FARMERS’ UNION AND GUARANTEED PRICE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 259, 31 July 1939, Page 13

FARMERS’ UNION AND GUARANTEED PRICE

Attitude Of Dominion Conference DENIAL THAT OPPOSITION WAS ADVANCED Dominion Special Service FEILDING, July 29. A definite denial that a policy of opposition to the guaranteed price for dairy produce had been advanced at the recent Dominion conference of-the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was made at a meeting of the Feildiug branch of the union by the Manawatu provincial president, Mr. D. G. Gordon, following statements by members present that a mistaken view of the findings of the conference concerning the guaranteed price was held by many dairy-farmers. Mr. Gordon said that statements made by the Dominion president, Mr. W. M. Mulholland, had been misconstrued, lhe conference had not attacked the principle of the guaranteed price, nor had Mr. Mulholland made any attack on the principle of the guarantee. . However, a protest had been made against the arbitrary alterations by the Minister of Marketing in the standards and prices recommended by the Government’s advisory committee, this protest backing up the complaint that had been made previously by dairyfarmers themselves. The conference had thoroughly disagreed with the Minister’s suggestion that the prices obtaining for the 1 season should be continued for the 193440 season, that being regarded as a failure by the Government to live up to the promises made under the Primary Products Marketing Act. The advisory committee had submitted a unanimous report, but its recommendations, based on its examination of the position of dairy-farmers and their rising costs, had been ignored by the Minister. Support For Dairy-Farmer. The union's whole complaint was against this procedure, and it had been unfortunate that the references in the House by the Prime Minister had been contrary to the facts of the situation. That had led to the view in some quarters that the Farmers’ Union was out to let the dairy-farmers down. The union was out to support the dairy-farmer and to obtain for him full recognition of the position that rising costs had placed him co-operate with the Government, and in conformity with the union s policy of pressing for a reduction in costs, the conference had agreed to support the oiler made by the Dairy Board’s Dominion conference to forego any increases in costs and to accept for the 1939-10 season he standards and prices recommended by the 1938 advisory committee, said Mr. don. The Prime Minister said he would have to give serious consideration to ending the guaranteed price scheme; Mr. Mulholland’s reply to that was that he would welcome the return to the industry of the control of marketing if the Government gave the dairy industry facilities for credit: and mass marketing, to enable it to carry on with a (similar scheme. . Mr Mulholland had also stated that in the event of Mr. Savage deciding to go ahead with the proposal to end the scheme, lie would call a conference of representatives of the dairy industry so that the position might be thoroughly gone in i°t would thus bo seen, concluded Mr. Gordon, that Mr. Mulholland had made no attack on the guaranteed price scheme.