THE GUARANTEED PRICE

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22795, 22 August 1939, Page 8

THE GUARANTEED PRICE

ATTITUDE OF FARMERS? ' UNION EXPLANATION BY DOMINION SECRETARY CPEJSSS ASSOCIATION TELEGEAM.) INVERCARGILL, August 21. A statement that the Farmers’ Union on no occasion had advocated the abolition of the guaranteed price for dairy produce was made by Mr A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary of the union, this evening. Mr O’Shea said that what the' union objected to was the inadequacy of the price. “The union has been quoted as attacking the guaranteed price, and itself has been made the object of a deliberate attack,” said Mr O’Shea. “Before the Prime Minister made his statement that the Government would have to look into the question of ending the guaranteed price scheme, the only resolutions passed by the. Farmers’ Union were that the recommendations of the price advisory committee should be adhered to, and these were exactly in line with the resolutions passed by the South Island Dairy Association, the Dairy Board Conference, and the National Dairy Conference. Therefore, when the Government attacks the Farmers’ Union on its attitude to the guaranteed price, it attacks the whole dairy industry.” Mr O’Shea referred to statements made by the Dominion president of the union (Mr W. W. Mulholland) about the guaranteed price scheme. He, said that Mr Mulholland, as a believer in cooperative enterprise, had stated that if the Government was prepared to hand back control to the dairy farmers, he, personally would welcome it. The president was expressing His. own personal opinion which, how-

ever, was absolutely in line with tk® union’s policy. Mr Mulholland was one of the leaders of thought as ap- [. plied to co-operation in New Aea*; .. a ”‘Thece has been a suggestion by . one member of the Goyerrment that. v because of the umon’s'attitude, tvhat / is termed in trade union circles_ a scab union of .farmers should: be formed,” said Mr. O’Shea. ‘I wonder what the Government would think if- leaders of the Farmers Union suggested that the same course should be taken among, the workers.” Resolutions earned by bij dairy factory companies in Taranaki had supported the umon.saxa Mr O’Shea; but these resolutions had received no publicity in the press.