Mr Fraser On Guaranteed Prices

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1938, Page 7

Mr Fraser On Guaranteed Prices

[Per Press Association. Copyright. ] GISBORNE, This Day. A charge of deliberate misrepresentation in regard to the guaranteed price was made today by the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser. He referred to a report published in a Wellington newspaper in connection with Mr Fraser’s statement at Ruatoria on the guaranteed price. Intent to Mislead. ‘T have seen the message published in Wellington,” he said. , “It is just another instance of deliberate misrepresentation by this newspaper. The indent to mislead is more pronounced in this case than in most others. It was done by introducing the following words, that were never used in any way by me; ‘The distribution to the farmers of the surplus in the Dairy Industry Account is not part of the Government’s policy, but is merely a special arrangement for the current year.’ Then, by inferentially attributing their sentiments to me, the impression was created that I was making reference to the future application of the Government's policy.

“I did not make any reference to future years or the future policy, for that has been made plain by the Prime Minister in his announcement at the Wellington Provincial Conference of the Farmers’ Union. "1 did point out that the Labour Party has gone as far as it possibly could to ensure that the farmers were treated fairly, and although it had been the announced policy of the Labour Party, prior to the last general election, that under the guaranteed price- system the surplus of one year would be placed against possible losses in other years over a period, the Government had decided to go much further than its announced policy by giving the producers the best possible return, and was going to distribute the surplus among them, and that despite the fact that there had been a less of £ 300 000 the previous year ”