GUARANTEED PRICE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 232, 29 June 1939, Page 11

GUARANTEED PRICE

Not Wanted By Sheep-

Owners

WAIRARAPA OPINION

Dominion Special Service

MASTERTON, June 28.

A deafening “no” was raised by a large body of Wairarapa sheepowners today when a motion was put to them that they should request the Government to institute a guaranteed price for meat and wool. Mr L. T. Daniell said they had a guaranteed price for other products apd if they had one for wool it would bring the industry up to the level of the others. Mr. Hugh Morrison, president of the Wairarapa provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, said he was absolutely against the guaranteed price as it would mean the socialization of the whole of the industry. Surely they had more self-reliance than want to hand over their produce to the Government. The sheep industry was the biggest in New Zealand. They could hand over their fruit and wheat and the Government might find the money. Last year wool dropped £9,000.000, so would it be possible for the Government to meet that amount today when the exchequer was empty? It would mean wild inflation. Mr. H. Bennett said he did not like the guaranteed prices, subsidies or anything else. They could not get costs down and the Prime Minister had said he would throw in the towel if he had to do it because it meant a reduction in wages. If they could not get costs down they would have to put up the price of their produce. The Government set the highest standard of wages in the world, so surely If would be reasonable to set the higher standard of prices to balance it. Mr. H. H. Mawley said there was no money in the country, so the idea was ridiculous.