DAIRY PRODUCE AND ITS PRICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9324, 29 March 1889, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE AND ITS PRICE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Your article on this subject has attracted my attention, and in reference to the (Jrocers' Association regulating how much the farmer shall receive for the production of this article, I observe the writer is inclined to doubt the ability or'the will of the committee of the Grocers' Association to act in a businesslike or honest manner. I consider the position the poor farmer is in a most unsafe one. If the purchaser of his product is to estimate what he would like to give him for it, and such a state of things is so detrimental to the farmers' interest that the sooner relief comes to the farmers'aid the better. It cannot be doubted that if the fanner can live and do well we can all do well, and if the farmer cannot live and do well we must all suffer. The mere fact of allowing a small number of people, i.e., grocers, to exercise a power whereby they can so regulate the price of farmers' produce that a very considerable profit can accrue to them, to the sacrifice of the farmer, and injury to the colony generally, is a state of things beyond all reason, and must be altered, or we cannot hope that settlers will be induced to take up land, &c. A Farmers' Co-operative Protection Society 13 what is wanted, but the farmers will not co-operate, and where the effort has been made to conduct a Farmers' Co-operative Society unfortunately the merchants got in and by sharp business practice contrived to work antagonistically to the farmers' interest and into the hands of themselves. The time of relief, however, is close at hand, when the farmers of the North and South Island will have an opportunity of getting a fair market and a full price for all they produce. That market, lam glad to say, is not in New Zealand but in the adjoining colonies and the home market. An Australian company, with a capital of £2,000,000, a large proportion of which is English capital, has started, and within a comparatively short time will conduct its operations throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand, recognising our colony as chief in the Australasian group for the production of dairy produce and grain. The company will a£ once relieve the producer, ignoring Mi'. " Grocers' Association," and, by a system of cooperation, give to the farmer an opportunity of securing outside of New Zealand a market with full protection to his interest. Meantime, since there is so much talk about farmers producing an inferior article in butter and other produce, let all producers make a study of the matter, so that our good name may be recovered (I am constrained to use the word), and a name secured for all Isew Zealand products.—l am, &c., ' Life.