RATES ON STOCK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 11

RATES ON STOCK

AUCTIONEERS' CHARGES PROTEST MEETING AT LEVIN WHAT SALE DAY? Ono of tlio largest and roost "representative meetings of -farmers evor held in .the Horowhenua district- took place at Levin'yesterday, when severalquestions of distriot importance were dealt with. Tho meeting protested against what it regarded as the "high commissions charged by stock auctioneers; decided to request the auctioneers to revert from*, two sales per . week to ono sals, and to hold joint Bales, and expressed the opinion that the salo yards should be concreted. • * '■

When the farmers assembled in . the Town Hall, Mr. J. Kebboll move*] that Mr. C.. Blenkhorn, tho Mayor of Levin, should be asked to t«ikfl the chair. Tho motion was carried, and Mr. Blenkhorn agreed to preside. ' Mr. Blenkhorn said that ho took the chair with a great deal of pleasure, as tho request that ho shouM do so was an indication of the good • feeling existing between' town and country. He/was interested in tho meeting because' the mattors to bo disoussed alteoted the town, as well as tho country. It was common, knowledge that there was a great deal of dissatisfaction concerning tho sale days, and he was of opinion that there would not be satisfaction until the practice of holding" sales on only one day a week was reverted to. He believed the-day tho farmers favoured most for a sale day was 'Wednesday, and' -that was Lev™ s "weekly lialf-holulay. However, bethought that if the present, difficulties were settled the townspeople would be willing to change the half-holiday to Rome other day Ho could liot commit tho peoplo of living but ho thought they were sufficiently alive to their own interests to do that.

' ••Mr. N. Kirkcaltlie then' moved: , "We farmers of. the Manawatu and Korowhenua .districts, consider the present method of 'lidding stock sales in* Levin is absolutely opposed to our "best ,interests, and we will make every' endeavour to induce the three auctioneering firms to hold . their stock sales in joint yards,: and on one day weekly, instead of as fit present, twice weekly." i One Weekly Sale, Wanted, ' Mr: Kirkcaldia said that, all' recognised that two'sales a .week niade.it inconvenient for the farmers, and through the holding of sales, in septate yards, instead of jointly, additional-inconvenience was caused. He thought the farmers ' should combine to use every amicable endeavour to have these matters remedied. Mr. Kay seconded tho, motion. V Mr.. James Mljenvey asked, why the .auctioneers should he requested to sell in joint.,yards. ITo thought that was a matter for the firms themselves.. Mr. Itirkcaldie said the result of the nresent system was that the crowd of .buyers was now divided. ( The greater the concentration the Ijctter for all concerned, ■Mr. ,T. Proiise Tather' agreed with Mr. . ,M'T,eavoy regarding joint yawls. ' Mr. 13. Laws took a similar view.'Further, ho did not think it would he in the interests of the commnnitv to hold the. sales' on (he. weekly half-holidav. Many farmers did their shopping oh sale day. >

The chairman said the idea, as he understood it, was not to hold the sale on a day on which the shops were closed, J hut. to fix the sale'day. and. if necessarv, .to change the half-holiday. . ■ Mr. J. Kebbell said he did not know why Levin should not do the sn'me ns was.done in other nlaces. Under the system of divided sales, all knew that before one firm finished selling in one - yard, another firm had commenced seil- ' mo- in. another. On the suggestion o£ M'\ T'ronse, Hie. motion _ was split no, and the portion advocating one weekly sale, taken first. - ' Joint Selling Advocated, Mr. J. Leydon .said' that under the present system the sales did not finish till i p.m., or so. If joint sales were held, when would a finish be reacted? They would need an extra day. ■ .. The chairman: They could start earlier, i Mi\ Lcyflon: Ttie stock cannot come \ in earlier. < . Mr. Kirkcaldiel I have "seen 40.000 sheep_ and 7000 or .8000 head of cattln sold in Sydney in ono day. and I don't ihink Levin is in danger of getting that number yet'. A show of hands was Halted for oil the motion, and it was declared carried unanimously. Mr. Kay then moved that it should be a recommendation from the meeting that the auctioneering firms take simps' to sell jointlv. Mr. ICav said that, in Chj'istclmrch thev sold 'thousands of sheen jointly, and he did not see why it could not -be done in Levin. . - >• Mr: Kirkcaldic seconded the motion. Mr. Prous'e said he liad watched the 'Addington joint sales, and had como back with the iinnrewion that the best sales ho ever' attended were those at Levin. _ At; Addington tho'i- pneinod (:n be selling from daylight'till dark, end the whofo thing seemed'to he very badlv managed. .■ He 'was not sneaking in tbe interests of any firm, but ho wished to know what was best, and .he suggested that a committee should be set nn to >7»t information on the-subject. Probablv they could get the' auctioneers, to sell to a 'time limit, and to appoint a. stockmaster. .

Mr. Saint said that lie. had had experience of Addingfon. and was convinced that joint sales,were the nropni- systems. Rood" stock ,weri» never sacrificed, and the system.' in f>ot. brought, peoplo to do business exneilitously. Mr. Ailkin: "Tf we don't pw for a joint sale, this meeting is futile." They did not want to set tlio •nnctiniieerir-* 'firms against one another, but to rp(- rTiem to co-operate with one another. Ono needed to go to the big joint sales to see real business done. ' Case of Feilding Mentioned. Mr. Waring-Taylor said that a good many in tho room felt that tho proposal would' entail an injustice on auctioneers, and for that reason ho would not supnort the motion. - Mr. SI. Gorringe said tliat lie was a shareholder, in ono of tho nuctioneeriiiH firms, and was convinced that joint sales would greatlyr benefit that and utile firms. ,He instanced tho case'of Eeilding, whero joint selling had largely benefited tho firing, who liow got buyora from as far away as the Waikato.

