Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1940, Blaðsíða 178

172
LE NORD
resting on a natural and broad basis in the people takes a pro-
minent place in the economy of the country, not merely quantita-
tively, but also because a number of the tasks which are connected
with the vital functions of society are undertaken by co-operative
institutions. This applies to imports of important and large
quantities of goods and also to the exports of the products, the
foreign marketing of which is of vital importance to the welfare
of the country.
It is, therefore, a matter of course that operations within the
Danish co-operative movement are in a pronounced degree
marked by the special developments of recent years and of the
last months. This is true of the organisations and societies occupied
with the import trade, whether it is the supply of ordinary con-
sumption goods or raw materials for the agricultural industry,
fuel etc. Under the import regulations which are part of the
system of measures introduced to safeguard the Danish currency
the co-operative societies concerned have often been faced with
special difficulties because the increase in membership has created
an increased demand for goods but it has not been possible to
obtain a corresponding modification of the basis on which import
licences are granted. The present situation, however, is of quite
special and vital significance to those co-operative organisations
which are associated with the export trade. It may be observed
in this connection that the co-operative agricultural organisations
exercise extensive and important functions in the preparation and
administration of the various schemes drawn up with a view to
a practically complete centralisation of exports. In this work the
position of the organisations is as representatives of the producers
and by virtue of their close association with these to exercise a
decisive influence on resolutions and discussions, both on points
of principle and on technical points. The co-operative organi-
sations are therefore naturally amply represented in the govern-
ment committees set up for various purposes, and formally as
well as really the co-operative organisations have a considerable
responsibility which involves a very great deal of work.
In spite of the special conditions which thus at the present
time impose a number of particular tasks on the co-operative so-
cieties, so that their daily routine is, so to speak, taken up by
problems of ways and means, essential sides of the general co-
operative form of organisation still remain unchanged from the
normal development of earlier times and may be described as