COMPENSATING PRICES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22335, 24 February 1938, Page 7

COMPENSATING PRICES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,-=-Ifi this morning’s issue of "The Press,” your cdrrespdfideht, “Wide AWake/’ endedvdUfs td dtaw a r§fl nefrifig across the question of service and wages. Wages or salaries are a eohipaneht paft Qf.. bach. .Th§,Prirhe MimSief ihd, the Minister fdr Elhahcfe BaVe stated definitely that the guaranteed price has beeh fisted td alldw the cofririetetlt dairy farmer a Wage value m,,£4 a.Week, plus the house he occupies. My contention is tbit It ,is hot sufficient to compensate. him fdtme service he renders td th§ edmfininity. It is unfortunate that “Wide Awake” Brings Into the. discussion the wharfies.” I would refer youi- corfes-

pondent to the striking indictment o: the workers on the waterfront in thi: fndrning’s issde; an iridifctment whi I cannot be brought against the dairj farmers of the Dominion. I had e friend who lost all he had on a dairj farm, and who is now engaged on the waterfront; and I am confident that ii “Wide AWake” bought him the best farm and stocked it for him he woulc not leave his job as a “wharfie” tc accept it. Yoiif correspondent also referred to the Government taking ovei the dairying industry. I am confident of this, that if the Government did, and worked it under the same conditions as apply to other Government jobs, then the cost of the manufactured Article (butter) Would be double the price it is to-day. lam not interested in the political aspect of the point at issue. I reiterate the position that I stated in my previous letter: that Mr Nash wishes the dairy fartnef to work on the lowes. possible Wage or Salary for the sefvice he renders society, while the goods the farmer rrtust obtain in return for those services he renders must be heavily charged With increased costs by higher wages and shorter hours. lam not disputing the right of higher Wages and‘better conditions in all Other industries if the Cbuhtty can stand the strain against foreign competition, but I certainly am appealing for the same consideration to be applied tq the dairy industry., As I stated, Mr Nash failed to reply to those charges .frtadfe agalrtst the gUarartteed pried.—Yours, etc., DAIRY FARMER. February 2il, 1938.