The FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1800, 19 January 1884, Page 2

The FA RMERS' C O-O PER A TIVE SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sm, — I have read with much interest the heveral leading articles you have recently given us in connection with the proposed society as above, and I, for one, tender you my hearty thanks for your endeavour to help forward the movement, and for your very able advocacy of the same. How is it that any difficulty whatever is experienced in starting the society ? Is it that the farming community are troubled with an extraordinary amount of modesty ? Is it because it is in their nature to suffer lonjj on account of a want of co-adhesiveness ? Is it that a petty jealousy, one township of another, hinders the work ? or is it, as some seem to think, that a ceii:ain proportion of our settlers fear either an active or passive opposition from monetary institutions, land speculators, and others of that class. Let us look quietly at the last feupposition, and pass in review the various interests that tome persons might expect to offer opposition to the proposed society, which, once established, would do more to advance the prosperity of the farming interests of this colony than aU the other companies and societies put together. First let us take the banks : Would they oppose it ? Certainly not. The banks are large creditors of the fanners, and would only be too glad to see overdrafts reduced. Many of the banks are alsoiarge direct or indirect holders of land, and to think that they would oppose any movement which would result in an improved condition of things, and thereby enhance the value of their properties, is to suppose that bank directors and managers shut their eyes to their own interests. £esideß all this, it must be known to anyone with the smallest acquaintance with banking, that the large dividends paid by these institutions are not so much out of the interest charged on overdrawn accounts as by the number of times they can turn over their capital in the coarse of each twelve months. A bank I knew in the Old Country was said, during one very prosperous year, to have turned over its subscribed capital 130 times. Our bankers cannot do that here, but they know full well that prosperous times to the farmers means decreased overdrafts, a letting loose of locked-up capital, payment of many a shady debt, and a large increased value to the various securities neld by them. Now Jet; us take the case of financiers, land

