FARMERS AND FARMING.

Waikato Times, Volume xxvi, Issue 2458, 8 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARMERS AND FARMING.

No. XXIII. Com proton, demand, and supply. From what aspect nre we to view these matters as affecting the welfare of our farmers fro:n that of the political economist, or as it actually surrounds us in this colony ? Wo shall have to consider" both views. Competition is defined •as "the act of endeavouring to gain what another endeavours to gain at the same time," or more briefly "strife for superiority." A purchaser, in fact all purchasers want the best article they can get at the lowest price ; the producer strives to beat all his ftllows or competitors by offering the bust article for the price. In my previous letter on markets, I mentioned several causes which tend very considerably to curtail the foreign demand for our farmers' or in other words to shut us out of very extensive and ever extending markets, by prohibiting our competing. Surely it is time, now competition with other countries is getting so keen, that tbe present intricacios of ways and means of reaching our British consumers should be mado smooth and simple, and every impediment which bars our path to the desired end swept out of the way 7 . And now, in considering this subject of competition, I am brought face to face with a faot which has ofton caused me anxious thoughtfulness. How are the farmers prepared indiridually and collectively to meet the competition which now besets them in the English market and tho painful conclusion to ; which w« cannot help but come, is, that there is no sort of preparation whatever. They aro the sport of monopolies and rings. Is there no sort of preparation required to meet the keen competition of Australia (or Australia and this country might act together), Cape Colony, India, North and South America, and of some European countries? Apparently not, as I cannot hear of any collective action been taken, no, not even by provinohl districts. I daresay I ahull be considered insane to write of the idea of a united national action, when the tendency is practically the revowe, one province trying to take or get every possible ad* vantage over tho others. The dream of provincial prosperity being that of New Zealand may be a nightmare with flomn, bat it in a very false idea to anticipate a prosperity without its being national. It cannot be. lam now writing of outside marketi. But what really brines me to make the above remarks is the vile selfishness of a large portion of Waikato farmers in being overjoyed at the idea of our central grand trunk railway going Tight through to Morton instead of Stratford, thereby depriving (but only far a time) the West Coast farmers of railway facilities for bringing their fat stock up to Auckland. This is provincial jealousy carried to the extreme, and only a type of what prevails throughout the colony, extending from petty townships to county councils, to provinces, finally ending in inter-island selfishness, if nothing worse. We talk of this statesman and the other ; the thing to be deplored in this country, in the past as at present, is the want uf statesmen, not a provincial or local laokey for a so-called statesman, but men of hiafh mind and principles, above all nationalists, to weld the heterogeneous ma,«B of selfishness and jealousy which surrounds and sadly interfere! with the welfare, prosperity, age and the happiness of this beautiful and richly endowed country into a well defined homogeneous nationality of peace and goodwill towards each other. Then, as a united nation, with our fertile soil, good climate, and other circumstances allowing, we can hold and more thau hold our own in the markets of England and the world, notwithstanding the severest competition. Goodness only knows our farmers have, enough to do to stand on their own fret and carry on the trade they have withont trying to injure each other by potty jealousies and underhand deal* ings, be they of a district or provincial caste. What a pifcy they will not or cannot understand this. If they could, what a glorious, a grand future there would be for this country. Demand and supply. Professor Cairns tells us "supply and demand is a species of barter or exchange, facilitated by a circulating medium. Demand or purchasing power owes its existence to the production of a commodity, and can only be increased by increasing the quantity of commodities offered for sale, that is to say, demand c*an only be inoreased by increasing the supply," or demand means tho quantity of goods which people are willing to take in exchange at a cortain value. Supply, means the quantity of goods which people are willing to give in exchange at a certain value. The laws affooting this subject are, " a rise of price tonds to prodnce a greater supply and a less demand. Conversely, on increaso of supply or a decrease of demand tends to lower price. I shall not weary my readers by going any further into teohincal matters ; our supply of beef, mutton, wool, grain, etc, wo need hardly consider ;if any one cares to go into the question he has the Government statistics to guide him. If tho exporting of our mutton paid, our wool-producing sheep would soon be converted into quickly maturing producers of mutton. Our snpply of food also means a demand for other goods, which England on"n supply when circumstances of freight, etc., allow. Our Customs duties oven now curtail the consumption of foreign goods, which is a direct injury to our farmers. As to demand on the part of England for our or other countries' meat productions, it is, as I have said before, greatly diminished, owing to the want, not of the desire, but the purchasing power by a large proportion of the •working classes. Not but what even now the consumption ot frozen mutton would be largely increased if proper means were taken to bring it before the notice of tho large consuming: centres, instead of sending all, or nearly •o, to ring ridden London. Also adequate means of distribution undertakeu in the interests of producer! and consumers alike. This can be accomplished, but to divulge my ideas on this point now would be to forestall future letters on remedies. Such centres as London, Hull, Ncwcastle-on-Tyne, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol and Cardiff, should receive regular direct supplies of mutton, tinned meats, dairy produce, etc. They aie the centres of large pbpiilations, who, for the dearness of meat (lOd to Is per lb) hardly ever totfeh a bite from year's end to year's end, as to them it is like eating gold ; but, with mutton at 5d to 6dperlb retail, an euormous consumption would take place, with what remit to both producers and consumers I need not say. there is a huge consuming market yet t» be reached in England < providing low price and good articln are obtainable. I have nothing to say about competition, demand and supply as far as this country is concerned, as in previous letter* I have shown the former to be completely taken out of the hands of our farmers by the middlemen, and future letters will show a similar state of affairs in most matters, taking place in Foreign markets supplied with our good*. Ut. Prosm.

The churchyard of St Peter's, in the central part of Liverpool, is about to be transformed into a public recreation ground, at the expense of the Corporation Some fine elm trees formerly exist* \ on this spot, but that was a long timo ago. Colonel Prejevalsky's facts throw Jules Verne's fancies in,to the shade. Tbis famous Russian traveller has fought his way through Mongolio and Thibet with a party cf seventeen soldiers and a hot-t of other attendant*, spent 43,000 roubles, killed 400 people who barred his way, given a number of Russian names to places nominnlly in the dominions of the Emperor of China, and Bhown the port ait of the White Czar to enraptured crowds of Mongolians longing to be taken under his protection. They know how to do thew things thoroughly, these Russian*.