DAIRYING COSTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 63, 11 September 1937, Page 8

DAIRYING COSTS

EMPHATIC PROTEST

FARMERS' UNION STATEMENT

In a statement to the Press last evening, the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr. A. P. O'Shea, said that he -had been instructed by the Dominion president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, to make an emphatic protest against "the misleading nature" of the statement issued by the Hon. W. Nash yesterday about the basis of the Government's decision on the guaranteed price, The protest was supported also by members of the Dominion executive remaining in Wellington for the deputation to the Minister yesterday afternoon.

The statement, said Mr. O'Shea, would lead the public to believe that the cost of producing butterfat was about 5d a lb. No mention was made of interest and labour costs. On the Government's own figures labour cost was at least 6d a lb of butterfat, and according to the Dairy Commission interest was in the region of 2d a lb of butterfat. This showed that the total cost of production of butterfat was at least 6d, plus 2d, plus sd, totalling Is Id.

"We cannot be too emphatic in protesting against what appears to members of my executive to be an attempt seriously to mislead the public," said Mr. O'Shea. "It should be insisted that all the information placed before the Minister by the Guaranteed Price Committee should be made public."

A full report of the Farmers' Union representations to the Minister, and his reply, appear on page 13.