 Hollands chief wealth lies In her agricultural and dairying industries tivity that cooperation has proved of the greatest benefit, especially to the small farmer. The agricultural ln- stitution known as the Raffeisen Bank al Utrecht has accumulated savings amounting to s2,40O,OOO, and has ad- vanced loans on mortgages to mem bers of it's 25O branches aggregating $1,40O,000. The Central Farmers Loan bank at Eindhoven, in North Brabant has 378 branches a savings bank total of $2,2OO,0OO and a mort gage loan account of $1,2SO, 900. These are big figures for a small country like Holland.
 Difficulties Encountered.
 The difficulties encountered by the cooperative societies during the present war have been many and varied; but the public spirit display ed by the organizers of the various institutions has succeeded in over most, if not all, of the trouble. The Puttershoek Beet Sugar Cooper ative society, for instance, which deals with over 100,00 tons of beets annually, fared badly last year owing to the embargo laid on exportation by the Dutch government. On the other hand, undertakings of a purely social character have done better. Only the other day, the mayor of the Hague, pr. H. A. Van Karnebeek, made an inaugural inspection of u whole new street of little dwelling houses, erected by a cooperative building society with the object of providing cheap homes for members of the police force and municipal en1- ployees