THE RESULTS OP COOPERATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 14

THE RESULTS OP COOPERATION.

ITS WORKING IN EUROPE.

(Froh Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March 10

Mr Edward Newman (Wellington), who is accompanied by his wife and daughter, is one of the moot recent arrivals in London from Now Zealand. They travelled from Australia as far as Genoa by one of the North German Lloyd steamers, landing at the Italian port in the middle of January. Some weeks were spent touring on the Continent — Italy, Switzerland, and France having been visited before London was reached: Mr Newman's present visit is one of business and pleasure combined. During the homeward voyage he was unfortunate in experiencing an attack of influenza, but I am glad to be able "to say that he has now auite shaken off its ill effects.

Being very much interested in the New Zealand Farmers' Union, and having acted as parliamentary agent for that body only last year in the New Zealand Parliament, Mr Newman very naturally made various inquiries into the matter of co-operation as it exists in the various Continental countries he visited. Although the time at hte disposal was brief, he managed to glean a good many hints and ideas regarding the working of this method, especially during his • stay in France. Mr Newman hopes before very long to go again to France, taking with him special letters of introduction to the Minister of Agriculture, and in that way to be able to inquire more fully into a question which is on© of such great interest and importance to farmers in New Zealand, to whom without doubt the information that he gains will be of considerable use and value. Mr Newman seems to have been very much struck by the extent to which cooperation is in vogue on the Continent in matters connected with farming — in fact, the principle of co-operation is utilised in many more respects on the Continent than it is in New Zealand.

" For instance, take the matter of eggs," said Mr Newman. " The individual producer of- eggs, whether he be in business on a large or on a small scale, would never dream of taking his own few dozens of eggs to the market and selling them at the rate, say, of 8d or 9d per dozen. No ; the eggs from all the producers in the neighbourhood are collected, specially sorted and graded according to size, and then sent to London or some other big centre all together, with the result that better allround prices are obtained by everyone concerned in the transaction. And so far as I could tell from my brief stay there, the same principle seems to apply to many things in France." Wherever he went he found that strong co-operative combinations were in existence. In France alone he learned that there were no fewer than 2500 co-onerative societies established. whose members aggregated about 600,000 people, both men and women, and the purchases made by these societies in France in 1893 represented no less a sum than £8,000,000. These societies have combined to buy agricultural necessaries and to sell produce, and as a result, of course, of this co-operation the small farmers are enabled to buy at the same price as the large consumers, and moreover, they are able to buy cheaper because they can make their purchases in bulk instead of buying merely in small quantities. In Germany, too, Mr Newman has been informed that there are over 1000 farmers' societies, and these buy in large quantities all requisites necessary to farmers — tools, fertilisers, and implements of all descriptions, also seeds, etc. They also sell the produce of rhe farmers, and as this is done on a large scale vastly more profitable prices are obtained. In Germany the system of co-operation is carried on on a scale of great magnitude, while in the same country there is a system of co-operative banks, which make advances to farmers on what is practically personal security — the principle being that all members of the banks are responsible for the repayment of the money. Further, as the result of combination, Mr Newman found that the farmers of France were represented by a party in the French Parliament, and he expresses the hope that some day the interests of the farmers of New Zealand may be similarly watched over by a party in the House of Repre : spntatives, especially as at the present time the New Zealand Farmers' Union numbers a total membership of somewhere about 20,000 persons, who thus form a very important proportion of the colony's voting population. Mr Newman was greatly interested to find that the combined farmers in France have their own friendly societies, which help their members in case of sickness or any other misfortune ; these societies also supply medical aid to suffering members; they care for children whose parents may have died, and they even have a system of old-age pensions ; and the pleasing and surprising point of all this ia that all is done, without the assistance of any thine ia.

(he way of State aid. In France, too, these combined bodies, are deeply interested in matters concerning agricultural education ; they publish reports on subjects of special interest and importance to farmers ; they employ lecturers to go about the country delivering lectures and instructing the people of the rural districts on matters concerning the science of agriculture, its latest developments, and numerous other points of importance. But still that is not all, for they have their own analysts, who analyse the soil and advise the workers what fertilisers should be used in order to yield the best results. They have their boards of arbitration, and their labour officers as well, and a great institution is tho system of clubhouses which has been established. In the different market towns there are clubhouses for farmers, which are available for the use of the farmers and their wives when they go into the towns to attend sales, and which are used also for social meetings. One very satisfactory feature of these institutions is that both the large and the small farmers mingle freely together, and join in general converse, with the result that a friendly feeling exists, and is encouraged to extend among all classes of the cultivators of the land — a state of things which, naturally, is very desirable in every respect. Mutual fire insurance has also been tried in France, with the result of getting much better terms with the existing companies, as the system meant combining the risks ; but Mr Newman hopes to find out more on this point when he goes to France again, as the time at his disposal was tco limited to enable him to pursue full inquiry on the matter. Mr Newman cor.kl not help being struck by .he fact that all this co-operation abroad and the work of all these organised bodies of farmers is carried on entirely without State aid. This of course means that self-r-c^.iance and "independence are developed among tl'e people, and the opinion is ex-pT-p^sed that tho example set in this respect might well be followed by the people of New Zealand. Aftr.r havine: visited the various countries, Mr Newman is satisfied that no land tenuie but the freehold will satisfy farmers for ■i'iy length of time, and he says emiihatically rhat under no system of lease — either perpetual or e+ernal — will the land be brought up to the high standard of cultivation that it lias attained in France and the other fertile portions of the- countries which he has niontinned. Before returning to New Zealand Mr Newman hopes to ero to Denmark, as he is looking forward" with much interest to visitingf for himself what may b© regard-ed as the " home of co-operation," so far as farming is concerned, for that country has revolutionised the dairy industry as well as other matters connected with the farmine industry. ' I may remark, in conclusion, that these investistatiens which Mr Newman has set himself to make, are being undertaken pimply because- he takes keen interest in the New Zealand Farmers' Union and all that pertains to it, and he thinks that, perhaps, some of the people in the colony, as was the casj with himself, will be surprised to Jearn 1o what great extent the svstern of co-operation exists in Europe. His inquiries am not being made- in any sense in an " official " capacity. Mr and Mr=i Newman will leave town early next week for Scotland, returning to London later. They e-KOF-ct to remain for some months in the Old Country.