THE PRICE OF WHEAT AND CO-OPERATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1831, 1 April 1884, Page 2

THE PRICE OF WHEAT AND CO-OPER ATION .

IO I UK KDIIOR. Hni, — The telegram in Kitui day's Hciald, ie the Canteibury Wheat Hanest is wnithy our attention. The F;irmei\> Cropciatnu Association (Canteibmy) "leport officially" that a \ery considerable poition of the wheat is so damaged that it will bo useless for nulling pui poses. Now the other day I cuqimcd ofanexpeit, (in fact, a buyei.) why wheat was only 4s per bushel this yo.ir. The answer was that the price w.us 1 emulated by the Canterbury supply, and that they, the Southern men, could deliver wheat to Jb'uth and otheit. in Auckland, for e\eu a penny les^ say Us lid pei bushel. On leading the talegram lefeued to, the thought struck nvi, Ate th j milleis playing, deep gaun, and iinpoitmg some of this Southern dimiged wheat, (or pretending to do so) at a low price in older to purchase our go >d wheat at the same figme? It looks very like it. I have al-.o noticed for somo yeiis that so sine as harvest tune comes l.nind, down goes the piic; of wheat, with no corresponding reduction in the price of flour, and buyers always say they have to be so very careful, as there is such a lot of damaged » heat about ; yet in a few in mths' tune shall see it adveitised that the flour made from the wheat (over the puichaso of which there was sujh a risk) cannot be excelled for quality, being made fiom " Waikato grown wheat, &c, &c." Suiely our co-opeiative association will help to leinedy this evil, and should theicfoie besuppoited by all the farnieis in the distiict. Thi* working of the maiket (for it is nothing else) by rings must be stopped before the tillers of the soil can make the profits they are entitled to on their produce, and co-operation and combination are the only tilings to do this. It seems to me to be a certainty that wheat is absolutely woi th at the present moment more than 4s per bushel; as the pi ice of Hour will tell us ; and yet farmeis can get no moie than that for it; and this soit of thing will continue, a number of buyers, commission agents, and millers getting fat and rich on the labour of the farming community, unless by united action, and mutually assisting one another, we compel the dealers in our products to be satisfied with a fair maigin of profit on their transactions. At present most producers in our community find a difficulty in disposing of their produce, more particulaily in small qutntities, except by paying very heavy commission. This will most decidedly be lemedied by co-operation, for consumers also experience the same difficulty in procuring what they require, except at very much increased lates on the real value of the aiticle. These coir.ti'is^ions being sa\ ed will really mean so much cash being left in the pockets of the fanners and their customers. A^ the, real wealth of a country consists of its land, and what that land can be made to produce, so the future welfare of our district depends on the management which we apply to our own lands, and the iudicious dealing with its products.— l am, &c, Observer.