GUARANTEED PRICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 9

GUARANTEED PRICE

“TOTALLY INADEQUATE” PROMISE NOT FULFILLED FARMERS’ UNION RESOLUTION I liv IVles! mph I'recs Association! WELLINGTON, 10th September. A statement submitted to the Minister of Marketing the Hon. Walter Nash) by a deputation from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to-day announced that the following resolution had been carried by the Dominion. Executive of the Union on Wednesday: “That the price for dairy produce as recently announced by the Minister for Marketing is totally inadequate, and in no way fulfils the promises made by the Government to the dairy farpier.” It was stated that this was a Domin-ion-wide protest embracing the biggest butter manufacturing company in Auckland down to the small but efficient cheese factories in Southland. (Earlier messages will be found on page 15 of this issue.) “It was contended by the Union that the price announced would not allow the dairy farmer to pay competitive rates of wages, nor would it allow him reasonable interest on his capital. It also claimed that the price would be insufficient to cover the increased costs at production.” In reply, Mr Nash made it clear that no change would be made during the current season in the prices already fixed. He said that the price covered the payment of so much per pound of butterfat for all the labour on the farm. Mr Nash claimed that the dairyfarmer was better off last year than he had been for the preceding seven or eight years. DENIED RIGHT TO BROADCAST COMPLAINT .BY FARMERS’ UNION COMMENT BY MINISTER WELLINGTON, This Day. The complaint by members of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union that they had been denied the right of broadcasting their opinions on the guaranteed price decisions was subject to specific comment by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, in his reply to a deputation which waited on him yesterday. Mr Nash said he had no doubt that arrangements could be made for a representative of the Farmers’ Union to discuss the guaranteed price position at a time when a broadcast was being made on the subject by a representative of the Government. Both sides of the argument would then be presented. However, the detailed figures on which the Government had based its decision would probably be released in the near future and the discussions in Parliament, which wouldcover the whole position, would doubtless be broadcast.