CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 1

CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING

ADDRESS AT LAWRENCE Mr J. E. Strachan, M.A., B.Sc., principal of the Rangiora High School, who is on a visit to Lawrence, and who recently toured the United States of America and Canada, gave an address in the Lawrence Town Hall on Saturday evening to the memi.ers of the local Farmers’ Union, chiefly on the subject of ‘Co-operative Marketing.’ “Since the industrial revolution,” remarked Mr Strachan, “ Western civilisation has developed a. dominant phase, characterised by three things: (a) A powerful application of scientific knowledge to the project of rapidly exploiting the resources of Nature; (b) large-scale business organisation controlling massed capital and labor resources; (c) preparation for_ war. Behind all lies the characteristic philosophy of Western civilisation—instrumentalism. The chess player has the same, philosophy. No country in the world understands-the rules of the game.,better than America. Consequently no country in the world has been more successful. According to Western standards'of value America to-day is the most prosperous nation 'on earth. Nevertheless, her most farseeing economists are not quite happy about it. They point to an economic mal-adjustment in the life of the nation that may lead to loss of economic independence The farmer is not sharing in the general prosperity, and is not getting a just proportion of the national income. He has been slower to learn the rules of the game, and he is being left behind. The important thing for America is that if the farmer .does not keep up the pace set by organised industry the whole economic machine will get out of gear, and the era of prosperity will be at an end. To change the figure the farmers’ strategic position is unassailable, but his tactics have been had. With the object of restoring a just, balance between land workers and other better organised industrial groups economists arc preaching the doctrine of co-operative marketing of farm products. Marked success lias already been demonstrated in many, farmer-controlled co-ojierative marketing organisations. Standards arc raised, risks are spread, costs arc cut, and service expedited and improved. Moreover, the producer retains a financial interest in his product along the chain of marketing services. The ultimate prices to consumers are not increased —they may in fact be lowered—but the producer gets a bigger share, and is consequently better off.” Specific details of the operations of the Canadian Wheat Producers’, Ltd., were given to show how operation costs had been cut. 'the speaker intimated that the .Canterbury Progress League would shortly be releasing a full report on eo-operative junketing.