EGG CIRCLE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12285, 11 July 1914, Page 2

EGG CIRCLE.

WHAT CANADA IS DOIXG. Tin- co-operative egg circle movement i U making rapid headway in Prince Edward Island. Canada. SiiV'i- tile be- j ginning of the spring of lfH3 no J' ; ss than 13 egg-soiling associations have ! been formed with an aggregate membership of over 500. The movement in Canada is in charge of the staff of the Department of Agriculture of the province of Ontario, and in January. 1913. there existed nine circles in that province. One of the two originators was last spring employed by the Dominion Department of Agriculture, live stock branch, to inaugurate the system in. Prince Edward Island, which has been noted in Canada as a source of egg supply, producing from 3,500,000 to •1.000.000 dozen each year. In organising an egg circle the Dominion expert goes into a community and arranges a public meeting, at whica the proposition is laid before the local fanners. If the decision of the meeting is favorable, ballots are cast immediately for the board of seven directors: aiid these in turn select a president, a vice-president, and a secretary, with sometimes an executive committee of three members. The directors employ a competent manager or collector, and shipper of eggs; and this manager is not permitted to be one of the directorate, as Jiis presence would prevent free discussion and criticism of his work and conduct.

Eacli member of the circle pays a membership fee of Is 3d, with a subsequent annual fee of Is Oid. In- return he receives a- specially-made, rubber stamp and pad, which remain the property of the association, and can be called in if abused. This stamp does not show the date of collection, but simply the registered numbers of the egg circle, and the individual member, rims fixing the origin of the egg. The member is' pledged not to turn over to the business manager any eggs more than one week old; and'he stamps llis eggs on the day they are to be collected by the manager. The member is also under obligation to gather his eggs twice a day in warm weather; and life is provided with a seit of simple rules, framed by the Dominion authorities, as' to keeping the eggs cool and unexposed, until their removal by the manager collector. It is the duty of the manager to attend twice a week in warm weather and once a week in coal weather to the collection and forwarding of his circle's eggs. He is remunerated by a bonus or commission, which is usually fixed at 1 cent per dozen during spring and summer and 2 cents per dozen during the remainder of the year. The wagon utilised in collecting the eggs must be covered. In at least three instances on Prince Edward Island local storekeepers have decided to associate themselves witli the co-operative movement rather than seek to combat it, and have been appointed managers of their respective organisation. . The managers are in all cases required +o submit weekly reports as to the dates and quantities of their shipments, the prices received, grades noted, etc. All the shipments from inland egg circles have thus far been pre-empted by a .single wholesale firm in Montreal, but a number of other firms in Montreal are handling co-operative eggs from Ontario, so that the movement docs not depend upon the city produce house. The eggs of the' Ontario circles are candled by the managers of each association before shipment, - but the island circles have thus far committed the candling and grading to their Montreal connection, checked up occasionally by Dominion agencies. While ordinary eggs shipped by individual farmers in I'rincc Edward Island have ."n observed instances averaged 5 per cent, unlit for human consumption, the circle eggs have proved almost entiro'y usable and with a high percentage of the choicest grades.