The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1901. TRUE CO-OPERATION AMONGST FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 217, 23 September 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1901. TRUE CO-OPERATION AMONGST FARMERS.

Our esteemed coatemporrry the Hawera Star is greatly exe-cieed at the f-ilura the TTawei a, Ba- >n Cu irg ' ompar . In che course or a lowing f. ticle on the subject our coni.empoiv.ry t ys:--"WNn the idea is mooted, everybody nsulted is in a general way enthusiastic, and quite ' willing to do my share, you know.' But when a certain amount of expense has been incurred, and the time arrives for converting promises into performances much of the enthusiasm evaporates, and those who have taken the initiative either have to let the project drop, which they are most averse to doing, or they have to endeavour to finance with a smaller basis of capital than they 1 ought to have. The latter course is often followed, and it too often happens that the endeavour results in failure. Meantime, the promoters, who have become directors, have made themselves personally liable for an amount' quite in excess of their actual personal interest in the welfare of the concern, and after a period of more or less ar-:iety, have to 'cave in.' Then the inevitable winding-up meetiog comes. The Hawera Bacon Curing Compiry -'s just one on 'a little list' whish many people will have in their mind's eye. Its story is that of having started on too little capital, pud all troubles, direct aid indirect, may be tr j cd to that 1 f. it." There is no doubt that want of, copit \ is the apparent cause of the | failve of the various projects on " the' little list" which many others besides j the Star w 'l readily call to mind ; but' there is an underlying <ause for cbe non-success or failure which the Stzr has quite overlooked, and which newspapers as a whole refrain from putting plainly before their readers : that is tlje want of the true spirit of co-operation amongst farmers. Whilst a pride in local institutions is a good thing, the [spirit of localism oan be cirried too far. and this has been the curse of a gcod many of the local industries not only of Taranaki, but of the whole colony. Farmers in particular forget that the interest of the farmer at Hawera is identical with the interest of the formers at Eltham, Stratford, IngJewood, and indeed throughout the province. Instead of the farmers uniting and establishing an industry for their mutual benefit at the most convenient centre for themselves, a proposal is made to establish an industry at one centre and immediately there is an outcry at all the other centres for a similar institution. Thus in the ir .tter of bacon iuc'ustry factories have bren established at Hawera, Eltham, Stratford, Inglewood and New Plymouth. If the frrmers were wise they would c ,rrb : -'o and pir-' iag a l .! lo<s4 feel'ng on one side est b-

l;sh oiego d centr>l factoi/ for the who'e of Tava< aki. with iec i- g stations at all the other centres. Tin s wing * ■> working exposes r'ooe voi d Bflfirn a hmdsome profit. Of cow.e t v 's would not 8' it the pvjay of haoger j ■», people inter< in lown lota, n*c., who are "ally the o' es who ere responsible the eiisti'g sta eof aff • A c?"e occurred tjme imp u-o. Af w gentlemeii in Stratf rd cm ceiv ■ in idea of purchasing a site vi, h soV i d w 'er nower and establisliin i*• • 1 an m- . Immediately thero v vl in Hawer. and p. mow w s ; ? to fain a wojllen i ny tLt> 1 Utar gavn -u its i.wst enlhosias c u|ipji t. 1 would u *er do for ffs< ?e-- ■ o bs fore l 'ad by S*w -.tfo'-l, anc h-rfs werfttak i upeagel . Oi' r oi ia tbe Strt.oford "air, which bv >,h i \ y re «lly at 'XV.io, was killed i-,ud li iwei i was happy. After spe ling considerable sum the Hawt . affair aso died and is doubtless one o" "tht little list" the btmr refers to. The freez ng works is &, lOther instanc. of the earn" sort. Hera tbe farmers were on the right track and proposed handling the whols of the Ts ranaki output of dairy produce at the Motur. i works. Bu f the s-me 'oc.'liim cropp 1 up and South Tarauaki cried out that uey must have work 3of their own. It is a sin -ular thing that not a single f. rmer was responsible fovthis, the outcry being r-vised by townspc jpb who merely <o - ;>ai> ere 1 themselves and not the farmer. The Star joined in the agitation to ertabl'sh a second set of works at Patea, the farmer finding the money of course, and the result is that Taranaki dairy od.uca now will have to bear thecapiHl cost and cost of management of two establishments where one would have been sufficient and undoubtedly led to better results. So long as the farmer allows himself to be exploited in this way and neg'ects true co-oparation, we must expect such results as those which the Star so much deplores.