NATIONAL PARTY

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1938, Page 10

NATIONAL PARTY

COMPENSATED PRICE POLICY [PEH PBEBH ASSOCIATION.) j CHRISTCHURCH, April 28. “The compensated price policy, adopted by the National Party, means this —the acknowledgement of the principle that the farmer is entitled for his labour and capital to a similar reward to that enjoyed by the rest of the community,” said the National Party leader (Mr. A. Hamilton), when discussing at a political meeting at Ohoka, to-night, the' difference between the guaranteed price policy of the Labour Government and the compensated price policy of the National Party. “We say that farming is virtually the foundation of industry, and that the farmer is entitled to a reward commensurate with that enjoyed by other industries.” He continued: Labour had realised that it had to secure the support of some other section of the community than the industrial worker to gain an election win, and so had gone after the farmer, getting his support largely with the promise of the guaranteed prices. But the farmer had believed, with many others, that, a guaranteed price for dairy products meant something along the lines of the guaranteed minimum price for fruit exported. However, the Government’s policy had meant something far differ-, ent. Mr. Hamilton said he would venture to say that the Government was not paying out so much to farmers as it was getting for butter and cheese. Yet the farmer had to meet heavy additional costs. Prices now being received were above the guaranteed price, but farmers themselves had no

guarantee that they were going to receive anything of the additional revenue from their products above the guaranteed price. Mr. Hamilton, continuing, said there was still a deficit of £38,000 on the last year’s guaranteed price waiting in tbe Reserve Bank for settlement. But what would happen to that deficit? It would probably have .to be liquidated by the National Party Government after the next election. However, if there was a surplus during the current financial year, there was no law to compel it to be handed to the farmer. It would be carried over to meet any future deficit, for that was the policy of the Government. This new compensated price plan was something along the lines planned by his Party. Farmers’ organisations had wanted this compensated price plan, that, they had fought for, and thought out over some years?: Consequently, it bad been embodied in the policy of his party.