Tokomairiro Farmers' Club.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 97, 16 December 1902, Page 5

Tokomairiro Farmers' Club.

— ♦- The monthly meeting of the above Club" was held in the Bruce County Chambers on Thursday evening, when about 20 members attended. Mr Eobt. Ferguson, president, occupied the chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr G. T. Martin referred to the death of Mr-John Norrie, father of Mr Jas. Norrie, who had be,en a member of the Club for many years. He moved— "That a letter of sympathy be sent to Mrs Norrie and family, condoling with them in their loss." — The motion was carried in silence, members meanwhild standing. COBBESPONDBNCE. A lengthy article by Mr Geo. C. Backridge on the advisability of forming a co-operative association in New Zealand, with Government support, to control the shipment of our dairy produce and frozen meat, was submitted to the meeting, and was handed to the press for publication. Brieflyput, the writer pointed out that at present the market for New Zealand dairy produce is controlled by the salesmen in London, and the producers most be content with what the salesmen see fit to give them, and that irregularity of shipments and consequent overstocking and shortage of the markets largely influence the prices obtained for produce. If the whole of the produce of New Zealand were under one management these* irregularities would be entirely done away with ; and, further, it would be possible to fix the price at which the produce should be sold if it could only be obtained through one medium. A federation of the cooperative dairy companies in New Zealand, with cool storage and distributing centres in England, at which the produce could be graded, would accomplish this much-to-be-desired object, and would save for the benefit of their shareholders the profits of middlemen and the expensive salaries and travelling allowances of buyers. The frozen meat trade, the writer ' pointed out, was beset with similar conditions, and his idea was that we should hay© cool storage and distributing centres in England, and that the people" who work these stores should be financially interested in placing the produce on the market to its best possible advantage. It could be made compulsory for every' co- ; operative company, or every co-opera-tor, whether of dairy produce or meat

who sends produce through the federated company or who earni wagei in the management, to take up a number of shares proportionate" to the amount put through or the wages earned, and make the payment on shares payable — a small amount on application and allotment, and the' balance to be deducted out of an amount which would be deducted from the price paid for every hundredweight of produce put through in the same way as it is deducted from the price, paid for milk in the dairy factories ; in the case of wage-earners make the deductions from bonuses which would be paid for successful management/ In the concluding portion of the article it was stated that, backed up by the support of the Government it should not be a very difficult matter to get such an undertaking financed, and its establishment will mark a period of a greater revolution for the farmer than did the establishment of co-operative dairying. PINAIfOIAIi. Accounts amounting to £72 were passed for payment. IMPBOVING THE GBOU2TDS. ' Mr M. Henderson, in the course of an interesting speech in which he suggested that some substantial improvements should be made to the grounds, pointed out that in recent years the Club had deviated from thu idea originally laid down — that the grounds should be improved without making any very material alteration in the schedule. He referred to the fact that according to an article in the ' Bruce Herald ' the prize money for the Summer Show this year amounted to £250. The previous year it was <£22b, while in 1900 in was ".£IBO. Year by year, he said, the funds had been given to increasing the prizes, and he thought the time had arrived . when the Club should make the show ground more attractive to the general* public. The Club was helped largely by the public, and it was the duty of the Society to in turn do ~ something' £ or the convenience of itspatrons.— lnformation was supplied by the secretary, in answer to inquiries by Mr Henderson, as to the financial results of past shows, and the matter was then allowed to drop.— At a later stage in the meeting, Mr Henderson returned to the subject and stated that go far the matter had been dealt with in a very perfunctory way. The Club had talked of grand stand, horse boxes, corrugated iron-fences, and other things, yet nothing of a. definite nature had been decided on. Hemoved^-"That the President, Vice-president, Treasurer, Messsrs Allison, Tough, Martin, and the mover be appointed a committee to take the whole question of improving the grounds into consideration, with a T»©"VT to -malting it a thoroughly up-to-date show ground in every respect/ He pointed out that if the financial position of the Club would not admit of all the Committee's suggestions being carried into effect at once, they could at least arrange a definite plan of action, and proceed with the work as circumstances permitted. Mr T. Scott seconded the motion which was carried. - It was understood that the Committee's report will be presented in three months. GENERAL. The Chairman congratulated the Club on the very encouraging results which attended the late show, despite the disagreeable conditions which they were obliged to contend with. He thanked the attending members and stewards for the painstaking manner in which they had carried out their duties. The secretary was authorised to pay out all money in connection with the late show. The secretary was instructed to write thanking Mr Robinson for his liberal donation of £8 towards the prize money, and also to Mr A. Nelson for his gift of bluegum timber. Five new members were proposed* The meeting went into committee to consider the matter of competing in the Bay Competition at the Dunedin Winter Show. A motion was passed agreeing to allow the matter to stand over till : next meeting, pending inquiries being ! made. . . ■