THE PIG INDUSTRY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXVI, Issue 1364, 5 January 1900, Page 2

THE PIG INDUSTRY.

We notice from the Examiner that a public meeting was recently held at Woodville to lay before the settlers particulars of the formation and prospects of the North Tsland Co-operative Bacon Company. The Mayor occupied the chair and called on Mr Carl Ander son, chairman of the Manawatu Cooperative Bacon Company, who explained that some six months ago they had started a bacon-curing company. They had felt the need of such a company for many years. It had been very slow to take shape, the settlers being afraid of companies. Co-operation, he said, was the spirit of the age, and the sooner settlers realised that fact to the fullest extent the better it would be for the country. When they had one common interest | at heart, they could not but have success. They started the company in Palmerston in the interests of the community, not of a few individuals. Then Fielding started a company, and they had two powerful co-operative concerns side by side. Neither cared to give way to the other, and to make matters worse the Christchurch Meat Company started on the other side. Now, however, all the preliminaries had. been, arranged, and it was a good thing to find that all three were amalgamated. In Palraerston 340 shares had been subscribed for in the Manawatu Company, in Peilding a like number, and in spite of the Christchurch Meat Company they had got shareholders on the tVoodville side of the range. The shareholders in the Manawatu Company did not regret when the Christchurch Meat Company had made overtures fcr amalgamation. They had the receipts for curing and I the shareholders have the pigs. He ■ wanted the farmers there to become interested. The Co-operative Company are bound to cure no less than 5000 pigs per annum. A coroperative company was not intended to make money for any particular set but for vthe people. They have the monopoly for ; this Island for the Morepork cure. With regard to a guarantee for the pigs, it was quite impossible to say how much they would give, but the people could rest assured that they would get everything there was in the concern. The interests on capital subscribed was fixsd: at 6, per cent. This he considered better than they could possibly get in any other concern. The more money the farmer had the better the district would fare. Someone had said that it was a Jew's monopoly. If the concern was a .monopoly at all, ifctwas a monopoly of the people, , and the sooner all the farmers joined in and became monopolists the better. With regard to the Morepork cure, he could assure them

that it was tne finest- method ever known. Mr Anderson, the representative of the Christchurch Meat Ooy. k , assured him that the Morepork bacon ■ would sell over every other. All they wanted was pigs. He urged every business man, even though be did not rear pigs,l to take up shares in >. the concern, as it would be to his interest to do so. In reply to questions Mr Anderson said he thought, the amount to be called up would J.e about, 10 8 a share ; possibly 2s 6d would be, .called up on application, ,2s on allotmenVand 5s on application. It was absolutely "necessary that the pigs should be alive for their process. Possibly depots would be established in different parts of the district, to which farmers would drive their pigs after the company's buyer had been round the district and selected them. At the close of the meeting a considerable number of shares were applied for.