PRICE OF FERTILISERS

Feilding Star, Volume 2, Issue 280, 9 July 1924, Page 5

PRICE OF FERTILISERS

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

(Per Press Association.) Wellington. .Julv 8

Hon. W. Nosworthy, .Minister of Agriculture, regrets the injustice done to Ah' M- Harding, manager of the Farmers' Fertiliser Company, in assuming that he was conected with the new Farmers' Party, but reiterates his statement regarding Messrs Ross and Duxfield. who are prominent members of the organisation which complained of high prices, both being on the directorate of manufacturing concerns. The .Minister says ic is idle to deny that be brought .pressure on the companies to effect reductions in selling prices. The Government had done it ( > part to help lower the price of raw material and secure! a corresponding reduction in the selling price. After perusing the company's balance-sheet, tho Minister gays that what concerns him was the. price the farmer had to pay for manures in order to wipe off losses of the company due to -serious mistakes during the erection of the works, also to enable it to achieve a substantial profit. Another aspect of the matter was the action of the manufacturing 'companies, in refusing to allow wholesale purchasers to sell below the scab- of pr.io*- to .farmers.