The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY, 15, 1927.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10306, 15 January 1927, Page 6

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY, 15, 1927.

WHAT CO-OPERATION CAN DO—AND WHAT IT CANNOT. It is interesting to study Mr. Coates’ utterances at Home with reference to the operations of the Control Boards. Addressing the British Empire Producers’ Organisation, for instance, he enumerated a number of distinct advantages that have accrued as a result of co-oper-ation. He told his* hearers that both the meat-growers and the dairying people had, by combination, been enabled not only to bring tlbout an improvement in the general standard of produce sent abroad with the help of more effective grading but also to effect very considerable savings fin connection with handling, transport, insurance and storage. In other words, what be sought to show was that, by co-oper-ation, the producers had succeeded in landing their produce at Home much cheaper. If he had been addressing a gathering of consumers, there might have been some excuse if those present had reckoned that, in the circumstances, it was “up to” the producers to allow them to share in the gains enumerated! But, as we have pointed out, Mr. Ctoates was, in the presence of representatives of the producers of various units of the Einpiro, simply lending his support to the principle of co-operation within " reason. Naturally lie was expected to touch upon the trouble between the Dairy Board and the merchants at Home, seeing that ho had been brought so prominently, into the dispute whilsi in oLndon. “The farmer”, he said, “now wishes to dispose of his butter and cheese by co-operative effort through specially-appointed representatives. Price fixing is impracticable. What .s aimed at is to put the produce on the market in good condition, provide regular supplies

and get the market price. As ana jjoard has since happens, the Dairy dv _ r ee indicated that it does not agree with Mr. Coates on one very impor ant matter. The Board, m ahort cannot, even yet that the best line for it to follow 18 to widen the range of its . and rely on the merits of the produce to ensure a satisfactory > price. It has never admitted that price-fix-ing is impracticable: indeed even now, it persists in fixing what t designates minimum LittJe wonder is it, then, if Mr. Coates became very worried when he noted, as he must have done prior to the recent t ‘compromise, that the produce/trade at Home was boycotting Xe/ Zealand butter and cheese! it sJbms, too, that he had nothing to Ay on that occasion about the need 'for more extensive co-operative advertising in order to make E m P> re butter better known at Home, ihe fact that the Dominion’s produce is produced under such ideal conditions cannot be too strongly stressed. Here for instance is a manifesto by the New Health Society, of which Sir Arbuthnot Lane is president:— “Australian (and, it might have been added, New Zealand) butter is now arriving in large quantities on the British market. It is made from the milk of cows that, feed in the open pastures all the year round, and is consequently very rich in vitamins A and D, which are particularly valuable to us all during the winter months. It is especially good for children because Of its valuable property of stimulating growth and preventing rickets./ Generally speaking the buttegp which comes to England from two 'Continent during the winter is inade from the milk of stall-fed /ows, and is deficient in those vita/mms which so materially assist the f constitution to resist colds and kin- ' dred complaints.’’