CO-OPERATION AND THE FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2124, 18 February 1886, Page 2

CO-OPERATION AND THE FARMERS.

Ouh Te Vwamutu correspondent writes :—: — Now that so many articles on the subject of co-operauon are appearing in the press, and co operation is being tried, the following article from the Standard may prove interesting to those who are interested in the association. " Co-opkkatiojj by Farmers.— The revolt against the middlemen inithted by the fanncih of Kent, who have taken to selling mutton instead of sheep, is spreading. A Cheshire f.innar tired of contributing his huge cheeses to the " pitch " of the neighboui in? maiketb, and of accepting the poor prices which it might suit the "cutters up " to give for them, has taken to make his cheeses of convenient size, and carrying them round ii his carfc to his customers. The consumer who buys directly from him give* him so, en pence per pound, which is ivgood deal under the usual retail price, but something more than the maker can usually lealise. The public will not need to be told that this primitive method of distribution may suit one or two fanners here and there ; but that, in the present state of society it cannot be looked on as much more than an isolated protest against a condition of affairs, by which the consiunei is lobbed of the benefits of a prevailing cheapness, and the producer is made to drink to the dregs the bitter cup of low prices. We do not expect, as a result of these sporadic revolts, to ace our farmers generally turning butchers or itinerant cheese vendois ; but we do expect to find that a few examples will stimulate them to try what they could do by combination to help themselves; having as they must know they have, the full assurance that the public will support their efforts. If any real diminution of the present evils is to be effected it must bo by attacking the great cities and, most important of all, the metropolis. The tyranny of the markets by which the producer of meat has so long suffered was originally based upon the impossibilities of the storage which rendered the f,irm»r> practically helpless. Emancipation will come while the producer can send his meat to London to his own agent to be kept for -sale to all cas.li buyer-*. .Science has made this possible ; it remains for ac imbiiMttun of me.vt growers to carry it into eflect. And assuredly what can be do.ie with meat, can be done with almost all agricultural produce. Already there are trading firms in London whose carts are seen in every part of London and even in eveiy submb supplying butter, bacon, and eggs at the houses of customer*. There is no reason that we know of why what is done by biich firms for their own profit could not be done by a combination of farmers employing their own London r?presentativeb. Even the great bread question might, we believe, be successfully ! attacked up >n the sjune principle. The price of bread now should be almost fourpence a loaf— the London bakers assure us they cannot supply it at anything like that price. But tho pioducers might do so. The biead of a particular maker can be seen for sale daily in every London street. If one ni.iker can .sell his bread all over London at average baker's piices, surely a farmers.' agency could do the same with a cheaper loaf made from farmers' wheat ground in farmers' mills. ()f course nothing can be done without capital, but less would be wanted than might be supposed. At nil events it is in this direction that relief from the present system must be bought." Co operation, though successful in other countries, is not (c mtinues our Te Awamntu correspondent) a .success in New Zealand—.it loast in this part of it, for the most that can be said of any of the country branches is that some of them have held their o\\ n, w hile others are considerably on tho wrong side of the ledger. When the movement was initiated nothing but a cash trade was to be done, but it was soon seen that that would not answer, and the Association had to give credit the same as other traders. In giving credit, however, there ib no need to do so indiscriminately, and the practice of giving credit on a large scale to <i man simply because he is a contia. t <r, when perhaps h) has no security to oiler, and nothing to come on if he cannot or will not pay, cannot be too much condemned. There are complaints too about the management, returns and account sales are not promptly remitted, at least so say some consignors, for as I never sent anything for sale I cannot speak from experience, but I cannot shut my ears to the complaints one frequently hears. Be the cause what it may, the fact remains that co-operation U not a success. It is a great pity the slaughtering business was not tried, but in connection with it there shou'd be retail shops in the city. Some of our wiseacu'» lidicule thu idea and pooh]K>oh it. :md many others art) billy enough to be led by them with the result that things v\ ill leniaiu as they are, but when these wi->e men are asked to suggest some way out of the difficulty they are unable to do so, for with all their pretended wisdom they are not one bit wiser than other men, and have considerably le»s business intelligence than many of those who aro doing their best to better the position of the farming community. Burns points a moral to one of his poems which the Solons I refer to would do well to lay to heart. If it had not the effect of making them a little more charitable to thoso who, in their dosiro to benefit the community, may have made mistakes which have been at times severe, it would at any rate have the effect of teaching them to be a little less conceited, for it is very evident they do not see themselves ai others see them. I do not join in the outcry against all tho middlemen. They often have to struggle just ab hard as the producer, and frequently coutract bad debts that cripple them for a time. From the abuse that is heaped upon them one would think they were the most dishonest class on the face of the earth. If they are allowed to make the enormous commissions they are popularly supposed to make, they are not to blame. It is only human nature to make all one can, and the blameworthy people are those who submit to the system. I do not allude to the Auckland butchers, for I believe their profits, in spite of high rents and wages, are out of all proportion to the wholesale price of meat. But with all our outcry, I honestly believe there is not an individual who would not do the same if he had the chance. That is no reason though why we should not object to the system, and try by every legitimate means to put an end to it, and bring producer and consumer in direct contact with each other.

The total Parncllite votu cast in Ireland was 221,381, and the Loyalist vote, including Tories and Libar.ili, 121,101. The vote in Ulster was : Parnellitei, 42,038 j Loyalists, D4.3G2. Outside of U later the vote was : Parnellites, 179,243 ; Loyalists 26.73' J. Thvi Zenana and Medical Mission School of India i.s leported to have beeen very sucoessful, sixty-one women having already graduated and aided in the prosecution of their work of healing the sick and teaching Christianity to the neglected women and children of the East. Mr HbXR\ M. Stanley, the African explorer, has taken up the cudgel:) against Mr ParaeJl. He published a letter, January 15, over his own signature, in which he say.s, " Had we (Stanley is an American) of the North listened tq the South, at Mngland, now listens to Irish S&parationuts, whete would the American Union bo? Wo did not listen, we fought i