The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1918. FARMERS’ TRADING CONCERNS.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 May 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1918. FARMERS’ TRADING CONCERNS.

("With which is hicorporated The Tai* tape Post and 'firalci-anao News).,

Among the remits to be discussed at the Farmers’ Union Conference, to he held this month, are a few of outstanding importance, remits which affect the interests of every man in the Dominion in the same ratio as they do those of the farming community. In shipping, as in some other matters, farmers are among the first to feel the curse of private-owned lines, but the syndicate methods of shipping robbery constitute a sin against" the poorest and lowliest in this land as well as against all other classes, farmers included. The question is too big for discussion here, but if'the 'Farmers’ Union members realise that the producers are the only class that could successfully combat whatever combination of private shipping that might be pitted against them, it will certainly influence them to an early' decision. Why they can, from the first, make shipping profitable is because they have the right to send "nearly all there is to be shipped by whatever line of shipping they please. If they formed a shipping ljne there would need to be an unbreakable arrangement that all produce should be shipped by the farmers’ line, despite who might own the land in subsequent years. Land should be bought and sold with the condition attached to it that shipping could not be diverted. Present shipping concerns would not 6e backward in operating similarly to meat trusts; they would spend millions in securing control of land to kill any shipping opposition. There is no way by which farmers may better secure their future, but it must be the land that is pledged to support the farmers’ line and not merely men who may be farmers today and to-morrow may be controlled by some person who turns out to be an agent of the shipping combine. In this respect farmers could perhaps accomplish with facility what the Government might find a difficult task. To enact a measure compelling everything to be shipped by a Government line might be thought by some as detrimental to farming interests," more especially when insinuating methods of the combine were put in operation. The Government would have to face many real or fancied grievances; importers and manufacturers might get an idea that Government was unduly favouring another section ot shippers, but with a farmers’-owned line the utmost would be done to please clients other than farmers as it would be as necessary to hold the importing business almost as much as the exporting. All can appreciate the huge, incalculable advantages that must accrue to every taxpayer in this Dominion from its farmers owning and controlling their own shipping line. There is now no question about them being able, in the extreme, to initiate and control very large trading concerns most successfully, why not take "the step that leads to the ideal in their trading schemes? By so doing they would Indeed become public benefactors, and keep out of Government hands what might lapse into a means of considerable political jobbery. We are satisfied that a farmers’-owned shipping line would be of greater service and much more valuable to New Zealand" than, any Government-owned concern of the kind. Concurrent with the institution of shiping a vigorous land settlement policy should be instituted so as to ensure a steadily increasing demand for shippng both for exports and Imports. The Farmers’ Union Executive has no doubt discussed the issues here touched upon, but It is es. sentlal to smooth-running in the o-. ganisation and inauguration of such a far-reaching quasi-public institution as a shipping line, that the general taxpayer should be kept well-informed on what the pmnosal reallv means to him. Another trading" concern that is to be brought under discussion at the conference is the representative journal of the Farmers’ Union. It should

not, perhaps, be termed a trading concern, notwithstanding the fact that it could be made one of the greatest pro-fit-producing journals in New Zealand in ratio to capital involved. We believe the remit strikes the' right note in urging that every member of the Union be entitled to a copy of the Union’s representative journal. The journal is, or should be, the mouthpiece of New Zealand farmers with the rest of the world, and it should freely discuss matters of world-wide interest and importance; it should be made the medium through which every manufacturer and every firm and person in the world wishing to do business with farmers, should approach them. That farmers can achieve all that a journal should be that represents that class from which nearly all the country’s riches come, there should be no doubt. We are only interested in farmers being capably and comprehensively represent* ed in the journal they have instituted for the advocacy of their interests, because we are convinced that Avhat improves the position and status of men in a producing community such as there must always be in a district like that of Taihape. improves and increases the trade of shopkeepers, tradesmen and all in the town who depend upon the means established for supplying the producers’ needs, and carrying on transport and exchange facilities. In short what benefits the land must benefit the town; what increases the profits of the farmer will add to the income of the townsmen; as the value of farm lands go up town lands and business places will move up in sympathy. While their large trading concerns are of the very utmost credit to farmers their journal shows signs of neglect, but this can easily be remedied, and should their shipping proposals materialise they would drag the journal onward and upward to a much higher level, one fully worthy of the great interests it represents.