Guaranteed Prices For Woolgrowers; P.M. Attacks F.U. Leader

Northern Advocate, 12 May 1939, Page 6

Guaranteed Prices For Woolgrowers; P.M. Attacks F.U. Leader

[Per Press Association. Copyright ] WELLINGTON, This Day. “JT IS A POLITICAL SPEECH FROM END TO END,” DECLARED THE PRIME MINISTER, MR SAVAGE, REFERRING TO AN ADDRESS GIVEN BY MR W. W. MULHOLLAND, DOMINION PRESIDENT OF THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS’ UNION. AT FE3LD3NG LAST NIGHT, WHEN A PROPOSAL FOR GUARANTEED PRICES FOR MEAT AND WOOL WAS REJECTED. MR SAVAGE EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO DESIRE TO FORCE A GUARANTEED PRICE ON WOOLGROWERS. Commenting on a statement made by Mr Mulholland that “the farmer has lost the sympathy of other classes, and that it is his duty to win back that sympathy,” the Prime Minister sa; d the farmer had not lost the sympathy of other classes. “If he has, then Mr Mulholland’s methods of trying to got it back sound peculiar to me,” ho added.

Price Not Known / !. “If Mr Mulholland can tell me what my proposals are in regard to the guaranteed price, he will be educating me, because so far no proposals havebeen submitted to the farmers,” continued the Prime Minister. “I have been asked wbtit the price is likely to be, and I have re- - . plied that it is quite impossible for me to say what it would be before an Inquiry was made. ■“I have not discussed* what the, guaranteed price would be, but I have gone so far as to say that any guaranteed price would have to take intoaccount the farmer’s outlay and other ■conditions. If he did not get a guaranteed. price that would meet all that and give him a decent standard of living, then the guaranteed price would break down.” Dairy Farmer Better Off Mr Savage further commented on a reference by Mr Mulholland to advances made by trading banks to dairy and a statement that Mr Mulholland did not know that the position of the dairy farmer was as bad as it evidently is. Mr Savage said that the guaranteed price had not broken down in the case of the dairy farmer. “I have no complaints from dairy farmers,” he said, “with the exception of one or two officers of the Farmers’ Union, who have been perambulating up and down the country, talking politics most of the time. The dairy farmer to-day is in a more stable position than he has ever been. What is to prevent the same results coming to woolgrowers as has come to the dairy farmer to-day?” Control of Overseas Prices

Destruction of Exploiters “We realise that some farmers are not getting a fair deal,” said Mr Savage, “but it is not due to the wages f hey are paying. There are other things to be corrected. I know a guaranteed price is going to destroy these who are exploiting the woolgrower. It destroyed those who were exploiting the dairy farmer, and I am not going to apologise for that. “The woolgrower wants some stability, and some guarantee as to the future. A guaranteed price would give him that, and it would give the Government a lot of worry, too. We do not want to force anything on the woolgrowers. We are willing to meet them, and try to help them safeguard their future. “I do not know whether Mr Mulholland represents the woolgrowers or not, but, if he does, then I pity the woolgrowers.” In the address given by Mr W. Mulholland, Dominion president of the union, he explained the serious position which sheepfarmers in New Zealand are in today. He advocated as a relief measure a free exchange and a reduction in farmers’ taxation and costs.

Mr Mulholland was reported as saying that if the Government had found it impossible to raise export prices, as its policy required it to do, then it should have the courage to admit its mistake, and proceed to reduce costs to a level at which export industries could maintain production. Referring- to this Mr Savage said rv v Government could be stupid enough to thihk that it could control prices overseas.

“As for courage,” Mr Savage addeci, “if there is any running to be done, I V am not going to do any of it. ’ Commenting on Mr Mulholland’s statement about the high cost of wages. Mr Savage said that if Mr Mulholland waited until this Government reduced the wages and salaries of employees in industry he had a long wait ahead of him. “That is not the way to prosperity,” he said.