GUARANTEED PRICE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 182, 2 July 1938, Page 6

GUARANTEED PRICE.

RECOMMENDATIONS BY COMMITTEE. DIFFERING SUGGESTIONS. WELLINGTON, July 1. Guaranteed prices for the current season’s purchases of butter recommended by the members of the special committee which reported to the Government last year were disclosed by the Minister of Education (Hon. P. Eraser), during the Address-in-Iteply debate in the House of Representatives yesterday. Three recommendations were submitted to the Government. Mr Fraser said that five members of the committee had recommended a guaranteed price for butter of 13.16 d, three members had recommended 13.57 d, and two members had recommended 13.81 d. The price the beginning of the season was 13.25 d, but this had now been increased to 13.66 d. The latter price, with one exception, was higher than that recommended by ally section of the committee.

“No one is prepared to lace up to the dairy-farmer and advocate the abolition of the guaranteed price,” said Mr Fraser. “The recent National Dairy Conference, after discussing whether it should trust the Government or a tribunal to determine next season’s prices, voted in favour of the Government. -

“The Opposition has been talking about compensated prices and a reduction in costs. We have not been told how costs are to be reduced. Is the Opposition in favour of a reduction in tariffs, and if it is, what is going to be done about the secondary industries? Does it favour the use of the public credit, or a reduction in wages? The only other way that costs can be reduced is! by a reduction in the, expenditure on social services, and it would be interesting to know if the Opposition intends to adopt that course,” Mr Fraser added.