NORTH NEW ZEALAND FARMER' CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1822, 11 March 1884, Page 2

NORTH NEW ZEALAND FARMER' CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION.

Public Meeting at Hamilton. A meeting of those inteiested in the establishment of a Co opeiative Association for this portion of the colony was hold in the Public Hall, Hamilton, last night. There were about seventy peisons piescnt, consisting of the leading fai niers of the \ ai ions districts in Waikato, all of whom took the greatest inteiest in the proceedings. The chair was occupied by his Woiship the Mayor of Hamilton (Mr T». Peat). The Chairman opened the pioceedings by reading the advertisement calling the meeting, and then called upon Mr C. J. W. Barton, canvasser, to read the following repoi t : — To thr Promoters Noiun New Zi: viand Farmers' Co opukativk Association. Gentlemen.— l have the honour to lepoit on the success of my canvass on behalf of .he proposed Faimeis' Co-operative Association as follows : — On the 7th January I commenced an active canvass of the district, and since that date T ha\ c been engaged in forwarding the interests of the association, both by personal canvass and by correspondence, to the best of my ability, putting the pi oposal before the faimeis in the s?e\ eral districts of the Waikato, with the result, I think, of awakening a very considerable amount of interest in the movement. With only one or two exceptions all agreed that, rightly managed, the association was calculated to greatly ameliorate the present unsatisfactory condition of the farming and pastoral industries. 1 thought it part of my duty to endeavour to point out to those inteiested in the management of choose and bacon factories the great help the association would be to those businesses. During my canvass I met with a very generally expressed wish that the advantages of the association should be made as wide as possible, embracing equally all the distiicts of the Waikato as far as practicable. Should this be the policy pursued, I believe about 5,000 shaies could be floated in the vai ions districts made up as follows—approximately :—: — Shares. Te Awamulu and surrounding districts 1,500 Tamahere 1,300 Piako ... .COO Waipa, to include distiicts between Alexandra and Ngaiuawahia 500 Hamilton and surrounding districts 400 Sundiy outlying districts . .. 500 Total . 5,000 Also, a number of shares could be disposed of in Auckland, if thought advisable, to residents theie inteiested in the district and having its welfare at heart. Ido not think I am too sanguine in making this calculation. Taking the farming population of the two electoial distiicts of Waipa and Waikato to number iv round numbers 1000, which I consider a fair estimate, the ;ale of 5000 share*, would allow ot an average of five shaies or an expenditure of 4T) pel head, with an interval of twenty months between the fust and hnal payments. Should it be thought advisable to try and place the whole capital of 10,000 shaieo on the above basis an aveiage of 10 shares per head would be thoiesult. I will heietake Hie oppoitunity of reviewing in detail some of the leading advantages sure to acciuu from the establishment of the Association. In buying : An association will have an immense advantage, not possessed, I ventuie to say, by any local nnpoiter, inasmuch as manufacturers will know that whatever business they do through the association will be an absolutely safe one, and as a consequence they will compete'foi its custom direct, and by this means not only s ivp a Luge middle piotit to the fanner, but get a better and cheaper «u tide than the oidinary importer. Again, the custon of the association will be so gi eat a consideration that it would be the policy of any meichant having dealings with it to supply only the very best aiticle. In selling : The association will have many and greater advantages than any individual fanner could hope to possess. It is an acknowledged fact, th.it, let a farmer have ever so good a business capacity, \arious causes combine to pi event his sclhnsr his pioduce to the best advantage. The exigencies of a business like farming which often demands his undivided caie and attention, prompts him often to take advantage of the hist maikot that olfeis — not always the best. Much moie frequently the existence of a combination against him pievents his shotting the ttuo value of lvs pioduce. It will be the biiMness of the association to obviate this, and pndeavour to bring the pioducer and consumer into a lnoie intimate relationship; also, by finding a foieign maiket for producel to relies c a glutted local one. To summaiise : The establishment of the association will enable its members to buy in the cheapest market and sell in the clearest, which, a« everyone knows, contains the true principles of commeicial .success. I cannot conclude this repoi t without thankfully acknowledging the extreme couitesv and hospitality with w hich I was lecened throughout my canvass. At the beginning of my canvas*, I spent four days in the Te Awamutu district, and here I must acknowledge the great assistance and kindness shown me by Mr R. W. Roche in taking me round the distiict and giving mo valuable information. 1 append some statistics that -will piove interesting as shewing the amount of business likely to be done in ceitain lines :—: — Approximate vilue ok Crops Grown in the Disriucr for the bE vson 1883-84. Wheat . . £32,000 Oats 10,000 Barley . . . 1,000 Potatoes . 20,000 Cheese m facloiies ... 5,500 Total . . . £08,300 I have been trying to arrive at some estimate of the amount annually sent out of the distiict for seeds, mamues, implements, and faim requisites, but I have not yet collected sufficient data to give any very definite idea, of the amount, but to give some slight notion I may s.iy tli.it £7,QQO worth of bonedust was sold in Waihato out of a single importation.