THE BAG QUESTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1029, 2 April 1884, Page 3

THE BAG QUESTION.

The public meeting of farmers and others interested in the bag question, held at the close of the Waitahuna Farmers' Club meeting last Saturday evening, was well attended, about fifty persons being present. Mr Thompson (Vice-President of the Club), who was requested to preside, briefly explained the object of the mseting, and called upon Mr R. Craig (one of the delegates appointed to attend the conference held lately in Dunedin re the bag question) to explain the nature of the business transacted at the conference.

Mr Craig said that, in company with Mr John Cowan, he had attended the first conference of delegates representing the southern districts held at Milton. Unfortunately, owing to several of the delegates mistaking the hour, the meetmg was poorly attended, and in consequence very little business was done. The Secretary of the Milton Farmers' Club read a circular inviting delegates from aU parts of the district to meet in Dunedin. A resolution was moved by the representative from Tapauui and agreed to — that the farmers hold out re the bag question, and that, in future, all grain be sold for cash, to be paid within fourteen days. The speaker said that, in conjunction with the other delegates, he attended the conference held lately in Dunedin. A preliminary meeting of delegates from the southern districts was held prior to the arrival of the northern delegates (which was not till 2,15 p.m.), when the course to be followed was agreed to. Unfortunately one of the delegates representing Palmers ton (a Mr M'Gregor) moved a proposition that farmers only lose Id on the sale of the grain-bags. This motion was rather premature ; besides the meeting was represented too largely by merchants and corn-dealers, who discussed and voted when a question arose, the utfahot being that nothing definite was done when the meeting dispersed. He (the speaker) felt greatly disappointed at the turn things had taken : instead of having two hours to discuss such an important question, they should at least have taken a couple of days. Mr Walter Miller (who was also a delegate) said that he had mistaken the hour of meeting at Milton. The principal meeting, however, was held in Dunedin, and was very largely attended by influential business-men. He had the honor of occupying the chair at the meeting, and considered it better to allow the business to be conducted in a conversational way. A few of the delegates had met prior to this and arranged. a line of action. He tried to impress upon the delegates the desirability of acting as discreetly as possible — to state their grievance without indulging in personalities — and by fair means endeavor to get redress. To discuss the matter fairly and calmly, he considered was the better plan. He put the matter plainly before die merchants and asked them to retrace their steps, which had the effect of causing them to give their reasons for the resolution they had arrived" at in regard to the bag question. Everything was going on as smoothly as the delegates could have desired until Mr M'Gregor proposed a resolution, which instantly created dissension, through beirg injudiciously handled and brought forward at too early a stage. He (Mr Miller) would like to have heard and met the arguments of the merchants and grain-buyers before making a stand, and, if possible, to have settled the business amicably. The resolution passed was adverse to the wishes of the delegates, but had a resolution of a different nature been carried, the merchants in all probability would not have accepted it. Mr McGregor's resolution, to Bay the least, was injudicious and uncalled for at the time. The delegates at the meeting represented large districts, but they had only the same voting power as the merchants and grain-dealers, who quite outnumbered the former.. It was considered advisable by a number of the representatives that a Corn Exchange should be formed in Dunedin. Mr Duncan (of Cherry Farm, Waikouaiti) agreed with the suggestion, and asked the delegates to support the Exchange. He (the speaker) was at a meeting that day in Dubedin, at which the bag question and the raised railway tariff were discussed. The committee of the Corn Exchange are willing to agitate in the matter, and he believed the Exchange would yet be the means of settling the bag question. One advantage to be gained by the Exchange would be that the settler could take his samples with him, deal privately with the dealer, and make what arrangements suited him, or he could leave the disposal of his grain in the hands of an agent. He said that he had been keeping his eyes and ears open for information, and, so far as he could ascertain, the action taken by the merchants was generally condemned as being arbitrary and unjust in the extreme. The merchants, however, had gone too far to retract their steps at once. The farmers should not be satisfied with a passive resistance : they should be true to themselves and remain firm. But this, he felt bound to say, was matter; for the farmers, in the majority of instances, were dependent on the merchant to make advances, on their'grain, and the grain must be disposed of whether the bags were paid for or not. The merchants were aware of this and they had fully taken advantage of their position. AMr Jones (a graindealer in Dunedin) protested against signing the petition. The farmers ought to consider whether it would be advisable to get Mr Jones to act as their agent in

