"THE BLESSED PRINCIPLE OF CO-OPERATION."

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 12985, 28 January 1910, Page 4

"THE BLESSED PRINCIPLE OF CO-OPERATION."

'Die president of the . Sc*' Zealand Fanners' Union {Mr D. D. MtTarlane), speaking yesterday at the Frozen Meat Conference in Chritrtcbureli, referred to the •'blessed , principle of eo-operatioa and combination." There is no doubt that cooperation is “blessed," and there is nc further doubt that, applied to the interests of the farmers, the speaker would probably consider it thrice “blessed."' let if “blessed" in one direction, it should be equally so in auotuer. Therefore, one would expect to find the Farmers' Union, led by its president, enthusiastically approving of the extension of the principle in every possible direction. But what do we find their attitude to l*e when, not mere hole-and-corner co-operation, but national co-operation is advocated in. such matters as the nationalisation of the Land and the establishment of municipal markets tor the sale of the necessaries of life? They do not apply the word “bjesßcd" to that kind of co-operation: they denounce it as .Socialism. Vet nationalisation means no more than the same collective ownership as obtains in a Farmers' Co-operative Association. It is on a bigger scale, that is all. It is strange how often men will denounce a thing which benefits other people, and then proceed to approve tie vfry same thing when it happens to benefit themselves.