THE CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AND ITS DETRACTORS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2117, 2 February 1886, Page 3

THE CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AND ITS DETRACTORS.

On the sth of lait month there appeared in these columns a letter from a corrcs- > pondent at Raglan, in which the Cooperative Association was somewhat roughly dealt with. The following letter, addressed to the chairman of the association, is from the pen of Mr J. N. Pegler :— Karioi, Raglan, January 7th, 1886. W. A. Graham, Esq., Dear Sir,— As you have held the honour- • able position of chairman of the New Zear land Fanner*' Co-operative Association, I should like to draw your attention to the contents of an article sent to The Waikato Times, and published last Tuesday in that paper, sent, I believe, by some resident here. At any rate no friend 'to our association. In it things were somewhat mixed. Some truth no doubt, buf with a great deal of misstatement. I need not quote it in full; if you look over the article you will see the remarks as to -. the Co-operative Association being a failure in Raglan. Kindly write or get something put into The Waikato Times to state the ' truth. The following facts are at your disposal. All settlers sending good produce get top market prices and are satisfied, those who do not never can be, of a necessity. Mr Mitchell last autumn and winter got from our society, hams, lOd lb ; butter, lOd lb ; Bacon 8d lb. This summer, Butter Freezing Company 7Ad, New Zealand Farmers Co-operative Association, B^d and 9d. Comment is useless. Wo satisfied ourselves last autumn and winter with hams ; 9d lb ; butter, lOd, and 9d ; bacon, 8d lb. Mr Savage, says he sent bacon and hams late, but in.. well satisfied with price given. He sent gooseberries round by Hamilton to the association in Auckland, „ and was very well pleased with the price " got, being the top of market price. These things prove Raglan can produce the best, and also get from your association a good price. — I am, yours truly, John N. Pegler. The following has afro been placed at oar disposal for publication : — Howick, January 9th 188 G. W. A. Giwham Esq. — Dear Sir.— ln answer to your request that I accept the position of referee from yourself in cases of complaint or dispute between shareholders over the Auckland management of our Co-operative Association, I shall be happy to act as such. At the same time I feel bound to state my opinion that in the majority of cases the causes of complaint arise from the faulty manner in which settlers send forward their produce. Produce must not only be of the best quality but also be got up well to please the eye, otherwise it is difficult of sale. I think the association has obtained the best selling prices— low as these prices may appear. Fresh butter of good quality has been difficult of sale at 8d per lb. Some of doubtful quality I have seen ticketed up at 6d per lb in the shops. Best quality hams and bacon are sold well at 8d and 9d perlb. Inferior is difficult of sale at any price. The Freezing Company offered me capital bacon and hams at 7Ad per lb in quantiy. I purchasedatauctionaton ofearly York potatoes (Waikato grown) for 16*. A similar parcel of potatoes I was asked •5s per cwt for at our Auckland co-opera-tive s'we. Waikato carrots of first rate quality I have bought as low as 2s 5d per sack. The association has obtained better prices than this for their shareholders. Of course, if the market be glutted with any produce that is likely to spoil it has to be sold at any price. But on the whole I believe that shareholders have good cause to feel satisfied with their association. The wonder to many of us has been how the association has been able to do so much with so little capital.— Yours faithfully, J. A. Lovebock.