MINISTERIAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1936, Page 16

MINISTERIAL

GUARANTEED PRICE.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, July 1. >

‘‘There is an inclination on the part of some people, especially newspapers, to criticise • the Government, arid to say that it is unfair to keep the producer in suspense in regard to what, the guaranteed price will be,” said the. Prime Minister. “Critics 'say that the producer should know. I say' that if the Labour Government did not exist to-day, not. one dairy farmer in New Zealand would Know how much he was going to get for his butter on August 1, He would not have the slightest idea whether it would be 65s per cwt., or 112 s. Under the present. Government scheme, the dairy farmer-will.be told deliberately it already has been stated that it will be on the- average of the last eight-or ten years, and one need not be a mathematician to make a guess at it. We will fix the price by Grder-in-Council by August 1.” The Prime Minister also said that the members of the Government had done some thinking prior to their taking office. “We have heard about one man, well known in- New Zealand, who had to go to a certain Gorge, to think, things over before he couid get out of difficulty.” said Mr Savage. “We still think we can*do our thinking on our feet, without going into any Gorge at -all.”

STATE ADVANCES.

WELLINGTON, July 1

The Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, has announced that Mr G. A. Lewin, Town Clerk of Dunedin, has bden appointed a fourth Director of the. State Advances Corporation Board. Mr Lewin was a member of the old Mortgage Corporation Board, and is a member of the Local Bodies! Loans Board.

HOUSING ACCOMMODATION.

WELLINGTON, July '

Interviewed .to-day regarding the Government’s housing scheme, Mr Savage said that the improvement of homes would not increase the accommodation to any extent, but the financial side wanted careful consideration, as it was the object of the Government to get the rates of interest down —not temporarily, but for all time. “Money has been our master too long,” said the Prime Minister. Asked whether the State would refinance existing borrowers who -were at present in difficulties over second mortgages, or other advances, Mr. Savage replied'that it was the Government’s desire to re-establish the occupants on a satisfactory basis, provided that an equity was in property; but this was a question which was to be considered when the mortgage legisla-t tion was brought down, when Parliament resumed.

“The question often arises: Is there any equity left?” said the Prime Minister, “but I can say this: Whatever we can do to re-establish people in their homes, we will do. There is no stopping place for our activities.”

RAIL CAR’S SUCCESS.

HAMILTON, July 2.

The contention of the Minister of Railways and the General Manager (Mr. G. H. Mackley) and others interested in the production of the new rail car, that journeys will be considerably shortened by this method of transport, was confirmed yesterday, when the rail-car established several record runs.

Leaving Tauranga in the morning, the rail-car made the trip to Thames North in two hours two minutes, while the fastest express took four hours 45 minutes. From Thames North to Morrinsville, a distance of 44.6 miles, the car took ond hour eight minutes, against three hours one minute by the express. The 113.12 miles from Thames to Rotorua occupied two hours 57 minutes, against seven hours 21 minutes by train.

HONEST AND CLEVER.

HAMILTON, July 2.

“I have had a great deal of experience as a journalist, and as Mayor of Christchurch, and I can tell you all honestly that the Labour Government comprises honest and clever men, who are out to do their best for the people of New Zealand,” said the Minister of Railways (Mr. Sullivan), at Hamilton last night, at a reception.