Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1895. Disposal of Stock.

Manawatu Herald, 13 July 1895, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1895. Disposal of Stock.

A good deal of interest is being taken in the country districts, especially those near Palmersfcon as to the best means to be taken for the disposal- of stock. It is contended that the auctioneers are waxing fat on the commissions they charge, and therefore the settlers should seek some other means of accomplishing thejr purpose. Everyone has an undoubted right to act as seemeth- 1 to him beat, but!, though not - 'apologists for the commission charged by auctioneers we greatly doubt If settlers will do better for

#em?elves. It is not merely the j question of buying and selling that j hus alone to be considered. If the Whole' business in stock was carried out on a efcritftly Cash basis the auctioneer would be able to sell at very low rates, but if inquiries are instituted we should . say-thai J.hs~ ""Bulk' oftb"e business is done on credit. As a matter ef fae"t the autitiottjers lire Hot tiow making money which -must show that heavy losses occur at times, and there must be a reason for these losses. If auctioneers with> their thorough knowledge t>f; the; standing of the, buyers make fltfbhmistakes as to lose money in trusting them then What may be expected Will be the experience of those Who trade deficient In this knowledge ? Il the farmers do not mean to giVe credit theh they Would do better to tliake such an agreement with the .auctioneers who would most probably conduct their business at lesser com mission. One thing the farmers •may. . be assured of, and. that is if the.y sell, theft stock Bd purely 6ash HneS) theil v receipts will not total what they would had they been sold, as now, on credit. This 13 a matter of very much moment to settlers and is- one deserving of their best oonjsideration. Farmers co-operation has not been altogether successful where tried, because farmers refuse to be tied to business points. How often have We and other papers published the protest of auctioneers, against,, the entering of stock . for ,ea]o, . without due notification thu3 preventing proper adverltaefflenh Wing given, and again at stock promised not being forthcoming. Those who have attended sales know full well the reasonable growling of buyers who have travelled miles to bid for certain advertised " lines " to find they have not been brought forward. It shows that such occimvncies must be provided against if fanners undertake their own business dealing, or else their sales will be avoided, thus destroying the whole combination. It will be eviltnt that to attract an attendance of settlers for miles around» an attractive li.«fe of afeock for gale Inust be prepared, and the stock must be present. To provide against either the failure of proI dnction or entering of stock for a regular sale, auctioneers have been in the habit of purchasing animals and entering them on their^ own account. On some sides this^ habit has been much objected to, but it has been forced on the auctioneers simply to keep their usual buyers together. Anything that will tend to increase the profit of the farmer i3. entitled to ! the very best of consideration, and a ' fair and auction combined may eventually be a satisfactory plan. If farmers could be induced to work , together nothing perhaps would hi ■ simpler, but tha question is, will ' they ? For years every farmer will j tell you he has objected to the unnecessary number of stock sak s held in each month, but they still g-> J on for ever, but could llv>y if ihe farmers acted as they speak ? Could ' not a little decision do away wiih the ! one great evil which now reduces the number of tho.-e who attend each sale and thus limits the competition for the lots offered ? If this one first step, waa secured, which oould easily be done by the, fanners insisting on regular Bale days on whloh all tha auctioneers would sell in rotation, the Fair in the meaning of an English fair, would be measurably nearer. We have no Interest in the Auctioneers, or in the matter nowJjffag considered injPaJraers.tpti, . > but we have placed these points before our readers, -arrived atr after much experience in the business, to show that the questions at issue nave two'gidas, both of which. must be duly w^o^.i;^f^ a scheme which will -Bllpd ;t'fie feat bf ' working can be satisfactorily established. The whole matter is so entirely in the hands' of the farmers, by whose business the auctioneer's live, that they have only unitedly to determine what shall be done, when it must be done. We; feffF; the want, nahowjn so frequently in times -past,, of the/ necessary unanimity.. '„..■.,- ..