Fehér György szerk.: A Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei 1992-1994 (Budapest, 1994)

11. Nemzetközi Gazdaságtörténeti Kongresszus, 1994., Milánó (llth International Economic History Congress) - FEHÉR GYÖRGY: Agricultural associations in Hungary in the late 19th century

culture were in question, such as: establishment of a separate ministry of agriculture, organization of a national agricultural council, reinforcement of the regional agricultural associations, governmental support for the production and marketing. At the same time, behind the proposal aiming at preventing the dismembering of landed property, the obvious interests of the big landowners' strata could be revealed, which resulted in further increase of the already unhealthily great number of estates of restricted alienability. This way a relatively narrow stratum of society possessed — in many cases inalienable — estates of large area, while there were too much people employed in the agriculture having no land or not enough to sustain the family. This fact, causing severe social tensions, hindered the West-European or Danish type modernization of Hungarian agriculture as well. The institution of the National Federation of Agricultural Associations also belonged to the events of the mentioned conference of the 1879 year. The founders of the federation hoped the realization of a more fruitful professional work and more efficient safeguarding of interests from the new organisation. In the new unification a leading role was played by the OMGE, the general staff of which snatched its management as well. The agricultural associations functioning in the territory of the country could join the federation while preserving their autonomy. In our knowledges the number of joined member societies reached the thirty-two in 1895. Namely after 1867 began the foundation of agricultural societies of counties, undertaking the agrarian safeguarding of interests of an administrative unit (county). Before 1914 in Hungary such societies worked in every county. In loose organizational relation with them were the societies, working in smaller geographical regions, the farmer's unions. The latters were strong organisations of a settlement which regarded as their main task to modernise sale of products. In the interest of this they made efforts to obtain at a reduced price the farming means, machines, seeds, mineral fertilizers, breeding animals, they endeavoured to develop the professional knowledge of members, they took care of the extension training of members. The local small, and medium holders gave the majority of membership of the village circles, but in them the biggest holder of the settlement fulfilled in general the leadin;>[)osition. These societies were kept under a strong control, their professional supervising authority was the Ministry of Agriculture, but for licensing their functioning the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs was necessary. The petitioners received the permission of foundation only, if they accomplished there exclusively professional and not political activity. Most of the farmers' unions laid down in the statutes: "The farmers' union does not deal with politics, and the discussion of such questions is fully closed out." Another motive of organizing societies, unions was the demand for special professional safeguarding of interests. The societies founded for this purpose cxtented their activity to larger regions, in some cases to the whole country. The gardeners, beekeepers, poultry breeders, vine-growers, distillers, forestry officers established their organisations for safeguarding of interests bearing in their name the attributes: national and Hungarian to mention the most distinguished ones only. Most of them