CO-OPERATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2743, 9 July 1883, Page 3

CO-OPERATION.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE TIMABTT HBBALD. Sib,—" Farmer "m hia letter, dated 20th nit,, made the statement that all country produce going through the town muat necessarily conduce towards the benefit of the town and its inhabitant-). Not being of a bellicose tarn of mind, I let this pass. Again, m his epißtle of July 3rd, he venturea to ask leave of yon to build upon that Btatement as a foundation. Now, before he or any man can build, he must necessarily have a sound foundation for bis work to be of any substantial, permanent good. Now, Sir, let " Farmer " place hinnolf m Messrs Miles, Archer, and Oo.'s stores, those of the National Mortgage and Agenoy Company, of Mr W. Evans', or m any small grocer's itore m town. If every farmer, station owner or otherwiie, were to take and receive their goods exclusively from the Co-operative, leaving him m the cold, how would he manage to fay store rent, labor, &c ? His ideas might av6 done for the primeval days of man. For instance, Adam, I hare no doubt, out all

the straw or tussock for his own houeo, cut the wood for sides, got his own cluy f.>r the flo r, and mado his fingers do for knifu end fork, &c. But now wo have como t a period of civilisation m a great many respects. If a building i« lo bo erected tender* are called, iron is wauled fron. a lmrdwure shop, timber from a merchant, and all other necessaries from the, different tradesmen, who will supply your wants with the best goods and at the cheapest rates. In all countries, are tho towns supported, and not m supporting one firm alone, but those who will supply tho best nrtiole and at the cheapest rate to consumers. " Farmer" Btates that if tbo harbor was granted free to vessels it would ciuse a groat etimu'ant to the- dulness of the town. Now, I say to " Farmer," if ho has not read Major Atkinson's Finnnoial Stateroont, wherein our lands aro to get id per £ Property Tax, if ho does not live m a Eoad district wherein ho got the pleasure of paying Jd m the pound, if he has not seen the likelihood of paying another id m tho pound to County Council, if ho ha§ not given all this taiation duo oneiderntion, I must inform you I have, and don't want a harbor tax unless it is actually unavoidable. If Timaru is placed on tho same footing B 9 other eetabli.-hei harbors, it ought to bo gcod enough. Ho states a free harbor would remedy tho dulness of things, but it would ho just another tax for tho poor cockatoo. His view is only superficial. Town and country are neee'sirily co-exist'nf, and there aro a gront many events tbat occur to depress the Innd, which iiimediatply starves the town. Ovcr-epeeululiin m land cause fnilu'cs, failurc'ciuee insecurity, and consequently a great withdrawnl of money from landed investment. But our present gloomy prospect ib not far to bo sought. There are thousands of bushels of splendid wheat rsnr'ered only fit for pig feed, and thou»andß ucthreshtd that will leave but very small profit to " Farmer,'' should he tail it Home. Now, all this means untold wealth lost to our district, both m tho employment of labor and m goods that would havo been bought and investments that woold have been made, and how Iho Harbor can remedy this I foil to see. " When the salt has lost its savor wherein lies the virtuo?" And likewise sprouted wheat. It is only a case of looking on the bright side of nature — doing ono's best and trusting to something turning up ti benefit all classes, and throw a litte sunshine upon tho dim halo that ia now encircling m. In this subject of co-operation, it was not my wish to state anything that is not concurrent with tho law of reason, and as people often reason differently, the paper is only the discusser, and an enlightened people aro the judges, and it is only fair that this subject, like all others, should be mado to bear the test, and I lcavo it fro tempus gui profit omnium res. I am, eto , William JonNsoy Newton.