TE AWAMUTU. The Proposed Co-operative Association.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1798, 15 January 1884, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU. The Proposed Co-operative Association.

Mb Barton has been round this district explaining the objects of the proposed Farmers' Co-operative Association to the farmers, and also canvassing for support. He has been most successful, everyone who was spoken to on the matter approving of the movement, and promising to support it. Mr Barton explained in a very lucid manner the objects of the association, and removed any false impression which may have existed in the n.inds of some people regarding the purpose for which the movement was begun. In your leader of the sth inst. you have given an account of the business of some co-operative associations in England, and how by unity of purpose they proved an unqualified success. This and the success attending the Canterbury association should be a sufficient inducement for the farmers of Waikato to give their hearty support to the movement, for there can be no doubt it will be the means of materially improving their circumstances and placing the farming business on a ■ound and prosperous footing, and certainly anything which tends towards the accomplishment of so desirable a purpose, should meet with the greatest possible support and encouragement. It will be the means of bringing the farmer in direct communication with the , manufacturers and consumers ; everyone who has a good crop is desirous of getting the highest price for it, this will be accomplished through the asso ciation and with half the expense incurred by any 'other means, for, as a matter of course, there will be agencies established wherever requir id. As an instance of this, I saw by an extract from a Southern paper that one farmer who sent his wheat home through the association received 8d qr 10d a, bu^Qlmor^^u^WQu^huve got ft? it

if sold in New Zealand. It is intended, I believe, to call a public meating to ba hold in some central place, for the purpose of appointing provisional directors, and the idea of the promoters is that each district should appoint a director, so that there can be no considerations of local or personal .nterest in the affair. To make it a success the whole Waikato should co-opsrate, and each district should be represented on the board of directors. It mi^ht b3 desirable even to make the association a provincial one, but that is a question upon which man of experience should give an opinion. To the cheese factories the association will prove an inestimable boon, for the expense of sending their cheese to foreign markets will be considerably reduced. MIsCKLFiANEOUS. The Herald correspondent states that the managing directors of the Te Awamutu Cheese factory intend sending five tons of cheese to the English market. The directors were very much surprised on reading the information, for information it was to them, they never having said or thought of doing so. My information is correct for I got it from these gentlemen direct, and also from the secretary. Haymaking is being carried on vigourously, the yield is very heavy this year, with a fortnight's dry weather, all the hay in the district will be saved ; by that time a great deal of wheat and oats will bo ripe. These crops everywhere are looking magnificent. I passed Mr Hutchinson's place last week and saw his wheat paddocks, they are all that could be desired, the yield will be very heavy. The potato crop promises to be good this year, so that on the whole farmern may congratulate themselves on the prospect of a good harvest. — (Own Correspondent. )