TRUSTS AND COMBINES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1916, Page 6

TRUSTS AND COMBINES

To the Editor. Sir,—"Cowbell'' in your of the 2(ith ult. must have misunderstood me when he writes of mi as waxing indignant over the dealers' trust refusing to be associated with _ certain buyer. Has the aforesaid certain buyer risked to be admitted to the .nner circle of the trust? Otherwise there is no necessity for those righteous dealers combining to boycot any auctioneering linn which allows certain persons to buy at Ha yards. The tale is too thin when "Cowbell" says the only /eason for their action being that they refuse to be associated with a certain buyer, as there need be no association between any two buyers at an auction. In my experience in selling or buying stock at auction it has always been immaterial from whom the stock were bought or who were operating at the sale, as it was purely a transaction between myself and the inn conducting the sale. hence there is no necessity for one buyer to hold any communication or be in any way associated witli any buyer unless of his own free-will. ''Cowbell'' sagely remarks: ''One tale is good until another is told." lam anxiously waiting for "Cowbell's" tale, and I trust he will tell it in the best medium to ensure circulation, to wit, the Daily News, and not by slanderous tales told at street corners, etc.. and then pledge the recipient of the talc to secrecy to avoid an action for criminal libel, as those methods smack too much of Sinn Fcinism to accomplish any gor ■' "Cowbell" speaks of ''fraudulent ban:, ruptcy and worse." If toiling iies. misrepresentation, etc., are included in the same category, I would say in the words of the Founder of Christianity, "Let him without sin cast the first stone," and I venture to say it is highly improbable tliat the dealers of North Taranaki will ever stone anyone to death. In conclusion, T may say I have no grievance against any dealer, and no brief to defend any dealer in particular, but I maintain it is a very bad principle for the farmers to- allow any clique or combine to be able to rule the public auction sales as to who will be allowed to buy and who shall not,, and I trust the shareholders of the Farmers' Organisation Society will prevent any such state of affairs occurring at their yards.—l am, etc.. SMALL COCKIE. Inglewocd, July 31.