— l have the honour to be gentlemen, your obedient servant, C. J. W. Barton. Mi W. A. Graham roie to move the fii.st resolution!: — "That a Farmers' Co-opeiative Association be formed, in accordance with the memorandum of association." He explained the steps that has been taken to establish an association at Tamaheie. It was thought by many that the object of the promoters in establishing the association at that place was a sel fish one, and they \pgu4 that l( i should be started on a moie general basis. Acceedingtothis desire the promoters advertised for a f\anvasser, and Mi Barton having been selected, he was instructed to visit the vaiious districts in the Waikato, and, among other things, to ascertain the most suitable place at which to hold a public meeting. The result of Mr Barton's labours was that they were met there that evening. The pi onuses of siippoit they had received realised their most sanguine expectations. He then proceeded to explain the basis upon which the society was proposed to be established. The promoters had taken for their model the articles of association of the Canterbury and Taranaki associations, societies which had proved successful under adverse circumstances. Jfe read the ppspectus which it was proposed to adopt, and explained in detail the system, and the proposed method of working, details which, of course, would have to undergo levision at the bands of the directors. He referred to several objections which had been urged against the association, an,d pidiculed the icjea tjhaf; th.9 faiqers were too poqr to enter' upon a scheme of this kind. The people of Waikato were much better off that they thought. The statistics read that night, and those continually appearing in £h,ejr looaj paper others, shqwed them that they' had the elements of real wealth. He took this opportunity to thank The Waikato Times for its able advocacy of the caus>e of the tanning community. (Hear, hear). He pointed out that as everybody in the district was, either erectly qr indirectly interested in agricultuie, 'the. association would benefit all, trad.esme.iv as well as others. Tljere was not nothing illegal in the movement, and though there wore nofc wanting those who said it would not succeed, he was sure that if they put their shoulders to the wheel they were bound to carry the association through. It had been said they could not find business men to. manage, but. this was an insult to the farming community. If they got 'the proper men at Tiraaiiu and. at Takriaßi/" why 'no(; \n Waikato ** Mr. Graham concluded by giving some particulars concerning the rise and progress of similar associations in the old country. Mr J. Brooks (Churchill), s*id he had been asked to second the proposition, Hg djd, SQ SCfth ft 4J»s4t ' dqal oi pleasure, because he felt convinced that if the association were once started on a proper basis it would do. w«pe. |qq^ $BfriQtj &a« «pg

other society possibly could. Mr Graham had stated the case so fairly and well that htfcle lemained for him to bay. He would ask them "Do we want an association or not ?"' None, ho thought, could answer in the negative, and ho therefore asked them to come forward and help. Such institutions had done good wherever they had been started, and if they only stood shoulder to shoulder they also would succeed. The society could buy and hell better than individuals, in initiation of which he would tell thorn something. A gentleman of his acquaintance had grown .1 quantity of rape seed, winch he sold at £12 per ton. Thoy .ill knew that if they wanted to buy the seed from ;i mei chant he would charge 5d or (id per lb. for it. Now this margin of profit the society would keep for the banefit of its shareholder-.. [t could buy and bell as advantageously as anybody, and the piofits accruing would be given to the shareholders. Theic was no intention to make tho association a divjJend-paymg concern. A certain per-centage would be paid on the capital invented, and the rest would go to those who did business with the society. The pooler the people were, the mote reason was theie for their joining, because a pound possessed greater purchasing power with the soctety. The opposition the association had to meet was of two kind-. The first was the straightforward opposition of those in the same line of business. This was right. Competition w.ib the soul of business, in every thing. There was another kind, about which the less he said the better. Ceituin people weie going about poohpoohing tho affair, and saying it would not "go oft,"' but he could tell them it would "gooff." He likened these people to the bully at school. Individually he could lord it over those smaller than himself, but once let the little fellows "co-operate" and they could give the bully a jacketing. (Applause.) There might be opposition, but he felt sure they would oveicome it. Where there »as unity there was stiength. It was proposed that the society should affiliate with similar bodies in other paits of the world, so that there could be an exchange of commodities. For instance, if a farmer here wanted seed oats from Canterbury, he could obtain them from the former in the South, without having to pay the ruinous charges of the middlemen. It had been said, " We must h.vye business men." Yes, they must, but was it not possible to get them ? He was now a farmer amongst them, but he had had twenty-five years' experience as a merchant in England, and he purposed, if the society weie btaited, to give them the benefit of his knowledge and experience ; they should be introduced to the best houses in England, and they should have the best it was possible to get for their money. Tt was probable that the shareholders would never be askpd to pay moie than half the amount of the share, and long befoie they had paid even that they would ba\ c receiv ed double ortieble the sum. There was no reason why eveiy man in the Waikato should not tike slriios and join tlieni. The more shareholders