CO-OPERATIVE BUYING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 3 June 1938, Page 14

CO-OPERATIVE BUYING

ADVOCATED BY FARMERS “DEFYING THE MERCHANTS” (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH. June 2. Co-operative buying for farmers was favoured at the' North Canterbury Provincial Conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. The incoming executive was instructed to undertake 'the formation of a co-operative purchasing society or to adopt some other means of securing financial benefits for financial members of the union. This was the unanimous decision of members. Quoting the successful co-operative schemes already in operation in other parts of the world and the satisfactory experiments conducted on a minor scale in New Zealand, two remits were before the conference. The Waimairi Branch asked for a co-operative purchasing society or some similar system, and the Kaiapoi Branch sought the fullest information on the possibility of obtaining the benefits of bulk purchase or trade discounts for the Farmers’ Union members. The vice-president (Mr J. W. U. Hall) said co-operative buying had been in operation in England and Scandinavia for some time, and also in the United States and some parts of Australia. He gave details of an organisation in Western Australia in which 6900 members each had a small interest. In one big co-operative concern, bonuses were paid to members, Mr Hall said. He did not think a New Zealand scheme should be carried out by the Farmers’ Union. Rather it should be under the union’s patronage. Mr A. M. Carpenter, of Fernside, said the scheme offered great possibilities. Mr H. Fisher, of Culverden. said tha( only the backing of the union was necessary to make a success of the plan. The farmers could then defy the merchants.

The Kaiapoi remit was withdrawn and the Waimairi remit was carried unanimously.