GUARANTEED PRICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1939, Page 4

GUARANTEED PRICE

FARMERS’ UNION ATTITUDE. [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL, August 21. A statement that the Farmers’ Union on no occasion had advocated the abolition of the guaranteed price for dairy produce was made by Mr. A. p. O'Shea, Dominion secretary of the union, this evening. Mr. O’Shea said that what the union objected to was the inadequacy of the price. “The union has been, quoted as attacking the guaranteed price, and itself has been made the object of a deliberate attack,” said Mr. O’Shea. “Before the Prime Minister made his staement that the Government would have to look into the question of ending the guaranteed price scheme, the only resolutions passed by the Farmers’ Union were that the recommendations of the price advisory committee should be adhered to, and these were exactly in line’with the resolutions passed by the South Island Dairy Association, the Dairy Board Conference, and the National Dairy Conference. Therefore, when the Government attacks the Farmers’ Union on its attitude to the guaranteed price, it attacks the whole dairy industry.” i Mr. O’Shea referred to statements made by the Dominion president of the union (Mr. W. W\ Mulholland) about the guaranteed price scheme. He said that Mr. Mulholland, as a believer) in co-operative enterprise, had stated that if the Government was prepared to hand back control to the dairy farmers, he personally would welcome it. The president was expressing his own personal opinion which, however, was absolutely in line with the union’s policy. Mr. Mulholland was one of the leaders of thought as applied to cooperation in New Zealand. “There has been a suggestion by one member of the Government that, because of the union’s attitude, what is termed in trade union circles a scab union of farmers should be formed,” said Mr. O’Shea. “1 wonder what the Government would think if leaders of the Farmers’ Union suggested that the same course should be taken among the workers.” Resolutions carried by big dairy factory companies in Taranaki had supported the union, said Mr. O’Shea; but these resolutions had received no publicity in the press.