Farmers' Co-operative Association.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 39, 16 September 1890, Page 3

Farmers' Co-operative Association.

(By our Special Reporter.) A large number of farmers from al pacts of the district attended a publi< meeting at Palmerston North, on Satur day last, to consider the advisability- o forming a Farmers' Co-operative Association on similar lines to the New Zealand Farmers-A ssociation of Canterbury. Mr J. C. Sly, of Stoney Creek, was voted to the chair, and alluded to the great success attending similar associations in the -South Island as well at Home. He referred to the, naccsuty for . a combination of farmers in the face of the present labor difficulties, and read a statement showing the success attending the association upon the lines of which it was intended to model the local one. He invited Mr "Johnson, for nine years a director of the institution referred to, and who had taken up a large block of land in the. district, to give some information' on the question. Mr Johnson said the Christchurcb As* aociation had started with only 40 or 50 members, while now there were 2417 - shareholders with 14,000 shares. Last years-- balance-sheet showed a net profit of .£BBB9 Is2d, and a dividend of 7 per cent had been declared to shareholders, with a bonus of 3£ per cent as well on the jaaid up capital and shareholders' purchases of merchandise from the association. Besides that the employees had been granted bonus of 3£- per cent on their salaries, clients were allowed a bonus -of 25 per cenf on commissions, and 15 per cent was returned upon insurance premiums. Then £300 was written off value of - properties, 20 per cent off machinery and office furniture, £I'6OO added to 'the reserve fund, and a large" amount carried forward. 1 The association did not cut jpriees, but sold goods of firflt-class quality -at reasonable rates,' and instead of mer- ' and others making large profits out of the farmers, they would receive | them themselves. : Producers . were enabled to obtain a better price for their ■produce, and could invest their spare capital at good interest at first-class security. -'The XJhristchurch Association proposed to become affiliated with the great Wholesale Society at Manchester (England), ' "thus enabling it to purchase at" good .advantage and to send colonial produce -direct to co-operators at Home. The sale , ' -of merchandise by the Manchester Society .amounted to £6,250,000 for 1888, an -enormous distributing power. The Christ■church Association-grades all its grain, and, their London agenf has authority to «ell cargoes on passage, thus keeping down the expense of realising. Its shipmoi t of frozen meat are very large, and at the last annual meeting a proposalwas made to charter ships for frozen meat as an -effectual* blow against the monopoly in freights, against which farmers had been ifigh ting for 20 years. •_ .. tin answer to questions Mr Johnson •-said the prodncer would be able to get an advance from the Association directly he delivered, his produce, according to the market price.. It could then be sold, shipped,' or stored for 'a rise, just as the ■ farmer chose. "' Producers of all kinds, including, dairy farmers, would be beneiitted; in fact the Christcburch Association was started by small farmers. Mr James -Bell strongly supported the ' . association, but doubted if it were an opportune time .to go in opposition to merchants and others. ( „ Mr Engles, of Fitzherbert, alluded to ' - 4lie success of similar institutions within liis knowledge, and irtoved. That a Farin•■ers' Co-operative Association be formed, And "that a Committee -be appointed to -deal with the matter, and do aiL things aieeessary in connection with the inauguration of the Association. " Mr McEwen, of Karere, seconded the motion . - ■ Captain Walker, 'of Fitzherbert, moved, as' an " amendment, That a Farmers' - 37nioii be formed. He deprecated such a large venture being started, and suggested what was requisite was a union of farmers against the" raids of the labor unions, and 4,0 make their influence felc at the coming «lections.< Mr John Bell, of . Fitzherbert, seconded $he amendment. ' While in favor of a Op-operative Association, he considered it jremature to start one just now. In the labor crisis it would be wise not , *o break off friendly, relations with the .merchants. It was. time the farmers and . nullified the tyrannical •.exercise of power by the Trade Con 6 1, 'which paralysed the whole trade of tne •colony, and threatened to stop the railway system over a paltry dispute with Whit<cpmbe and Tombs. - ; " - - Mr Englfis thought it was time the farmers had some of the large profits reaped by the- merchants. Mr Fred Pirani said he was authorised by the. Confidence Assembly of the .Knights of Labor to express full sympathy with the 'movement for a Farmers' Co- - operative Association,' as that s,yf>te>a was one of the .main objects of the 'Knights. The reference to politics -was in very bad a meeting, and they made a igreat mistake if they thought the inter- ', -eats of the working man and the farmer -were no identical. The midllemen were the ones to direct then* energies against. Jf they wished to form a Union they , ishould follow the example of the Farmers ■Grange of America, a society of farmers a .million strong, which had joined its forces with -the Knights .of Labor. Mr Pirani denied an assertion of Mr Bell's that the Knights of Labor had, passed a resolution ■ in favor of the single-tax. - Mr A. St. -George Eyder, of Karere, the promoter -of the meeting, said there' would tbe no .difficulty in getting the necessary •capital, as he had received sufficient proanise's <of assistance throughout the district. ' ' Mr Peter Stewart, of Mount Stewart, .Awahuri, -agreed that something was 1 -wanted to improve the condition of the farmers. He was inclined to support a .Farmers' Club, and one great evil which required .remedying was the regulating of indiscriminate production,, regardless of demand or supply. Mr, John Saxon, of Feilding, thought they had cause to be grateful to merchants, and he did not think it was right to sit upon them, at any rate not until they (the farmers) had ," got out of the wood." , They could do it then if they liked, but personally he would be hanged if he could see anything to complain of. Mr* Slipper hoped the association would - l>reak up the ring amongst storekeepers, by which the dairy farmer was compelled to take stores at booking prices in exchange for his butter. Mr John Bell, of Fitzherbert, alluded -to a useful association in existence in * Hawera, which confined its operations to sending away frozen meat, auctioneering stock, selling farm properties, and similar matters.. ■ . ■ . , . Mr Engels said the proposed association would assist them, by causing collective action in the sale of produce, instead of individual competition. ~ ' Mr.' Dunning,. of Bainesse; objected to the amendment as meaningless, and strongly objected to the introduction of politics into what . should be a purely commercial meeting. Mr J; G. Bush strongly supported a cooperative movement. ' -The Chairman believed the merchants were quite' able to. take care of themselyesj -without any gratitude from the farmers.

r One company was in the habit of declar ing dividends of 15 and 17£ per cent, al made out of the farmers, and. there wai no reason agrainst the farmer getting thai himself. The capital required would b« ] found easily enough, and the only way tc Q sell their produce to the best advantage was by combination. * On being put to the vote the amend. * ment was lost, eleven voting for it, aiid : an enormous majority for the motion. * The following Committee was appointed: — Messrs W. Akers, Letter, T. J Knight, James Bell, Hitchinga, H. Me- ' Ewen, Dalgmple, Johnson, Jacob, En- ' gels and Monrad, with power to add to ' their number. , The meeting terminated after a vote of : thanks had been passed to Mr Ryder for promoting the matter, and to the Chairman for presiding.

MAN AWATU COACH & CASRI A GS