Amid the social unrest of recent times, and the crude and violent schemes of economic betterment that have been witnessed, it is pleasing to know of a movement that meanwhile has quietly grown from very small beginnings to great proportions on sound lines and is on the way permanently to benefit toiling millions of Asia. This development too, is one that may well arrest the attention of those who are interested in China as conceivably this land might reap untold advantages from a corresponding system.
The beginning of Ca-operative Banks in India may be dated from the passing of the Ca-operative Credit Societies Act in 1904, by means of which they first obtained a definite footing. Previous to this, however, there were pioneer thinkers, who had by local inquiries studied the subject of establishing agricultural banks in selected Uocalities, and a few societies were started. A few years carlier, but still only 25 years ago, such proposals as the Act embodied would have met with general incredulity, even among the friends of Indi Now, however, the banks are rooted by hundreds ju every Province, and in the aggregate exceed 25,000 in number.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.