The Hawera Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1924. CO-OPERATTON.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 October 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1924. CO-OPERATTON.

Dalivcred e-cry evening by S o'clock lo Bawei*. Manaia. N«rinanby Okaiawa, Eltbam, Patets, Waverley, Mokoia, Wbakamara, Ohangai, . Meretaero. Frexet Uoad. and Otakeuo Manutahi. Alton, Hurleyville, ttangatoki. Kaponga, Awatuna. Opunake,

Can New /Zealand’ s primary industries be still further organised with benefit to the Dominion? In manufacturing industries it appears to be much easier to organise production and distribution than is the ease in the primary industries, and in the O'ld World organisation of manufacture has reached a high standard. During the last two or three years efforts have been made in New Zealand to organise the primary industries more completely, and though the movement may be regarded a:s only in its infancy, we believe that benefits have already been gained, and as time passes it is to be hoped that organisation will be developed to a higher standard, and that the whole country will be the gainer. We suppose that two of the chief needs in New Zealand are greater production for export and closer settlement. Our beautiful islands are richly endowed by Nature and are destined to carry a very much larger population than they carry a,t the present time. But as population grows, national responsibility increases and, dependent as the Dominion must be upon the land and the primai’y industries, we think that the producer has a prior claim to attention. When one bears in mind that this is a young country, it must be admitted that it has made remarkably good progress. The early settlers paved the way by determined effort against great odds for those who were to come after them, and the people of this generation arC in consequence reaping a better harvest than would have been the case if their predecessors had taken life more easily and not done their best. The duty of citizens to-day is surely to look ahead and to do their part in building for the future, and we believe that the efforts being made in the direction of organising the primary industries and in trying to improve the methods of marketing are along right lines. In reading the history of primary producing industries in Old World countries one finds that depression has from time to time fallen upon producers, and it is in such periods that producers find it necessary to overhaul methods existing in the industries in which they are engaged. One great principle appears to underlie the remedies which they have found it necessary to apply —co-operation. In New Zealand producers have made some progress in co-operation, but we think that there is much that remains to be done. Co-operation is a plant of slow growth, prcoably because of a certain ethical quality in it. rather transcending ordinary. notions of business aims. Naturally co-operative schemes are regarded by some people somewhat suspiciously, but if they will give careful thought to the real meaning of cooperation they will, we think, see that it is the foundation of the greatest success. Any large business to be successful must be so organised that the various factors governing its operations must co-operate. Perhaps the greatest problem the Allies had to solve in the war was that of finding the means of complete co-operation. And is it not so with primary production? As farmers know, it is not sufficient to secure a large output from the land, have it made ready for export and then leave it to take its chance. The farm, , the herds, the factory (or freezing works), the ship, and the market are all essential to the dairying industry and the meat industry, and until all five factors can be brought into dose co-operation we do not think that the producers will receive their full reward. It is not for us to say what are the best methods to follow, nor is it suggested that there should be any slavish imitation of methods which other countries have adopted. Their methods may not be suitable for New Zealand’s industries, but we do say that a study of what has taken place and is taking place in other countries can scarcely fail to bring, benefits, if only in the shape of warnings. The producers in New Zealand have to work out their own plans and that task should be the easier when they have in power a Government sympathetic towards the farmers and willing to assist them bv

legislation ivhere required. Some time ago an American Commission reporting on agriculture stated that in Europe producers had succeeded best where they had helped themselves and where the Governments had lestricted their activities to helping farmers to help themselves. We think that the less Government controls industry the better, but that does not menu that Government and producers should not enquire into and seek to device suitable methods of still better agricultural organisation for the welfare of the Dominion as a whole. The purpose of such efforts should be not to dragoon, but to lead, individual primary enterprise into the path of a stable and assured prosperity in which all would share.