Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/495

THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT AND THE PRESENT FAMINE IN THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY R. B. EWBANK REGISTRAR OF CO-OPERATIVE SO(HE?IES? BOMBAY PRESIDENCY Before attempting to gauge the impact oi the present famine on the co-operative system o! the Bombay Presidency, it may be ?ell to clear the ground by explaining briefly what stage o! dovelopment that system has reached and what are its present resources. On March 81st 1918, there were in existence 1650 co-operative societies, comprising 156,000 members and commanding a working rupees. The movement has rural side.' But since with capital of 162 both an urban non-agricultural lakhs o! and a societies famine is not necessarily the paramount fact wholly determining their position, but ruercry one element in the general economic situation; it is proposed to leave this type of society on one side for the present and to deal first with agricultural societies and their financing agencies, where the direct effects of the famine can best be seen. The number of agricultural societies in existence on March 81st last in this presidency was 1,890 with