Dunedin, as he could export grain and do the general business of the farmers. If something of this sort were done, it would compel the merchants and dealers who have entered into this combination, to purchaEe according to the former i practise. For his part, he failed to see | why the country should be dictated to by a few Dunedin merchants. The merchants said at the meeting that they were willing to pay for the bags as usual, but they wished to have only one reckoning ; they did not want to keep separate accounts for grain and bags. These arguments were very lame, as were all the arguments brought forward by the merchants in support of their action. He did not believe the merchants were willing to pay for the bags ; they might do so for a short time, but in, say, twelve months' time the farmers would have virtually to loose the bags unless they made a firm resistance. He was reliably informed that the worth of the bags imported to Dunedin annually amounted to £21,000. The farmers would have to lose that amount — which was a serious item— if they were not alive to their own interests. The farmers send grain and bags to the miller or grain-dealer, and they export or dispose of the same' as best they can : they do not lose anything in the sale of the bags, but they wish the farmers to do so. The question arises, How are the farmers to hold out ? If the farmers were independent, the merchants wouldn't dare do what they have been attempting. He noticed that in Sydney an agitation was being got up amongst the farmers to get the bags paid for. He had been twitted about wool bags being given in. The wool, however, was of more value than the grain. The low depressed state of things did not need the imposition in regard to the grain bags, nor yet an increased railway tariff. There should be a means of combination to resist these impositions. The matter affected him but little, as he only raised grain from stock ; but he felt for others, and was perfectly willing to give his aid to resist such measures. The merchants utterly ignored the existence of the farmers. He said men living in Dunedin had opportunities of meeting together and passing resolutions, which the country people had not. They had a valuable institution in their Farmers' Club, where matters of this sort could be freely and fully discussed, aggressive measures opposed, and a definite course of action arrived at. He recommended the delegates to communicate with the Clubs.

Mr Cowan (another of the delegates) said different persona held different views. He believed if they had confined their efforts more, it would have been more to their advantage. The two hours' consultation in Dunedin was insufficient to do the important business they were called upon to transact. When the delegates entered the hall in Dunedin, they found Mr Reid in the chair, and that gentleman looked very foolish when asked to vacate it. Mr Reid stated at the meeting that it seemed to him that the farmers overlooked the grain altogether and were only agitating in favor of the price of bags. He (the speaker) considered this a gross insult to the farming community. He said the merchants seemed to be talking against time. He did not believe three men in the room knew what they were voting for except the merchants. He did not approve of doing such important business by correspondence. The delegates wanted two or three days to consult on the matter instead of two hours.

In answer to a question by Mr Macandrew re the Corn Exchange, Mr Miller said he failed to see why the farmers should be pledged to any reaolutiou passed by the merchants.

Mr Craig said that, as one of the delegates, he knew nothing about the Corn Exchange. Mr Duncan moved that all grain be purchased for cash, to be paid for within one week ; and a Mr Jones moved that the matter be relegated to the Corn Exchange.

Mr Cowan thought it would be unwise to have anything to do with the Corn Exchange. When the matter was mooted, he asked the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce what would become of ' the surplus funds, but there was no explanation forthcoming. Mr M'Ara asked what line of action the Corn Exchange proposed to pursue. Mr Cowan : Purchase grain. Mr Macandrew said that this matter did not directly affect him, but as a member of the Farmers' Club, he felt it his duty, to be alive to the interests of the farmer. He said that the resolution passed at the meeting of delegates had previously been passed by committees both north and south of the provincial district, and it seemed a waste of time for the delegates to go to Dunedin and pass a similar resolution. He understood that the conference was for the purpose of arranging some method of disposing of the grain outside of those merchants who were acting adversely to the interests of the farmers. He understood the delegates would consider whether or not it was advisable to form a co-operative agency or something of -that sort. The graindealers and merchants had scored a victory. He believed in holding a conference to adopt a scheme for disposing of the grain. There should be a combination of farmers to open up a way by which they could do without the assistance of the merchants. Until this was done, the merchants Virtually held the farmers at their own price. Mr Miller explained that through the agency of the Corn Exchange, the seller could deal directly with the merchant or dealer.

