FARMERS' CO-OPERATION.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 26

FARMERS' CO-OPERATION.

MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND, May 28. The Auckland Provincial Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union had an interesting discussion yesterday on co-operation. Mr Flanagan brought forward resolutions' in favour of co-operation among farmers on sound and business-like methods. His first proposal was in the direction of starting a land and estate agency, members of the Farmers'Union to be given a rebate en the. usual rates. His second suggestion was to establish a central co-operative store, each member of the Farmers' Union to be canvassed to take up shares. These proposed undertakings should be run for the benefit of the union members. Some might suggest that this was rather selfish, but be was sure that the best thing they could do was to take a leaf out of the book of the Labour unions, who considered only themselves, and had assumed a strength of something like 50,000 in the Dominion. These co-operative branches should be entirely for the benefit pf the Farmers' Union. Mr MTnnis, in seconding, said this cooperative idea was just the thing to revive the union. ■ Mr Graham suggested a scheme of advances to settlers on the principle of building societies. As an amendment Mr Bell moved in the direction of asking the executive to .establish a -co-operative association, on the line of that in Canterbury. Mr Schmltt (secretary) said the feeling among the branches he had visited favoured some co-operative scheme on the lines suggested. In order to allow members to consider the question of co-operation the -resolutions were withdrawn, and a special committee was set up to draw up a report at the earliest opportunity.