Co-operative Farming in Pre-Communist Czechoslovakia.

The article focuses on co-operative farming in pre-communist Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovakia Land Reform Act of 1919 provided an inducement for establishment of farming co-operatives. The expropriated land could thus be allocated either to qualified individuals or cooperative corporations of small holders, crofters, day laborers and former employees of the subdivided estates. Range lands and mountain meadows would be allocated to pasture cooperatives, where membership consisted of small holders. A prior right to pastures was, however, afforded to communities which would use such land for common grazing of livestock owned by inhabitants of the villages. putting the applicant into business. The legal provision for establishment of co-operative farming was more or less a political compromise between the leftist Social Democratic Party, which originally demanded outright socialization of land, and the right wing private-property minded parties, particularly the Agrarians or Republicans, as they were officially called. The Social Democrats later on modified their stand, but insisted on retaining the large estates under collective management.