CO-OPERATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 236, 30 June 1920, Page 7

CO-OPERATION

DIFFERENT PURPOSES SERVED,

Paying'his first visit to New , Zealand since the war, Major A. E. M. Norton, D.5.0., managing director of the Bristol and,. Dominions Producers' Association, whose headquarters are at Wellington, had 'something of interest to eay regarding trade and markets overseas. Portion of his comments appear elsewhere in this issue, but. his references to cooperative buying and selling, which are of general interest at 1 the moment, are given below. . , '

"We hear a good deal about co-opera-tion in these times," said Major Norton, "and I notiico that representatives of the Co-operative Wholesale- Society of England are in New Zealand. I also notice that at Palmerston North, in the com tie of a meeting held under the auspices of the National Dairy Association. a resolution was passed favouring a working arrangement with the C.W.S. of Engtand. What I would like to suggest to the producers of New Zealand is whether it would not be wise to inquiro into tha real inwardness of the co-opera-tive movement at Home. I would like them to ask if the nwr.'ement is connected in any way witli the extremists of the Labour, Party. There is not a stronger advocate of real,co-operation than myself, but I would earnestly like to see t'ho farmers of New Zealand think out this latest co-operative move very seriously, for I have my doubts- as to whether co-operation in England means the same thing as the New Zealand farmers think it is. I would like to know, arid L think the New Zealand farmers should know, if the C.W.S. is or is not backed by the trades unions and the Political Labour Party, fo» it is quite a common' thing in England to hear the leaders of that party assert that they were out to get control of the food supplies, and when they luad accomplished that, Cightning strikes and direct action would be much more successful thou they were at present. That was an openly-avowed policy of the Labour extremists, to be read in any of tho English papers. Some of the socalled moderates state they do not favour direct action, but the spectacle was often witnessed of such men stumping the country and taking the platform for extremists who did, and so helping them into Parliament. Men like Smellie, Williams, Tom Mann, Eamsay M'Donald, and Phillip Snowden openly supported the idea of Soviet government. I can't see the New Zealand farmer lending hjmself to anything that might help to encourage tha.t' sort of thing. So I would ask him to inquire very carefully before taking! H ny step that may lead him into paths lie would i not knowingly tread. The representatives of the C.W.S. are promising the highest possible prico for butter. What I cannot reconcile is that offer in relation to the statements libido at Home that they are going to sell the foodstuffs to the working men at the lowest possible prices. It is an impossibility to buy at the highest and sell at the lowest. On top of that, too, comes the (increased cost of distribution at Home though the promise of tlio highest wages to the railway men and carters. It is all very mystifying, and needs a lot of explaining l away. Tho .fanners of New Zealand sliornd look to it!