GUARANTEED PRICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 58, 10 March 1937, Page 12

GUARANTEED PRICE

HAS FARMERS' SUPPORT

"The Government hasn't the slightest intention of abandoning its guaranteed price scheme," declared the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M.' J. Savage), when questions regarding its' future were put to him (reports the "Auckland Star"). "I am quite confident that if a referendum were taken on the question among the farmers of New Zealand there would be a five-torone vote in favour of it."

: The guaranteed price scheme, he said, had been prepared after a very careful study of the position and after consultation with representative farmers, and it had been framed on a basis that would make it a payable scheme on the average costs of the average farmer. If a man could not be classed as an average farmer, he should not be in the job. The farmer, he' said, under the guaranteed price scheme, knew that he could cover his costs and knew just how much he would get. There were many other sections of the community who would like an equal certainty.

The price to be paid, next year, said Mr. Savage, would also be arranged after consultation with the farmers' representatives.

For himself, said the Prime Minister, he,could see no difference between the compensatory price, urged by a section of the producers at the present time, and the guaranteed price; there was a section, too, which thought that a higher price could be achieved by a manipulation of the currency. He was not among those people, he said. The control of currency was important, but it was not the cure of all ills.