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Croatian-Slavonic Economic Society as a Central Cooperative (1907-1925)
Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek za povijest, Zagreb, Republika Hrvatska
Sažetak
Croatian-Slavonic Economic Society was founded at the end of 1841, and its paper appeared at the beginning of 1842. This year we mark the 150th anniversary of that Society, which was the moving force of modern economy in the country. But at the beginning of this century, at the time when the ruling Croatian-Serbian Coalition tried to diminish the role of Croatian aristocracy, the Society was reorganized. It was transformed into the central cooperative of the northwestern Croatia, its members paid shares, getting in return some services and credits. The consequence of that transformation was that the intentions of the founder were abandoned, and the educational-consultative role of the Society decreased on behalf of selling-purchasing and credit roles.
During the World War I, and especially after it, the Society entered more and more risky and diverse export-import transactions, borrowing money from the First Croatian Saving Bank in Zagreb, because Count Miroslav Kulmer Šestinski was the president of both of them. When the Bank started to warn of too much borrowing, asking for greater financial discipline, under the influence of the members of direction – most of whom were members of Pribićević's Independent Democratic Party – the Society founded its own bank, called The Central Economic and Cooperative Bank, and stock companies “Zrno”, “Ratar”, “Plug” and “Expedit”, which were extended, although not always controlled, hand of the mother-firm. Thus, a large concern was formed, which began to run commercial business, in grand style, giving the goods on credit. The general secretary of the Society, Dr. Franjo Poljak, a former friend of Stjepan Radić and now the most reliable follower of Svetozar Pribićević, acted in favour of forming a united state. He did not realize all the shrewdness of Nikola Pašić, who offered him to organize nourishment for passive regions of the country with a state credit. The Society got a credit by the National Bank in crowns, which were losing their value each day, but it had some obligations in return. A similar situation was with the export-import transactions, which caused, as the value of dinar increased, constant losses to the Society. In 1924, with the end of activity of the provincial government of Croatia and Slavonia and the beginning of activity of districts, the government changed its attitude toward the Society. It required immediate return of the credit. The Society could not satisfy this demand, partly because it could not recover the large sums of money spent in form of credits and credited supplies, and partly because the money, due to the Society’s inability to converse the credits, was lost.
Dr. Franjo Poljak, the former minister of the agrarian reform, now met with complete lack of understanding in Belgrade. All his requests for extending the validity of the credit were refused. The Society entered a silent liquidation; Count Miroslav Kulmer, once a fervent advocate of great Yugoslav state, lost most of his fortune. The Society had to be liquidated because Serbian radicals were annoyed by its Croatian name, its long tradition, spreading of its activities out of the narrowest Croatian territory, and they did it unscrupulously. They searched for a new model of cooperation with Croatia, and Croatian-Slavonic Economic Society had nothing to offer any more.
Ključne riječi
Croatian-Slavonic Economic Society; economic history; 20th century
Hrčak ID:
251909
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.11.1992.
Posjeta: 992 *