A CO-OPERATIVE FARM

Western Star, Issue 1349, 27 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

A CO-OPERATIVE FARM

A correspondent in an English journal writes .‘—At the little village of Harleston, in Northamptonshire, an interesting experiment in co-operative farming is being made. Nearly three years ago Lord Spencer had on hand the Glebe Farm at Harleston, consisting of nearly 300 acres, two-thirds good arable land iand the remaining third pasture. He proposed to the eight men then employed in farming that they should form themselves iuto a Go operative Farming Association, under a competent manager, offering to advance them £3OOO at a reasonable rate of interest. The offer was gladly accepted, under the following conditions : Of the net profiis shown on every yearly account 75 per cent, is to be applied to a reserve fund, to be accumulated until the whole of the capital advanced, with interest, is redeemed, and a surplus of £IOOO realised and maintained ; while the other portion of the profits goes to the profits fund, to be annually divided among the co-operators in proportion to the wages, actually earned by each during the year. If, however, there is a loss on any year’s operations the profits fund is to be carried to the reserve fund till the loss shall have been made good and the amount, if any, drawn from the reserve fund to meet such loss replaced. So soon as the capital borrowed has been redeemed the cooperators become absolute owners. The period, too, at which the Harleston men became their own masters was far from favourable to agriculturists, and it is hardly surprising that the first year’s operations ended in a loss of £207 9s 7d Despite discouragements, however, the men worked well and harmoniously together, and reaped the benefit of constant employment at a weekly wage of

,14s, an average slightly higher tha \ was paid throughout the district. Unfortunately, the second 12 months proved more disastrous than the first. In the summer of 1887, it will be remembered, there was a drought unexampled in recent years, and this told with tenfold force on the light arable land of which the farm is main>y composed. To this and to the continued depreciation in prices was due the deficiency of £672 i 3 s 5d which appeared at the close of he year. StM, there is a brighter side. The dry weather had enabled the cooperators to thoroughly clean the farm, and a fair portion of this £672 may be said to have been sunk in permanent improvements. The loss had been entirely beyond the power of the labourers to control, and it is satisfactory to note that they unanimously consented to take 13s instead of 14s a week. The balance sheet for 1888-9 is not yet due, but the promoters of the undertaking are firmly convinced that the worst is past, and look with every confidence to a successful future.