THE FARMERS AND THE LABOUR QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2842, 30 September 1890, Page 4

THE FARMERS AND THE LABOUR QUESTION.

to Tin.: Kiuroit. Snt,—When the criticnl present (if New /.■jiliiiid liistnry coiiitjs tube recorded, the iiiisL'llisli imil (Milijthloiioil action of tlm Wiiikiiti) Farmer* , Obib is sotting aside tlm kdllhli and ißiiDi-iiiitly conceived circulars fnmi tlio O.miiiru mid Pupatnotne Clubs will rnsDiind to tlioir praise, tlmv sagoly Mr Primrosp, tlio Ciiniriniiii, warned the members agninst interference in a mutter, that, so far had not otfocted them ; when thu circulars woro read, .si.lieitinß assistance from thiiin, their ci>-o|>era.tien t.i keep do;vn wages, It i.s precious littln tliov pay that way, at Papatnutoe at any rate, and how neatly Mr Parr struck tlio nail on the head in moving instead, the formation of a Union; not for tlio purijo.-ip. of reducing wages ; but t> assist them to get fair, remunerative lu'icsH for thoir produce, which, at present and fur a long timo past they have never received. Messrs liarugh and Buttle, men I do not know, ably .supplied the premises embodied in tlio motion, Mr Shepherd responded and the motion was passed. 1 hope it will not rest there but tlit.t they will set to and give, it practical effect. Consumers pay what would be fair and highly remunerative prices for agricultural products, but do the farmers get it ? I say No ! It goes to middlemen. For example, a farmer sells a fat bullock weighing SOOlba dead meat at j£s or less, that is l£d per lb. Tlio consumers pay as follows :—

£ 3. d. Hump steak, 1-lOlbs at 7d per lb ... >118 (Jommon steak, ISOlbsatSd per lb 3 15 0 jioiling beef, -ItiOlba at 3d per 1b... I! 0 0 Hide and fad soils for 10 0 H 10 8 The farmer who reared, cared and fattened the animal at the end of three or four years gets ,£!. r >. Tho auctioneer and butcher it tho end of as many days gets twice as much, £10 clear, and havo no risk. No Wonder fanners say say farming does not pay.; i.e., pay them. Jt pays tho auctioneer and the butcher very woll. The resolution if given elfect to will end all this. Why not send one of your own sons to Auckland ;md open a shop, he can havo the animals you send him slaughtered at the city abattoirs for o'd a piece. Why should the Waikato farmers—men liko iSeddon, who writes so ably on sheep—employ an auctioneer to sell their produce and stock ? Have they no sons they can trust? Will they go on consigning produce U salesmen at iiniemuucrative prices? A successful farmer must be something morj than a more tiller of the soil and rearer of stock; ho must lie a good market man, or ho is not much use. I will be glad indeed to see through your 3olurnns that tho members of tho Farmers' Ulub take this matter up in earnest, discuss it in their own practical way, and carry it out. Very littlo capital would start a butcher's shop, fruit depdt, and general produce store. With such, a whole truck could always be laden, and carriage be cheap. If they resolve to do so, [ promise them they can rely on city help. Such an association, if well managed, could nnder-sell and over sell anything in town. Waikato would thus become the feoding ground of Auckland, instead of Hobart, Uhristchurch, and the Hast and West Coast. Tho produce of theso last at present shut you out.—Yours, &c., J. J.