Farm Co-operatives’ Course At Lincoln

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31061, 17 May 1966, Page 20

Farm Co-operatives’ Course At Lincoln

On Saturday morning 25 staff members of farmers’ cooperative organisations from Whangarei to Dunedin began to leave Lincoln College after attending the first course of its kind held on a national level. The course was organised by the Farmers’ Cooperative Wholesale Federation (N.Z.), Ltd., which is the federation of New Zealand farmers’ co-operatives. Eight out of 10 farmers’ co-opera-tives were represented. The course was for senior staff at the management level, and included auctioneers, wool managers, merchandise managers and assistant managers, and land department personnel. All have a common interest in agriculture, and the objective of the course was to widen their knowledge in management and farming techniques so that ultimately they may serve their clients better.

The members of the course heard lectures on land selling, financing the farm, salesmanship, staff control and merchandise management. Use was made of college lectures, including Professor A. E. Henderson and Associate Professor J. W. McLean. A specialist in salesmanship, Mr F. A. Tomlinson, came from Wellington to talk to the group. There were two sesions on farm finance, the speakers being Mr J. M. Crawford, of the Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association Timaru, and Mr A. R. Hutton, of Hawke’s Bay Farmers’, of Hasting. “The needs of fanners in the financing field were fully discussed in line with current conditions,” said Mr Crawford, commenting on these sessions. Mr A. L. Gadsby, of the New Zealand Farmers’ Cooperative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., spoke about personnel management, and a notable contribution was made by the managing director of the Fanners' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Ltd., of Hamilton, Mr J. R. Beckett, who discussed the functions

and role of the stock firms in New Zealand agriculture. The programme included three sessions in the field, including two farm management studies on college farms organised by Professor J. D. Stewart and a session on the appraisal of stud stock.

The interest of the management of the co-operatives in the venture demonstrated by the presence during the final day of Messrs R. H. Clark, general manager of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Christchurch, A. B. Struthers, general manager of the Canterbury Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Timaru, R. C. Goldie, general manager of the Farmers’ Cooperative Wholesale Federation and A. Talbot, M. Don, and A. G. O. Johnston, directors of the Canterbury Farmers’ Co-operative Association.

Mr K. C. Stuart, of Hawke’s Bay Farmers', who is well known in Christchurch, presided at the concluding function of the course. Mr H. L. A. Morley, of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Christchurch, was chosen from the 25 course members to act as liaison officer between the course and the college. The college proved to be a most suitable venue for the course, and its director (Dr. M. M. Burns) officially opened the proceedings. The course is likely to become an annual event. The next may be held in the North Island.