GUARANTEED PRICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 13

GUARANTEED PRICE

NEXT SEASON'S FIGURE

CRITICISM OF PROCEDURE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day.

The first steps regarding the guaranteed price for butter and cheese for next season are being taken by the Dairy Control Board, which has circularised all dairy company secretaries seeking certain information, mainly regarding costs on farms. Two elaborate forms, with a questionnaire of over 60 items, are requested to be filled in and returned by April 13. These deal generally with prices of materials for the seasons ended March, 1936, and March, .1938. Form B requests the ruling prices at the two dates of nearly 30 items, including rubber inflations, petrol, engine oil, and cement Form A asks for a complete return of assets, receipts, and expenditure. Each company is asked, to return the forms after they have been filled in by five suppliers, one of whom supplies approximately. 30001b of butterfat per annum, one 60001b, one 90001b, one 12,0001b, and one 15,0001b. ] A covering circular states that it will be necessary that directors should arrange for the selected five farmers to,i be called upon personally and assisted to supply the information. The five farmers are to be average farmers!in their respective classes. "It is a tremendous job to do, and I do not' think the board realises what it. is asking for," "stated a prominent dairy company director. "It is doubtful whether any farmers have records that could supply the information."

"SCHEME NOT FEASIBLE."

"The scheme is not feasible," said the secretary of several companies. "It is useless to ask dairy farmers for such detailed information and obtain satisfactory results. Form B is ridiculous, for nearly all the information could easily have been gathered, from dealers and merchants." / \

Another secretary stated definitely that the whole affair verged oh the ridiculous. Although the idea had something to.. recommend it, it was obvious that.those who had drawn up the schedule had no practical knowledge of the-affairs of dairy farmers'. Any returns supplied would be1 75 per cent.. guesswork^ and it would obviously be foolish to attempt to base any guaranteed prices upon such statistics.