{"value"=>"<p>Correspondence, memoranda, reports, financial statements, minutes, and printed matter relating to Central Bank's involvement in the cooperative movement in Palestine, including records of its transactions with individual credit unions and societies.</p> <p> The development of the cooperative movement in Palestine was critical to the economic advancement of the country and the success of its Jewish resettlement. Much of the movement's growth is a direct consequence of the establishment of the Central Bank, particularly PEC's expansion of the bank's role in fostering the establishment of new cooperatives. Prior to World War I, the extent of the movement was slight. Cooperative societies had arisen mainly to satisfy the purchasing needs of farmers; and Kupath Milveh Associations (credit unions) were created for the extension of credit and facilitation of savings. In addition, the Anglo-Palestine Bank had sponsored a few societies, administering them as branch offices in the absence of laws supporting and regulating cooperation. All these various groups had in common some characteristics basic to cooperatives, such as individual participation in share capital; joint and several liability of members; and, with respect to the cooperative agricultural societies, the contractual obligation on the part of members to buy, sell, and produce cooperatively through the societies.</p> <p> After World War I, the drive toward Jewish colonization spurred the formalization of society establishment and maintenance. Legislative efforts, such as the Cooperative Societies Ordinance, and the activities of PEC and other organizations, combined to make the formation and growth of cooperative societies one of the most significant post-war achievements of the country.</p> <p> Records within this subseries are arranged into three groups, as follows.</p> <p> General Correspondence. Correspondence and memoranda spanning the period 1924 to 1943. Arranged chronologically.</p> <p> Topical Files. Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and printed matter, dating from 1921 to 1943. Folder arrangement is alphabetical by topic; items within folders are in loose chronological order.</p> <p> Cooperative Society Files. Correspondence, memoranda, financial statements, statistical information, and printed matter documenting the activities of individual cooperative societies, from 1924 to 1944. The extent of documentation varies widely, from an item or two to several folders of material (in the cases of, for example, Solel Boneh and Vigneronne). Folder arrangement is alphabetical by society name; items within folders are in loose chronological order.</p>"}