Mr H. Blackie said that the Corn Exchange might be the means of improving the seed of the farmers, but they would still have the same brokers and dealers to transact business with. When the farmer went with his samples, he would be quietly ignored, and the dealer would buy only from the broker. Why should they stand quietly by and see colossal fortunes — such as they could see in their own neighborhood— built on the ruin of the farmers 1 But the remedy was in their own hands. The tide had turned, and if they only took it at the flood it would lead to prosperity. The eyes of the farmers from north to south had been opened, and he hoped they would not be closed again till they had the sole control of their own labor. Let them cut down the fatal tree that had grown to such dimensions by drawing the marrow from the backbone of Otago, until there was little left but dry bones ; but he was glad there was as much vitality left as would yet make the dry bones live. Let Otago be divided into large districts, and Co-operative Societies be formed by the farmers, laborers, tradesmen, and storekeepers in each district, for the establishment of flour and oatmeal mills. Tuapeka, Bruce, and Clutha Counties might be included in one district. Then each farmer could invest in the company according to his means : if

one-third of the money lost on bags were invested, the proposed company would be a strong one. It would be clear to all that the farmers had nothing to lose, but everything to gain by forming such companies. They would always be sure of a market fur their produce, and their share of the profits of the manufactured article. In the matter of management, it might be better for two or three companies to combine, and appoint a general manager at a fixed salary. It would be the duty of the manager to find a market for the raw and manufactured material ; and if anyone wished to ship grain, the manager could do it on commission, the commission to be given to the Company. By putting tbeir shoulders to the wheel, they could soon form such companies. He could point out a number of other advantages that could be secured through cooperation. They could have their own bakers ; they could import their own bags, wool-bales, guano, farming implements, and various other articles. He had attempted to point out what he believed to be the farmers' temporal salvation, but if any other gentleman could show a more effectual way out of the misery that beset them at present, he would be glad to support him. Mr Miller said it w«uld take six months to form a company aud get it in working order. The harvest was upon them now, which was a great disadvantage. If a Corn Exchange were formed, it would be the means of breaking up the ring lately formed in Dunedin.

Mr Moggath said, from all accounts, the meeting of delegates was well represented, but it was a grave mistake to have allowed it to become a public meeting. The delegates were to lay down some line of action to resist the action of the Dunedin grain merchants. It was apparent to him the delegates did not meet in conclave ; merchants were allowed to take part in the meeting — in fact, conduct the business. The delegates had nothing whatever to do with the grain-merchants, who came there to bandy words and put the delegates off their guard Each of the delegates represented a large number of agriculturists, and they allowed themselves to be outnumbered by about fifty merchants. It was the duty of the delegates to come to some definite arrangement, even if they had taken a fortnight ; they should not have broken up without arriving at some definite conclusion. So far as he could learn, not a single practical suggestion was thrown out at the meeting worthy of consideration. Indeed, the only suggestion deserving the name that had cropped up in connection with the discussion of the question had fallen from the lips of Mr Blackie that evening. Mr Miller was surprised at the remarks of the last speaker. If Mr Moggath had paid more attention to the remarks of the delegates, he would have been more enlightened. Mr Moggath, in reply, said it was the delegate* who arranged for the conference — not the grain-dealers. Mr Corry said that there were at present two ways of disposing of the grain— the farmers could get 2s a bushel without the bags, or 23 l|d with the bags, but by no means should the farmer dispose of the bags with the grain. Mr Cowan remarked/that in his opinion there would be sufficient grain grown in Tuapeka West and Waitahuna districts to keep a flour-mill going, and they could form a Co-operative (Society at the same time. Mr Beattie would like to see things take a more practical form. The grain in this district would not be ready for a couple of months, and by that time a Society could be formed. Mr Redpath was of opinion that if the farmers exported their grain, they would be enabled to make arrangements with the Banks for accommodation. Mr Macandrew was in favor of combination, and of forming a Co-operative Society. The matter could be relegated to the Farmers' Club for due consideration. Mr Cowan, in order to bring the matter to a definite issue moved : " That a Cooperative Society be formed, and that a list be sent round the district to ascertain how many shares would be taken up." — Mr Beattie seconded. Mr Cony supported the motion. Mr M'Ara thought before anything was done the matter should be fully discussed. Mr Moggath said that the Tuapeka West farmers would act in unison with the Waitahuna Farmers' Club The motion was then put and declared carried unanimously. Mr Hislop proposed, and Mr Beattie seconded : " That a Committee of five be formed to carry out the preliminary arrangements."—Carried. Mr Corry moved, and Mr Crozier seconded: "That Messrs Craig, Thompson, Macandrew, Beattie, Cowan, Corry, and Crozier form the Committee." — ried.It was resolved that the first meeting of Committee take place on Saturday next, at 8 p.m. , A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the meeting closed.