CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 699, 19 December 1902, Page 1

CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING

From a leaflet recently issued by Mr George Buckeridge, of Kawhia, on the subject of co-operation, we take the following extract The combination of the farmers in New Zealand in the form of co-opera-tive institutions for the management of their dairy produce is a step only towards what should eventually end in their controlling their produce of all kinds together. Co-operative dairying has lieen a grand object lesson to the farmers, for it lias taught them that they can handle their own products themselves, and in doing so reap benefits which a few years ago were thought impossible. Co-oporarive dairying is right onough so far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. _ . Wo soe hundreds of co-operative dairy companies each annually producing large quantities of butter and choose with which to supply the English market, and wo see largo firms in hjiigland sending buyers out to Now Zealand every- year at bi" salaries and expense to purchase that butter and cheose. Now thoso firms cannot work their warehouse for nothing, neither do thoy spend their money for the benefit of tho tanner in New Zealand. Thoy are not philanthropic institutions but are workod to make money and to pay dividends which go into tho proprietor’s pockets and not into thoso of tho producers. Dairy farmors took a long tnno to soe that it was to their advantage to co-oper-ato to produce thoir own butter andohoese, and thus retain the profits themselves ; but they realise it fairly woll now, and we think would scarcely liko to go back again to tho old order of things that obtained before the days of co-oporativo dairying. They got tired of making fortunes for the more manufacturers of theso articles, aud decided to secure theso profits themselves, and rightly so too ; but they are still going on building huge fortunes for others, instead of keeping their honestly earned reward for their own use. It has paid the farmer to produce his own butter and cheese, and it will pay him to control its sale. New Zealand dairy produce has made a good nime for itself, and is eagerly sought for, as is clearly shown by so many firms Bonding their buyers to got it in New Zealand ; and if it were controlled under odo head and one management the sale would bo in no wiso decreased. As we are at present the market for New Zealand dairy produce is controlled by the salesmen in London, and the producers must bo content with what the salesmen see fit to give them. Irregularity of shipments and consequent overlooking and shortage of the markets largely influence the prices obtained for produce. Now, if the whole of tho produce of New Zealand were under one management these irregularities would be done away with ; and, further, it would be possible to fix the price at which the produce should be sold if it could be obtained through one medium.

A federation of the co-operative dairy companies in New Zealand, with cool stores and distributing centres in England, at which the produce could be graded would accomplish this mueh-to-be-desired object, and would save for the benefit of their shareholders the profits of middlemen and the inexpensive salaries and travelling allowances of buyers. A still further saving could be effected in freights, insurance, etc., as it would be possible to make arrangements by dealing in such large quantities that cannot possibly be made at present. The ready sale of New Zealand produce is already assured, and if buyers could only obtain it from the only source which would be controlled by the producers the price could be fixed to a very great exten by the producers and not by the salesmen or buyers.