The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 363, 5 November 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1898.

Pure co-operation is the only absolutely sound basis upon which a business can be conducted. Given efficient and honest management and workmen, each interest involved receives its legitimate share of the profits which accrue, and, in the event of non-success, all bear a fair proportion of the consequent loss. For some years past there has been some manifestation of discontent amongst milk suppliers at the price tendered to them by the firms which purchased their milk. This was the case in Messrs Reynolds' lime, and is so still under the company of which Mr Spragg is the manager. Acting on the principle that union is strength, the suppliers of the Waikato formed themselves into a Union, the idea being to deal with Mr Spragg by means of a representative committee. Fromthecorrespondence, which appears in our supplement this morning, it will be seen thatMr Spragg declines to treat with any persons, whether suppliers or not, who claim to deal with him as delegates from, or officials of this Union, and decliues to be controlled or infiuenood in the conduct of his share of the milk business by the rules the Union has adopted. On the other hand the delegates refused to enter into business with him on his terms.

After this deadlock had been reached, the delegates of the Union looked about them for some means of escape from the situation and for a means of getting their milk dealt with aside altogether from Mr Spragg's company. Having in mind the statement by Mr Spragg, when he took over the business from Messrs Reynolds, that he would sell on equitable terms to the suppliers should they at any time desire to purchase, the delegates of the Union sought a man or body of men willing to provide the capital to purohase the plant and carry on the business on co-operative lines.

We learn that Messrs R. R. Hunt and Co. have stepped into the gap, and that a letter has been sent to Mr Spragg, making him an offer for the plant. The business, so far as we know, has not yet reached beyond this stage. We are assured that it is intended to carry on the business as a co-operative concern. Of the terms of co-operation, upon which the success of the business and the eontent of those engaged in it depend, we are as yet ignorant. We learn that one important intention is that ihe suppliers shall receive 3d per gallon for their milk, the capital required to do this being found by Messrs R. R. Hunt and Co. We have had occasion to write on the milk question many times during the past few years, and nearly as often have we pointed out that in co-opera-tion lay the only solution of the problem which could prove satisfactory to all concerned. Suppliers when they have read of the higher prices paid for milk in this colony than they were receiving, were naturally sceptical as to the statement that the owners of the creameries they supplied could not afford to pay more. In nearly all the cases where these higher prices have been paid the business has been run on the cooperative principle, by which all share in prosperity and all take their share of loss. If the purchaser of the milk has to take all the risk he would not be a business man if he did not secure a higher margin to protect himself against loss than is necessary under the co-operative system by which the risk is distributed. We thoroughly believe in co-operation, and hope most sincerely that this panacea for discontent and recrimination will soon be at work in the Waikato.