PUKEKOHE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 586, 23 November 1920, Page 2

PUKEKOHE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

LINK UP WITH RADLEY AND

CO., LTD.

ECONOMICAL DISTRIBUTION

A big audience of local product growers attended a meeting of th Pukekohe and District Growers' Association on Friday evening last h the Council Chambers. It was al nost necessary to hold an overflc.v neeting because several growers couli ,ot be admitted. A larger hall wa. .eally necessary. The meeting was successful fn n he outset, the proposals submitU>> y Mr. J. Russell, president "of th< ssociation and chairman of the meet , g,'from Messrs. Radley and Co. LU an Auckland firm), appealed strong. .0 the meeting, and were carried u.. nimously. Mr. Russell and sevens members of the association commit ee, addressed the meeting, av.i lessrs. G. S. Radley, E. C. Walto, :nd K. S. Manning spoke in suppoi jf the company's proposals. T! cheme, which is on entirely differcr ines to anything yet attempted i. ■his district, is really only modelhi )>i the ideas at present carried ir t i uractice in Canada and the Unitct | States.

Judging by the address of Mi Radley (who has just returned fron both Canada and the States) it woulc seem that growers there were com pelled.to band together as a groweis organisation for many reasons. Cost: oi production were increasing bj leaps and bounds and yet markei prices were stationary. They real ised that as a united association thej were able to obtain their requisite at, a big percentage below quotation: submitted before they were organ ised. Since marketing as an organ isation many of these association; claim an increased selling price of al least 15 per cent, to 25 per cent,, the reason of this increase being partly ; stabilised market, this only being «t tained by feeding each market by re gulai supplies and not by spasmodic consignments as at present continue* here in New Zealand. Continuing Mr. Radley stated that before the American growers organised it was r case of the merchant fixing his price fry the growers produce, but to-day the organisation fixed the price anc •keenly competing among themselvef the ...merchants there were railing for-,§ttpplies from the associations. Trie* Pukekohe and District Grow crs' Association is now linked up witi the selling organisation of Messrs Radley and Co., Ltd., who have opened offices and stores in Pukekohe. These new arrangem«gjg should giv< the potato* and onicijP«||ujfey a decided impetus. In. a nutflMl the idei: is that the farmer qoHr himself entirely to growing hijniroj, and it is the duty of Ltd (local manager, Mr. ;jms. -Manning) to exploit all markets open, givirg the grower the full selling price obtained, less commission.

The association's solicitor, Mr. kl G. R. Mason,-after perusing the agreement between the two .parties, ex pressed his entire satisfaction as U its legality, and fairness. The conditions were read at the meeting arc" 1 discussed clause by clause. The only alterations made were that the association could have the agent's books examined at any time by a qualified accountant; also, that seed potatoes be excluded from the agreement. '