The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 4006, 7 January 1892, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1892.

Stboso companies savour sometimes of monopoly, but as contrasted with weak ones they are an immense advantage to the community. Probably settlers never suffer a greater calamity than when they are inveigled into taking shares in a weak company. Tlley caunot always help themselves, because the promoters of some new, enterprise, intended to be for their own special benefit and salvation, offer liberal terms to some' shrewd broker to rake in shareholders. Talk about Picturesque Atlas fiends! why they are angels of light as compared with the "honest broker" on the path, He romances I ho pesters 11 lie buttonholes! 11 He fastens on to his prey liko an octopus, ! and never leaves him until he has made him a helpless victim. A man is persuaded to tike up a lew shares, and if lie has no money his p.n., we are assured, is taken for the deposit, This binds him hand and toot to the company, he is no longer a free man, but is at its beck mid call (more especially at its call). The feeble company is the spider and the deluded shareholder the fly, and tho result is a foregone conclusion. It is pleasant to turn from, pettifogging Companies to a big strong co-operative enterprise like the " Gear Meat Company," which has just earned and paid a ten per cent dividend. Its record lias been a brilliant one and it is to sound projects of this kind that New Zealand owes so much of ifs prosperity. Big pompanies like this make farming pay throughout the Colony, We remember the time when mutton and boef could be bought retail in Wellington at a penny a pound.. What struggles farmers must have hud in those days compared ;o their present position. Now-u-days, the competition of big companies enables them to obtain the highest market price for their stock, It is extremely gratifying to trace the benefits which a sound undertaking, like the Gear Meat Company, confers on the puhlio,' Itgives the farmer a higher price for bis stock, it employs a large number of hands, it equips powerful steamers, it pays handsome dividends to its shareholders,.and finally it places before the English and Scotch consumer first clsss wholesome meat at prices which enables the poor man at Home to enjoy good meat for his dinner more frequently than ho obtained it in former days. It is interesting to note that the directors of the Gear Company havo but one complaint tomake, viz,, that they have to pay a high price for stock. Their enterprise lias raised the price of meat in the local market against themselves. Farmers will forgive them for this and wish the company success in its involuntary efforts to i still further enhance the value of beef and mutton. .