CO-OPERATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2079, 3 November 1885, Page 2

CO-OPERATION.

IO lHh KDIIOH. Silt,— lt is ically hiupimng, the ignorance that there i-> on the alxnc subject amongst the aniicultiu.il (junniiunitv. lv my travels abont t!)c different p.nts of thu NV.-ukato ■uul Raglan ili-.tntt-.il hnrl in m> th.it do not even know that thine is such a thing as the Co-opeiati\e Association, and also many fanners that do know nf it, and do not even own onoshaio in it, an assoeution founded by fanners foi the good of fanner*. Now, it is a well-known fact tlut fanueis area slow lot at seenu? any improvement, even if it is for their own gmid, and it h.n always ttken a lot of time and trouble to get them to do so, but a man need be dull inib.'d that cmnot see that if they do not help themselves no one else will, and that it n only by combination th it they can get out of tho clutches of the .mctionccis and coirmissioii Agents who aie all d»ing well out of tho poor toiling farmer. Every fainiei in the W.vikato , should be a shareholder in the association I if it was only one -haie, and then, to in iko it a hucu'ss', he should sell all ho soils through the -Mine and buy all h-j wants from it, and of coin so the more trade the association the better f<>i the shaieliolder. If the association is supported as it should be, the whole of the storpkeeping trade of the Waikato might be in its hand', not only in agricultural goods, but every descuption of good*, vi/,., giocery, ironmongery, and dnpeiy, and a pmate stoic would not have a shadow of a chance to oppose .such an association. In some of onr sott'ements the storekeepers ontmno to keep up the the piesent high prices, on the punciple of " You ■•watch my back, and I will sciatuh yours." In one caie two .storekeepoi s p,nd the lent of a shut up stoic between them— fcl pei week— foi a long while to keep it shut up (something made out of stores, uh ?) It is rpiite .i favour to get them to take your pioduce, and if they do you must take it out in goods at then own pi ice, and they buj jours at tliuir own, M.-Hiiiff tliocri a^am at a pioHt of 2"i pci cent. Now I can buy good, in Auckland '2") to 30 per cent, cheaper than the most of our up-countiy stoics aie selling them at, including freight, landed at any of the faithest up river settlements. Now, if goods can be bought in a Miiall way so much cheaper, uy a puvato paity, an association like the Cooperative, who would buy in a large way, would be able to sell much cheaper than any of our piesent t.torekeep?rs, and of couise every shaieholder would support his own store. The times ate ho bad now now with farmer-* that they should not lose any oppoitunity of bettering them if it is offered, and cei tainlv the Co-operative offers one. The present depression is hardei on the fat mer than on any class, as every week some of them are sold up. Now you do not see the storekeeper or auctioneer hard pu ; in fact it is just the reverse. They are all doing well, and feathering their nests out of the poor toiling farmer. I live in the hope of seeing a branch stoic of the C i op. in every Waikato settlement, and if propei ly manaired many of our piesent -■toiekcepeis would soon have to put up tho shutteiH. Trusting you can find room for the above, — I remain, yours truly, A Farmer.