they had tho stronger the society would be. He could not sec why agiicnltuie should continue to walk about witii "bated breath and whispering humbleness." Agriculture was the Alpha and Omega of the countiy's piospenty. Let them bind themselves together, and without being political, let them with no uncertun voice say that the inteiests of the farmpis shall be attended t<>. (Hear, bear) Let them look at Euglond, with all her vast manufacturing industiy, with her millions of woiking people, and the enoimous amount of money employed m manufactures— with all this, the importance of the agricultural industry of England was gi eater than the commercial. The previous day he happened to pick up an old copy of the Australasian, and in that he load an aiticlo which astonished him. It had icforeiice to the piotectivp taiitts m the United States. Whereas, the \otmg potver was formeily in the hand-; of the residents of the towns, it was now spreading south and west to the country districts, and the icsiilt of this was a movement in the direction of abolishing the heavy protective taiiffs. They had a heavyprotective taiiii hero, and this was doubled and trebled by their being brought under the influence of the Auckland ring-.. Professor Sunnier, of Ynle College, had stated that the people of the States lost £70,000,000 annually on account of the onmm(iu> protective "taiiffs, and he added that it would pay the people better to shut upthemills, pay the labourers in these nulls, and pay 10 %on the capital invented, if the people m general were pennjtted to gt; mtn a free market. As in Ameiica, so it was heie. If they could buy in the best maiket <uul sell in the best maiket, it would make all the difference between starvation and com f oi tnr a happy nation. He ti listed that that day would be the beginning of si new era in the history of the Waikato. If a,nv of them weie faint-hearted, let them go back, they were not wanted, but those who stuck to the project would go down to posterity, and be remembered by then descendants as the benefactors of theii country. (Applause.) Mr Parr (Cambridge), wished to know whether it was the intention of the association to sell everything the fanner requires. Mr W. A. Giaham replied in the affirmative. Mr Parr said he was glad to hear it. He had been under the impression that the society was to be established for the benefit of shareholders. In looking over a Liverpool paper for January last, he saw that the puce of wheit there was ih pai lOOlbs., and the high eat aveiage price of flour was 12s Gd. Let them compare this with the pi ices likely to rule here. They did not evpect to get more than 4s per bushel, which was equal to (is Sd per lOOlbs, and they would have to pay 14s per lOOlbs for their flour. The difference between the puces was about 100 pei cent. It was the same with other things. The object of the society should be to biing the producer and consumer together, for which puipose artisans, hotelkeepeis, and others should be induced to join. They should endeavour to avoid the profits of the middleman. It was his intention to do e\eiy thing in his power to help the project forward, In Lancashire and Yorkshire sjtnilar societies had proved a grreat success, and many people were now living in houses which they had built out of the bonuses and dividends they had received. He thought they ought to do as much in this country. Mi James Forrest (Cambridge) thought it was high time a co-operative society was formed in the Waikato. He lel.ited the history of a similar undertaking at Bmton, near London. Great difficulty was experienced at the stait, but ultimately it was a great success. He had heard men say that they had never liacj a S6oond suit until the profits out of the association enabled them to buy it. The resolution was then put and canied unanimously. Mr J. Newland (Ngaroto) moved the second resolution, as follows: — "That the name be ' The North New Zealand Farmers' Cq-oyeiative Association (Limited).' '' Tho speaker referied at some length to the advantages of the association. The settlers had been like a lot of loose sticks, but now they pioposed to bind themselves together. Singly they weie weak, but together they could not be broken. His opinions had been pietty widely spread, through the columns of The Waikato Times, and the subject had also been well-ventilated in the editorial column of that paper, He thought they were too muoh under the influence of Auckland rings (he himself had, lie believed, broken down one of these) ; they had beon obliged to pay more and get less than they ought. He hoped those present would endeavour to get as many to join as possible, What tb.ey wanted was customers rat;heii than shareholders. Mr Brooks seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr W. A. Graham proposed that the following be the provisional directors ;— Messrs S. Westney (Te Awamutu), J. J. ifcuugh (Tamaheie), J. Brooks (Churchill), S. S. Graham (Tamahere), C. Gould (Waitoa), W. H. Wallis (Okete), A. Main (Hautapu), J. Newland (Ngaroto), Geo. Little (Ngaruawahja), E. Peacocke (Auckland). Q. Way (Rukuhia), James Foirest (Cambridge), .W. A. Graham (Hamilton), and J. B. Smith (Waitoa), with power to add to their number, A hearty vote, qf |han.ks to the Mayor for presiding was carried on the motion of Mr W. A. Graham, seconded bv Mr W. S. Rutherford (Te Awamutu). The latter gentlemen remarked that he was glad to gee such a, large attendance. Many more would have come from Te Awamutu had it not been the milk-delivery season, and suppliers to the factory were nqfc, thgrejfore, able to leave, hqme. I Th,e masting th,en terminated.

At a meeting of the directors, held immediately after, Mr W. A. Graham AY^ elected chairman ancj tpea^u^ex\ pro tern. It; wa^ resolved, <;has each Tqeri\her of directory canvass his district for support, to report at a meeting to be held on the 27th. Mr Barton wa^ appointed, seQC^twy pro tern,