FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 231, 29 September 1899, Page 3

FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.

MEETING OF DIRECTORS.

The usual quarterly meeting of the directorate of the Auckland Farmers' Co-operative Society was held yesterday at the Metropolitan Hotel. In the absence of Captain McGill, Mr A. Morrison (Awhitu) was voted to the chair. Various accounts were passed for payment. The "quarterly report of the secretary (Mr S. A. Browne, of Clevedon) was presented. In the report MiBrowne said:—"Your directors have little to report beyond the pleasingassurance that the share list of the Society is increasing in size. During the quarter the secretary visited a number of districts, for instance Hunua, Papakura, Bombay, Pukekohe, Puni, Mauku, Waiuku, Pokeno, and in Waikato Ohaupo, Te Awamutu, Paterangi, and Cambridge, and spoke before the Waikato Farmers' Club, once at Ohaupo, and once at Cambridge. The secretary also met a representative of the British Co-operative Wholesales in Auckland on the 11th— Mr Fairbairn. He promised us a lot of assistance and said he would try and get us a trained manager. It was decided to postpone the question of the date of starting busi- ! ness till next quarterly meeting, as the directors were now negotiating for a manager. The secretary stated that he would travel round the country districts around Auckland and also in the north, and lecture on the scope of the Association. Over forty applications were received for shares, in addition to those already taken up. The applications now in came from all parts of the province. It is the intention of the directors to start business as soon as possible, and in the meantime they propose to make an energitic canvass in country districts, so that the proposed cooperative concern will be started on a thoroughly representative and sound basis. So far the whole of the work done by the directors and by the secretary, in the direction of canvassing, the treasurer's work, etc., has been done gratis, the advancement of the genral interests of the farmers being the leading consideration.