purchase his seed, for example, at wholesale prices and have it brought in bulk from some wholesale market. Instead of buying his household necessities at a central Store he had to buy them at one of the host of small shops which existed in every district of Ireland and which, because they themselves had to buy in small quantities, charged more than the real value of the goods to the consumer. When he sold eggs, butter or bacon he had to sell them to a local dealer and he rarely knew where his produce went to, so that his horizon was limited to his own district and he knew little or nothing of such things as world markets. The acts of the Government which ruled over him did not interest him, for he did not realise the effect they had on his own life, on the price of his farm produce or of his daily necessities. His methods of agriculture differed little from the traditional methods which prevailed in the 18th century, and he was never told how, by combination with his neighbouring farmers, he could use improved machinery for his ploughing, sowing, and reaping.
But with the coming of the Agricultural Organization Society all this was changed. Those who came into the orbit of this Society’s activities learnt for the first time that isolated and individualistic agricultural production is wasteful and false economy. But further than this they came to learn that “The difficulty of moving the countryman, which has become traditional, is not due to the fact that he lives in the country, but to the fact that he lives in an unorganised society.”
Let “A. E.” describe the change which comes to the individual
“The co-operative movement connects with living links the home, the centre of Patrick’s being, to the nation, the circumference of his being. It connects him with the nation through membership of a national movement, not for the political purposes which call on him for a vote once every few years, but for economic purposes which affect him in the course of his daily occupations. This organisation of the most numerous section of the Irish democracy into co-operative associations, as it develops and embraces the majority, will tend to make the nation one and indivisible and conscious of its unity. The individual, however meagre his natural endowment of altruism, will be led to think of the community as himself, because his income, his social pleasures even, depend on the success of the local and national organizations with which he is connected.”
“We can imagine him as a member of a committee getting hints of a strange doctrine called science from his creamery manager. He hears about bacteria, and these dark invisibles replace, as the cause of bad butter-making, the wicked fairies of his childhood. Watching this manager of his society he learns a new respect for the man of special or expert knowledge. Discussing the business of his association with other members he becomes something of a practical economist. He knows now where his produce goes. He learns that he has to compete with Americans, Europeans, and Colonials—indeed with the farmers of the world, hitherto concealed from his view by a mountainous mass of middle-men. He begins to be interested in these countries and reads about them. He becomes a citizen of the world. His horizon is no longer bounded by the wave of blue hills beyond his village. The roar of the planet begins to sound in his ears. What is more important is that he is becoming a better citizen of his own country. He meets on his committee his religious and political opponents, not now discussing differences but identities of interest. He also meets the delegates from other societies in District conferences or general congresses, and local co-operation leads on to national co-operation. The best intellects, the best business men in the societies, meet in the big centres as directors of federations and wholesales, and they get an all-Ireland view of their industry. They see the parish from the point of view of the nation, and this vision does not desert them when they go back to the parish. They realize that their interests are bound up with national interests, and they discuss legislation and administration with practical knowledge. Eyes getting keener every year, minds getting more instructed, begin to concentrate on Irish public men. Presently Patrick will begin to seek for men of special knowledge and administrative ability to manage Irish affairs.”
Having described the change to the individual let us see what change comes to the community. He writes —
“More changes often take place within a dozen years after a co-operative society is first started than have taken place for a century previous. I am familiar with a district—in the northwest of Ireland. It was a most wretchedly poor district. The farmers were at the mercy of the traders and the agricultural middlemen. Then a dozen years ago a co-operative society was formed. I am sure that the oldest inhabitant would agree with me that more changes for the better for farmers have taken place since the co-operative society
