FARMERS' UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 41, 28 May 1910, Page 2

FARMERS' UNION.

AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE. CO-OPERATIVE SCHEMES ADVISED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The Auckland Provincial Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union vuis morning had an interesting discussion on co-operation. Mr. Flanagan brought forward resolutions in favor of co-operation among the farmers, on sound and businesslike methods. His first proposal was in the direction of starting a land and estate agency, members of the Farmers' Uniom to be given rebate on the usual rates. His second suggestion was to estauiish' a central co-operative store, each member of the Farmers' Union to be canvassed to take up shares. These proposed undertakings, he continued, should be run for the benefit of the union members. Some might suggest that this was' rather selfish, but he was sure that the best thing they could do was to take a leaf out of the book of the labor unions, who only considered themselves, and had assumed a -strength of something like 50,000 in the Dominion. These co-operative branches should be entirely for the benefit of the Farmers' Union.

| Mr. Mclnnes, in seconding, said this 1 ! co-operative idea was just the thing to revive the union. Mr. suggested a scheme of advances to settlers on the principle of building societies, as an amendment. Mr. Bell moved in the direction of asking the executive to establish a, cooperative association on the lines of that in Canterbury. Mr. Schmidt (secretary) said the feeling among the branches he had visited favored some co-operative scheme on the lines- suggested, in order to allow members to consider the question of co-opera-tion. The resolutions were withdrawn, and a special committee was set up to draw up a report at the earliest opportunity.