THE GUARANTEED PRICE

Northland Age, Volume 8, Issue 2, 12 October 1938, Page 9

THE GUARANTEED PRICE

Sir. —In your issue of the sth inst. Mr. E. R. Bird comments rather caustically on Mr. C. W. Boswell’s statement in Awanui concerning the compensated price. I really feel that it is a pity Mr. Bird himself had not been at the

meeting, as to rely on hearsay concerning matters of this nature is not always reliable. If Mr. Bird had been present at the meeting I do not think he would have written as he did. At the meeting Mr. Boswell said, in effect, that he did not understand the compensated price because so many different ideas were being put forward as to the compensated price and therefore it was hard to know which was the real one. Now I would ask, Can this be denied?* I think not, because we have had Mr. Hamilton’s statement on a compensated price, and also we have had Mr. Mulholland, Dominion President of the F.U., speaking on this subject and his views seem to be pretty close to Mr. Hamilton’s. Mr. Bird does not agree, I take it, with these views ; in fact I know he agrees with the compensated price case as outlined by Colonel Closey. This latter is quite different in my opinion, to- the others and yet when all is said and done, Mr. Mulholland speaks officially for the Farmers’ Union. It seems to me that if those who advocate the compensated price as outlined by Colonel Closey were to repudiate other interpretations it would clear matters, but so far they have failed to do so effectively.

Also, in his letter attacking Mr. Boswell’s attitude it is evident that Mr. Bird thinks there is something wrong because Labour people do not bestow love and blessings on the compensated price leaders. However I would ask compensated price supporters if this is not really expecting too much when we consider the attitude adopted by the compensated price paper “Progress” during recent months. This paper has done nothing but harshly criticise the Labour Government, and yet while claiming to be non-party they have been extremely lenient while dealing with the other side. When the National Party leader supposedly adopted the com-

pensated price they did not bother to properly criticise the wrongful interpretation he placed upon it. It is, in fact, no exaggeration t 0 say that “Progress” has given many people an anti-Labour bias, and that it has been of great assistance to the National Party. If the compensated price leaders did not mean to do this, then they have been skilfully out-man-oevoured.

As far as Mr. Bird’s four points are concerned, I quite agree with them but I believe they are covered in the guaranteed price system. I hope that Mr. Bird agrees with me, and that if so he will see that the thing to do if he considers they have not been interpreted fully is to get the farmers’ organisations to press the matter. It is no good getting annoyed now and attacking the Government that has established the guaranteed price principle. To do so at present only assists the National Party to gain votes, and I hope Mr. Bird does not want to do that. Finally may I say that if the National Party won this election the compensated price supporters would then find that the Nationals would have n 0 time for them or the compensated price. They would only wreck the guaranteed price system, and as a dairy farmer I, for one, would not like to see that happen and

I certainly think the big majority of dairy farmers agree with me. Yours, etc., V. WILCOX.