CO-OPERATION

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16216, 20 May 1918, Page 3

CO-OPERATION

ADDRESS BY MR H. D. ACLAXD

Mr H. D. Acland addressed a meeting of farmers in the Ashburton A. and P. Association's rooms 011 fc'aturduy atternoon, on the question of ' Agricultural Co-operation." Mr A. J. Grigg presided over a fair attendance.

Mr Aclancl commenced by remarking that there was a great tendency at the present time towards co-operation. The* railways were a monopoly in the bauds of the' State, whilst all shipping that counted in tiiis country was entirely in the hands of the P. and O. Company, which had a complete monopoly. Farmers in New Zealand wore confronted with labour attempting to form a trust for all liibour outside Hie towns into one big union. Whatever 'the intention of tho founders of theso combinations were, whether capival or labour, their etfect was universally the samo in all countries, namely "predatory/' Tho Miners' Federation in New Zealand tended in the same direction. The main problems in modern times were economic, and not, politic. Tho farmers were concerned in three things, namely—manufacturing, business, and living. Agricultural cooperation dealt with the business side. On the one hand they had vast combinations of capital in the form of banks, supply stores, shops, stock and station lirms, and labour trusts, and on the other the organised farmer. Agricultural co-operation aspired to a co-oper-ative state, which consisted of a free association of men properly organised. The object of co-oporation was not so much business as common service. There were certain fundamental rules, such, as one man one vote, fixod interj est on share capital, profit divided according to patronage, reserve fund, unlimited membership. , The farmers should co-oporate in all their undertakings; and make capital their servant, hired for a fixed wage. Shipping and freezing companies should bo on tap, not on top. They were all aware that immense profits had been made from shipping and freezing. The meat trust methods were to get a monopoly, and then squeeze. To-day farmers received for their potatoes about one-half what the consumers had to pay. Any saleyard in Canterbury showed a vast crowd of middlemen, most of whom could to eliminated. A little organisation in drafting and grading farmers' lines into a few lots before sale in the yards would greatly benefit tho j farmer. Co-operative selling and buy- | ing would give to the small man all the advantages of the big .man, without cost. At the beginning of tho war there were certain phosphate doposits in the islands in which Germany was interested. These the New Zea'and Government had allowed a British shipowner to acquire, instead of the farmers of New Zealand, and as a result tho farmers here would have to pay tribute for many years to como to the capitalist. Tho' Government assisted the capitalist at the expense of cooperative dairy companies. They had an instance of this in regard to thp freight on croam, which was mentioned at a recent meeting of the Fnrmere' Union. Lack of organisation showed how the Government treated the man on the land. Apart from dairying, very little had been done in the way of co-operation. The Co-op. in Canterbury were joint stocky companies, and until*they altered > their constitutions, limited their dividends, and distributed all profits to patrons, they could not bo considered genuinely .cooperative. At the same time they had done an immense amount of good, and time and again had prevented combinations against farmers. By proper organisation the producer and consumer in New Zealand could be brought closer together, the profits of the individual producer increased, and the cost of living diminished. At the close of the address Mr John Grigg remarked that they must all agree with Mr Acland that if the farmers did not wake up they would find themselves in a much worse position than they were at present. As soon as the war was oTer. the fanners would have to shoulder the extra freights. The farmers would have to co-operate to protect themselves, and they would have to combine from one end of New Zealand to tho other. After replying to questions, Mr Acland was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.