'One speaker hojd that; this was really the most vital point; if they did not get co-operation it would be very nnTortunate. Mr. Prouse thought a committee should bo appointed to endeavour to have this change effected. If it were dono through a committee it would be taken step by step, in proper order. ■ ' Mr. Saint; Why this sympathy for the auctioneers. Are they babies? Anthpv not able to look after themselves? They will look after their interests. (.Anolnusc.) Tho motion was carried. The following oommittee was set u» tfl convey tlio wishes of the meeting to' the auctioneers:—Maim- Burlnison. 3|p«rs. .r. TCeljbell, Jf. (.'orr.'ngc, \V. O. Adkiu, P. tnge. Sainh .T. Dunn. C. C!. H imuuon. ■». Bev;ui. W. M. Simcox, E. Uavies, ]•'. Wright, .Tames.M'Leavey, C. Blenkhoni/ and N. Kirkcnldie. The Commission "A Veritable Burden." Mr. M. Gorringo introduced the unbject of "excessive commission." He said there was no doubt the rates charged- by tlio slock auctioneers wero exorbitant: now. Tho rate was the same as the rate charged a few years ago, when the margin of profit for the farmers was much greater than the present margin. Tho only person who was really scoring now was the auctioneer. The auctioneering firms on tho West, Coast of the North Island were charging a higher rate- of commission than was being charged in any other part of. New Zealand. Air. Gorringo moved:— "Tiio rates of commission charged i by the stock auctioneering. firms, ' which wero unduly high beforo tho war'with stock at comparatively low prices, havo now become, with tho muoh-increascd prices of stock,, a

veritable burden to, the formers, and Uio auctioneering firms shall bo requested:, to reconsider.- tho same, with, a view to bringing the charges mora in accovd with. thoso in'other xlistriots."

Mr. Laws seconded tho motion. Ho said ho would be very 'pleased to see tlio auctioneers raise tho commission 2 per cent, higher, because it would bring tho ,faiuuers to their sensed. In (lie Witikaro the Co-operative Auctioneering Company oharged a commission of 3 per cent., and there was a rebate at tho end of tho year. What Co-operafion Has Done. ' Mr. Kirkcaldie load the following letter from ,Mr. H. J. liichards, of Mangaweka: — "I regret that tho plans of our . manager and myself, will not permit of our being present at your meeting on Friday next. The directors of the company have already considered tho question of entering the livo stock business, and favourably view the'proposal-as-soon as'the necessary capital'is subscribed by the farmers of the province. — "With this object our manager and 1 wool auctioneer recently "isitecl Hamilton and conferred with the Farmers' Co-op. Auctioneering Coy., which has, during the short space of , eight years, built up a large and , highly successful concern. The in- I formation .gained from this and other sources, supplemented by sufficient - capital, will place the company in a position to commence operations without delay.' Capital for this purpose' could readily be obtained on the. open market, but-this would defeat tho objcct of our movement, namely, to operate entirely in tho in- i terests of the farmers. "The establishment in . January of next year of tlio Farmers' Co-op. ' Wholesale Federation, Ltd., of is.'/,., embracing the teu genuine Farmers' Co-op. Associations, extending froml, AVhangarei to Gore, will have the cf- , fact of giving an immenso impetus to tho co-operative movement throughout tho Dominion. Our company is one of tho. ten entering the Federation, and its sphere will be the whole of' the Wellington Province. , ; "With regard to the prospect of success in this new department of tho company's' business, we have no . misgivings. The present rate of commission (V per cent.) oharged by the * Existing companies in the province, is by tar the highest in the Domin- • iom .The Hamilton Association have reduced this Tate by a 20 per cent, rebate, equalling 31 percent, net; while - tho New- Zealand Farmers' Co-op. Association in Canterbury have fori ® years past been working on a-2} pfcr' cent, basis, and have been rebating 30 per cent.—-1} per cent, nbt, and « wo are assured that the trade is proeven at this rate, "It is obvious, therefore, jthat the difference between i per cent, net and'lj per cent, net can but convince us that huge profits are being made by tho firms'-operating locally. "When the price of stock was 300 per cent., or even 400 per ccnt. less than it is at the present time, 4 : per oent. was a payable rate, and even allowing for increase of wages, yards, ctc.', what must it be to-day when four' times the commission is earned without extra labour? 1 ' Mr. Gorringe's motion was carried unanimously. • ' ■ v Saleyards and Concrete. 'Mr.- Saint raised another matter. He expressed the, opinion: that all stock pens at saleyards should be concreted, and hp moved accordingly. Mr. Ivii'kcaldie seconded, and said that the whole saleyards should bo done. On salo days they had to walk over their boot-tops in- mud.. . The meeting decided to express tho opinion that the whole of the yards should be concreted. ' . Mr. Blenkhorn was thanked for presiding; and before the gathering dispersed, Mr. Kirkcaldie said that he believed it was the very best meeting of farmers ever held in the Horowhenua district, and he believed that if they followed up the matters .dealt with they would accomplish something..