A GREAT ENTERPRISE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9639, 20 April 1917, Page 6

A GREAT ENTERPRISE

CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES’ FEDERATION FARMERS OF DOMINION JOIN THEIR FORCES. A project having great potentialities has been launched at Wellington. This is a Farmers’ Co-operative Wholesale Federation, Ltd. A conference which met in the city, representing the various farmers’ co-operative societies throughout the Dominion, arrived at certain decisions. It was decided to register tho company immediately. The nominal capital of the company is fixed for the present at £IOO,OOO, while the aggregate nominal capital of the subscribing associations is nearly £3,000,000. , , ... It is not the idea of the controlling hoards of the several associations forming tho scheme that the federation itself should embark upon ventures involving large capital responsibilities, hut rather that it should become tho' medium of inauguration. Tho federation is confined to genuine farmers’ co-operative associations and companies in which the majority of their members are farmers actually engaged, directly or in any subsidiary branch of farming, or in any industry allied thereto. It was undertaken that young and struggling associations and companies will be placed upon a commercial equality with tho larger concerns in all their dealings through' the new organisation. The federation Tmard is composed of directors representing the •several associations. The control of affairs and the direction of the scheme’s policy is vested inrthat body. The associations that have joined the federation represent 25,100 shareholders. ....

The memorandum of association gives a very wide scope to the operations in which the federation may engage itself. It has. however, been decided to confine its initial work to such activities as will most effectively assist shareholder associations and companies in their major operations, both in regard to imports and exports. It will also endeavour to collect commercial data of all kinds concerning British and other markets, and- secure and manage Dominion. British, and foreign agencies of lines that are of interest to tho various associations. In short, it is the promoters that the federation will enable cooperators to secure to themselves the fullest benefits through a very comprehensive system of concerted action. The promoters of tho scheme were the following co-operative societies: — North Island.—North Auckland Farmere’ Co-operative, Limited, Whangarei; A. Holmes, manager. Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Hamilton; J. Barugh, H. S. Hawkins, directors; A. C. Bushell, manager. Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Limited', Napier; Arch. 'McLean, director-; Geo. Kelly, manager. The N.Z. Farmers’ Co-operative Distributing Company, Wellington ; Sir James Wilson, director; A. Leigh Hunt, manager. The Farmers’ Co-ope-rative Organisation Society, Limited, Hawera; A. Hunter, director; J. Lynskey, manager. South Island.—The Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Limited, Invercargill; Hugh Smith, chairman. The Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Assooiation, Dunedin; Wm. “Kirkland, director; Andrew Todd, manager. The Canterbury Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Limited. Timaru; John (Talbot and John Anstey. M.P., directors; J. I. Newman, manager. The New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative ‘ Association. Limited, Christchurch; J. A. Pannett, director; E. W. Relph, manager.