they are in many cases similarly situated as the banks, the remarks already made apply in great measure to ihem, but if possible with still greater force, fordo not most of m know one or more of these gentlemen who are waiting—most anxiously waiting— for the good tiu?e coming. } *They have their, thousands of acifes of land 'ready to bo cut' up and subdivided, and are holding, on to them now only " by the akin of th'eirteeth;" can we for a moment expect opposition r here ? It cannot be ; prosperity to the farmer means an immediate advance in the price of land, an increased population seeking new homes, and a ready sale at a remunerative price of the very article they are longing to get rid of. Next let us take the case ol storekeepers in general, Should they look with oldneaa or positive, enmity against our Co-operative Society? Certainly not if they are wise. To the large wholesale houses in Auckland prosperity to the farmer means a large decrease in the liabilities of country storekeepers, »nd shortening of credit terms, and a consequent letting loose of capital to such an extent that a business that requires, Bay £20,000 to finance it, could be carried on for perhaps half that amount. To the county storekeeper prosperity means a freedom from the thraldom of the wholesale houses (because settlers that now get long credits would soon be able to pay ready money for a largo proportion of their pin chases), it means a certain decrease in bad debts, and as certain an increase in their general turn -over. It is no doubt true that some goods they are now supplying would in course of time be imported direct by the society, but even if ■ it weie so, the increased prosperity would call for such a largely increased supply of extra home comforts and luxuries that they could not help but be gainers in the end. Are we to expect opposition from such companies as the Auckland Stud and Pedigree Company ? Surely not. Do they not want to sell us pure-bed bulls, grand draught entires, md thoroughbred horses, &c. ? How can they expect to get anything but the beggarly prices I have heard offered for some of their truly magnificent stock until the general condition of the community that u>e such is changed for the bitter! I need only, I think, look at one other class of men— ceitainly not the least important to farmer^ in general— l mean a ictioneers. To these gentlemen many of us owe a debt of gratitude, and some of us another kind of debt not so easily scored off ; still as I look upon them as being as wide awake as most of us, and I cannot for a moment anticipate any hostility here. Surely they must prefer ready money, or at most short credits to the long credits and the bill renewals they are now so familiar with. They cannot need reminding that prosperity to the agricultural and pastoral community means an immense increase in fie number of farms, an increased demand for all elates of stock, and an increase by thousands and tens of thousands of our heids and flocks. Who will gain more than ouv friends the auctioneers? I trust I have " proved to demonstration " to all doubting hearts that they have no cause to fear opposition from the various interests spoken of above. Nay, more, I think I have proved that in self-interest only, they should lend a helping rather than a hostile hand to a society that seeks not only its own well-being, but the interest and prosperity of the whole colony. > And now let me ask, Are local jealousies the exuse of the luke-warmness of some who .should be amongst our most earnest supporters ? I am afraid it is so to some I extent, but why should it be so? Can anyone tell me how it is> that that foul jade Jealousy seems ever hovering with outj sketched loathsome wings over all this I colony? Everywhere I have been it haa ciopped up more or less. In the South Island I was told, " Don't on any account settle in the North Island; the Maori difficulty is not yet settled, your life is not safe ; besides fchev have there all the Plagues of Egypt." When I came to the North Island I was told, " Don't go South ; their celebrated Canterbury Plains are a waterless waste ; your crops may be ruined in an hour by a hot wind ; in Southland you will ba eaten up by rabbits ; in Otago your nocks will be decimated, if not destroyed, by snow.stonus," etc., etc. Coming nearer horne — but, Mr Editor, I think I had better not come nearer home for fear of the consequences. This, however, I will say, that it is a shame and a dishonour to us that this most patty, paltry, accursed meanness should keep back many a struggling district, or endanger the starting of such a project as we have now on hand. Living as I am, many miles away' from any township that can possibly be fixed upon where first to pitch our co-opprative tent, and having no prejudice to contend against. I may say that whilst I believe the locality first proposed was a good and convenient one, yet personally I am open to conviction, and if a better site (all things considered) can be found, by all means let us go there. My advice is, join ' us — " down with the dust" to the extent of i>ne shilling per share applied for, and it will be in the hands of the shareholder themselves to settle by their votes where the commencement shall be made, and what shall be name of the bociety. When it is settled let those who are out-voted accept the inevitable, and come up smiling. I ennnot conclude this letter — long as it is — without reminding my fellow-settlers that, judging from similar societies in operation elsewhere, the success of this movement is a positive certainty, if only they will stick together, and w ork together, and elect as directors men w hose wholeheart will be in their work, and will honestly do their best to further the interests of the society ; let them not elect men whose hands are already full with the management of their own businesses, or men who would use the society to insure the sale of their own properties ; once the society is started, and is a proved success, others will follow our example oji'all sides, and as each of these should be a centre from which the voice of the agriculturist may be heard, it vill not be long before we can compel attention to any of our just demands, and the farmers of this favoured country shall no longer go about " with bated breath and whispering humbleness," but shall be prosperous and free, and no man shall make him afraid. A few words more and I have finished. I have not heard that either the member for Waikato or the member for Waipa have declared themselves with regard to this movement. I do not blame them : they are fully entitled to silence until they see we are able to bring this issue to a successful conclusion ; but there must not be too much hesitation : if even the agricultural community wake up to the enormous voting power they possess — if they will affiliate themselves together all over the colony— if by the establishment of farmers' clubs and similar institutions they will prepare themselves for a joint forward movement, the neglect that settlers have had to endure will become a thing of the past, a "top will soon be put to the enormous expenditure of public money in towns already rich in harbour and other endowI ments, and loans would be spent in opening up new country for settlement, in the building of bridges and making of roads in country districts, and the strongest Ministry ever formed would be compelled to pay a due regard to the interest of the men who, least considered at the present time, are in reality the Alpha and Omega, the strength and the backbone of this colony of New Zealand. — I am, &c,

Waikato Farmer.