The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2447, 17 March 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1888.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Stirrkd up by the tacit determination of the millers to reduce the wheat market to tiie lowest possible limit at which they will purchase grain at prices calculated to bring wholesale loss and ruin to the growers in this provincial district, the leading fanners of "Waikato have resolved to take the wisest course open to them to resist the intrigues of the trade. The movement to form a combination amongst the growers isone that will bring them an accession of strength, and will enable them to take independent measures to secure for themselves the best results for their produce iu tho dearest market. Combination and co-operation are in accord with tho spirit of tho day, and it is now a recognised element in economics that they provide tho truest means by which tho producer and worker can successfully win tho amount of profit or return their labour is entitled to. Agricultural and industrial workers have been, for generations, subject to tho operations of a class of tvaflicers and trade guilds who come between them and consumers, a class that lirst sprung up with the development and rapid expansion of commerce, but whose existence has grown into a spccits of mercantile tyranny. During the last few years many splendid industries have been launched, with large amounts of capital invested in tlieni, which began full of hope and promise to the colony, but which, in almost every case, have met with shipwreck in consequence, to a great degree, of those obtrusive intermediaries who absorb the fruits of enterprise barring their success. It may sound like grim mockery to speak of co-operation to Waikato farmers after the experience they have obtained of its first introduction amongst them ; but the late North New Zealand Farmer's Co-operative Association was conceived in the rk'ht spirit, and disaster only followed, as was inevitable, when it departed from the straight path and turned into the erooked road of reckless speculative dealings. Our agriculturists can form co operative societies not only for the disposal of their grain as is now contemplated, but they can also combine to establish their own entile markets' so as to bring themselves into direct contact with buyers, They can form similar combinations for the direct trade in exported meat; and, lastly, though not least, thny can effect a vast benefit to the country, and revive its languishing agricultural interests, by co-operating to embark upon the cultivation of sugarbeet and the establishment of bectsugar manufactures. They should shake themselves free of the middlemen, who, like the Old Man of the

S.'a. cling to them to their destruction. Paying us the most sincere flattery by imitating us in our defence of the wheat fanners sigainst the unjust treatment of the millers, the Herald lias taken up tlifi conflict and has elicited some remarkable revelations from the latter fraternity, with which it deals in a capital article in yesterday's issue. Certain millers, Mr J, 0. Firth amongst the number, have written to our contemporary to explain that the Hour quotations in the published reports do not represent the true, state of the market, that these quotations have been enormously inflated for " trade purposes," and that the prices are not those at which the flour is sold wholesale to "good marks," but represent those that are " ultimately obtained after the flour has been passed on from hand to hand with the object of getting the highest price possible in the end." Although Mr Firth waxes wroth " that people should write about things of which they have no accurate knowledge," we agree with the Herald that it is better to be ignorant of, than familiar with, such inexplicable tricks and by-ways of trade. The millers declare that £11 5s is not the present price of flour, and that they cansell Auckland roller flour at £8 5s and £9 per ton, and indignantly repudiate the accusation" that they are making 80 per cent, profit out of the growers. If such is the case, there has been culpable and wilful misrepresentation, week after week, in publishing the flour quotations at the higher figures which are now stated to be fictitious. The millers have been aware of this, in fact they liavo been in tho habit of revising and giving thoir approval to tho weekly reports for publication in the commercial columns of our contemporary. The deception thus practised may havo served tho purposes and mystories of tho trade, familiar only to those possessing "accurate knowledge," but which cannot be justified by any code of morale and commercial integrity. Tho price of wheat in tho colonies is said to bo rogulated by the English market. We cannot, however, discern any just reason why the prico offered here should be reduced to so low a rate as 2s 8d or 2s lOd, for the telegraphic quotations and English papers show us that the average price for colonial wheat is about 33s and 3 Is per quarter, or about 4s 3d per bushel, which leaves a very wide margin in favour of the colonial exporter. There is, then, ample justification for farmers to combine and act on the defensive by putting their entire wheat crop together and shipping it for disposal in the English market direct. There is one more matter brought to light by the Herald—namely, the exhorbitant price of bread, if it is true, as declared by the millers, that flour is obtainable in Auckland at £8 5s or £9 per ton. The millers deny that they are making the enormous profits alleged. Therefore, with flour at the above price, and bread at threepence the loaf, it follows the bakers must be reaping a tremendous harvest, and like; our contemporary, we also ask them what they have to say for themselves.