Guaranteed Price

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 13

Guaranteed Price

Sir, —A lot has been said during the last week on the above subject both in the Press and over the air by Mr. Nash. AU the trouble is due to the fact that Mr. Nash disregarded the advice of the expert committee set up to inquire as to what the price should be and arbitrarily fixed it himself at a level which would not cover farmers’ costs.

When in Opposition Air. Nash published a booklet entitled “Guaranteed Prices—Why and How.” This booklet is very interesting reading just now, and I think Mr. Nash ought to reprint and distribute it wholesale as he did before, if only to show the people the difference between theory and practice. The first paragraph reads thus: “The objective of the Labour Party in connexion with the farming industry is to ensure the payment to the farmer of a price for this production that will cover all his working expenses and ensure the farmer an income in accordance with the time, skill, energy, and experience used by him in producing the commodity.” On page 15 the vexed question of price fixing is dealt with as follows: “With arrangements completed between the Dominion and other countries, negotiations would be carried out between the Government and the different branches of the farming industry to fix the guaranteed prices. These negotiations would have to be based on detailed expert investigation into the cost of production under average conditions, so as to ensure the competent farmers a fair return for the time, energy, skill, and experience employe! in this production.” Mr. Nash finishes his literary effort with: “Would the maggot starve because the apple was too big.” I suppose farmers can consider themselves the “Maggot” and it seems that the apple will continue to get smaller as long as the present Government remains in ofiiee. —I am, etc., T.P. Waipukurau, December 7.