THE CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION.
ro thk EDirou. Sir, — Mr T. 0. Sandes' ravings about the 2000 Auckland shareholders is unmitigated lot. In the lii&t place, the icsolutiou pioposed by the director was that 2000 shares should be set aside tor the Auckland and Thames woilung classc, and without restriction as to single bluues. Should this be eaiiied out we have nothing to feai. Mr T. G. .Saudes is aheady pledged to do his utmost so that each share shall not clam) a vote. Vet, in the face ot this, Mr Sandes tells us that he will, ne\t Tuesday, do his best wheieby nine shuicholdcrs shall have 900 votes. Down with the 2000 men and up with the nine men, this is Mr Sandes' idea. I say this is unjust Let Mi Sandes point to a few ciicumstances dining the last T)0 jears in uhich tlie \loikln3 classes have abused the \ oting pow er given them. Amongst the 2000 men you are certain to have a C<eat chffeience of opinion. But on the other hand, we have a right to suppose that the nine shaicholdeis with their 900 votes arc closely allied. One of our good business men licit wiote to his fathei in Auckland, stating that this co-opeiative movement was likely to injme lv& business Theieply v. as, " Take up shaies and get your ti lends to do the same ; get a voice' in the matter ; go with the sti earn tor a time, and the concern will soon smash." Now, instead of tioublmg youi mind about the wOl kh.g man, heie is something of moie importance to ponder over. Just consider foi a moment, and you will find this \ciy seed is being sown for our desti notion. Wake up and insist that mo depend upon oui selves and the consume! s of Auckland for the success of our association. Returning again to the 2000 shaies, with the lemaiks of " Whatavvhata Fanner" I quite agree. As a piovisional diiector, I tried to get it passed that no shaieholder should have more than 20 shaies,, and up to tins number I still see no seiious objection to eaeli shaie having a vote, but will most certainly object to the nine shaieholdeis having 900 votes. Once moie let me reiteiate what >ou have so often said, that is, our best plan is to piovide good maiuues and seeds of reliable quality, and to find maikets foi out beef, bread anO butter. This line is simple and straight, and will take the least mamgement witli the most profit. Auckland with the 2000 wOlw 01 king men is one maikct. Canteibury and other places know this, and we ought to know it also. I ask Mr T. G. Sandes and others that think with him not to incite the 2000 to stait a second butchering establishment in opposition to our association's Let us join, and the one will answer both the objects of the Waikato farmer and the Auckland consumer. — 1 am, &c, J. FORRLhT. Cambridge, June 13th, 1881.
ro rm: kditoh. g IR) — Nob having heaid that Messrs CLarke and Gano had dissolved partncisldp, I was astonished to &cc by ycsteidny's Hciald that M) Gane was appointed managei of theNoith New Zealand Fanners' Co-opi'iatne Association. Messrs Claikc and G<ine and our company being mals m the same line of business, I do not see how Mr Gane can be our man.ipcr and continue to be one of the fiim of Messib Clark and Gane, unless, indeed, it is intended that our ship (to c.ury on the metaphoi) should float carefully, piloted by Mr Gane, into the harbour of refuge, xv : the firm of Messis Clarke and G.me, the said ship being well freighted with an sxtensive business, and the good money of ttie shaieholdcis which has been spent in getting the company into woiking order. The impies-'-ion is getting abioad— whether lightly or wrongly — that the directois should be haul headed piactical men who will look on every side of a project before commit ting the company to it, instead of mere hot headed enthusiasts who aie all very well in tl.eir way as shareholders, but not as directors.— l am, &c, Carlos. June lith, 1881.
to mi-; rcmroit. Sir, — Mr Fonest in liis speech at Cambiidge did me the honour to notice my lettei to you on the suhject of the 2000 Auckland Sluuc-holdeis. I am content to lea\e Mr Foup&t m undishnbed possession of his sentimental view of the subject, and confine myself to the busi ness arguments against the project. I can attach no importance to the wews of a man who can vsee danger in 900 votes .is against fiOOO, >et see no danger in 2000 as against 1000 w lien wielded by those whose interests arc directly opposed. I still contend that nothing will justify the expense attendant on making these 2000 shareholders participators in the profits of the association, even allowing all other things were eqml. Fancy the staff of bookkeepers and accountants necessary for a'divisiou of a bonus. And on a busy "Satiuday night, for instance, at our butcher's shop, perhaps, asking every customer his name, and booking the purchase, even when the cash is paid. It wont work in practice. I am sine pro ducer and consumer cannot be brought into such close relationship without falling out. If shareholders will be warned by me they will not be led away by any sentimental nonsense about the working man or any other man. If they can sell produce cheaply, and of a good quality, they can command a market, not of a paltry 2000, but 20,000, and meet their customers on sound business principles, and no other. I and many of my fellow shareholders are greatly dissatisfied at the way things have been going on lately, notably in the control of the association going out of Waikato into Auckland, where it is sure to be manipulated to the exclusive advantage of Auckland tradespeople, two of whom I see are on the directory. We were led to belive that the association would be managed by farmers for farmers. Now, anybody's interest but the farmers' is the one considered. We are going out of our depth, and the sooner we struggle back again the better, before any more money is wasted by the shareholders. — I am, &c, A Shareholder. Te Awamutu, June 14th, 1884.
Mr John Knox has for private sale at the Hamilton Mart, th& stock-in-trade of Mr P. Conncll, Alexandra, comprising groceries, drapery, and ironmongery. Stork list at the mart. Mr Knox will sell on Saturday next, 500 choide fruit trees of all kinds, also, forest and ornamental trees and , shrubs, and a choice lot of camellia* from the well-known nursery cf Mr F, Forrest.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1864, 17 June 1884, Page 3
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1,129THE CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION. Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1864, 17 June 1884, Page 3
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