“We Won’t Be So Well Off During War,” Nash Warns

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1939, Page 2

“We Won’t Be So Well Off During War,” Nash Warns

Iper Press Association. Copyright .]

WELLINGTON, This Day

A warning that people generally would not be as well off during the war as before it started was issued by the Minister for Finance and Marketing (Mr Nash) In an address to the conference of the Dairy Board.

“Irrespective of sterling funds, and they will, affect the position if this war continues, it will be impossible to- get the same quantities of goods as before, so we will all have to have less,” Mr Nash said. '“We cannot have products that are not there, and which it is impossible to get. Same Volume Impossible, “It is impossible, no matter how clever anyone may be, to distribute more products than are produced, and it is not possible, under existing circumstances, to get the same volume of products that we had before September 1.

“We have stated that the United Kingdom can have all our products it wants, even if we can get better prices in other countries.

“We have sold our product at .a given price.

“That prevents the price rising for the period of the contract, but the price we will pay for products will be in a much greater degree than the price we have received for our products. Our Sacrifice. “That is the sacrifice we have to make.” Mr Nash reviewed the negotiations with the United Kingdom Government for the purchase of Now Zealand’s produce. The agreement with the UnitedKingdom was for a year, but. New Zealand had tire right, in May next, to raise the question again if prices wore unsatisfactory on the evidence of the cost of living.

“On the evidence, I do not think we can agree to pay the dairy faiiners more money,” the Minister said. “We will go into the question of fertiliser costs and costs of other commodities used in a maojr degree.” Independent Tribunal Rejected. Dealing with the methods of fixing guaranteed prices, the Minister said lie had. offered an independent tribunal to the industry to have power to fix the price, and the industry had said it did not want it. A delegate: Is the offer still open? Mr Nash: I do not know. I will put that up to the Government again. Referring to socialisation, the Minister said there had never been a thought of altering the procedure associated with the dairy industry. The Government would bring the war measures before Parliament after the war, ami would do ail it could to enable the industry to get back to a peace footing.