PRICE GUARANTEE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24676, 31 August 1943, Page 4

PRICE GUARANTEE

NATIONAL PARTY PLAN

VIEWS OF DAIRY LEADERS (0.C.) HAMILTON. Monday "The guaranteed minimum price for dairy farm produce as referred to by Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, in his election policy, is a good thing," said Mr. S. A. Ferguson, of Morrinsville, chairman of the South Auckland Dairy Association, today. Mr. Ferguson said a minimum price was most necessary in order to guard against the effect of violent fluctuations, due to slumps or inflation, and he hoped it would he maintained. Continuing, Mr. Ferguson said he did not quite understand Mr. Holland's reference to ceiling prices being determined by the producers themselves.' He did not know how such a proposition would work and would like to have the point elaborated in detail before commenting further on it. m Mr. A. J. Sinclair, secretary-manager of the Te Awamutu Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, said he understood Mr. Holland to mean that the maximum price for dairy produce would be fixed by a method similar to that adopted recently, by which a conference of representatives of the Government and the industry would take evidence as to costs and prices and would then make a* recommendation to the Government as to the price that should be paid to producers. Other dairy leaders interviewed expressed uncertainty as to what Mr. Holland meant and one asked how a ceiling price could be fixed when the sale price on the greater part of New Zealand's dairy output was subject to overseas influences. Another question asked was what the New Zealand housewife would have to say if a ceiling price were fixed on butter sold in New Zealand.

SOLDIERS AND THE LAND MR. BARCLAY'S CONTENTIONS (0.C.) MATAMATA, Monday No one had done more to bring about a Coalition Government in New Zealand than the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Eraser, said the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, addressing an audience of 300 in the Matamata Town Hall to-night. Australia, Canada and South Africa had held elections, the United States would shortly do so, and only Britain, which was menaced and had a Coalition Government, had not held an election. In spite of mistakes, New Zealand's war effort, and the work of her Division, were things to be proud of and had been praised overseas, said the Minister. The. Government intended to look after the soldiers. The Pensions Bill, he claimed, had given entire satisfaction to the New Zealand Returned Services Association, and the Rehabilitation Act would be implemented in the same generous fashion. Already 100 returned soldiers from this war had been settled on the land. All had been given the freehold and an advance of 100 per cent. The Serviceman's Settlement and Land Sales Act, the Minister contended, had been passed at the request of the last New Zealand Returned Services Association conference. The Government had received cablegrams from all over the world for copies of the Act, and he predicted that it would be copied as the Social Security Act had been. Members of the land sales committees and the Land Court wouldbe appointed irrespective of their political opinions, said Mr. Barclay. The Court would not be under the control of the Minister, and no final decision could be made by it without the signature of the presiding Judge, who could not be dismissed any more than a Supreme Court Judge.

Although there was no appeal against the Court'B-d©ci«ion, roKoarinp;3 could be applied for, the Minister continued. No farmer would be taken from an economic unit. He estimated that in the Matamata district that would be about 200 acres. He was convinced that 90 per cent of the land required would he secured without compulsion.

A vote of thanks to the Minister was passed on the motion of the Mayor, who presided.

WORKERS' EDUCATION

RED FLAG NOT SUNG A denial that proceedings of the Workers' Educational Association were commenced with the singing of the Red Flag was made yesterday by Mr. P. Martin Smith, Director of Adult Education under the Auckland University College. Mr. Smith said that remarks to this effect made by Mr. H. M. Hammond at a recent meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council were "without any truth whatsoever." Mr. Smith added as evidence of the fact that the W.E.A. was strictly nonpolitical that in the present election campaign W.E.A. students were standing as candidates for various political parties, including the National Party, Labour Party and Democratic Labour Party and as Independents. QUALITY OF MILK Reporting to the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council yesterday oil the quality of milk sold in the city and suburbs, and on the North Shore during July, the council's analyst, Mr. L. S. Spackman, stated that, of 657 samples, analysed, only one contained added water. Bacteriological tests of milk from regular licensed suppliers showed- it to be of' a very high standard. Tests of milk supplied by vendors and shops were also very satisfactory. COALFIELD RESERVES "In ten years, we will have exhausted the hydro capacities of the North Island, and then wg will be faced with the problem of obtaining plant that will reduce peak loads and lit in with hydro-electric plants," said the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, at a meeting of the Auckland Elec-tric-Power Board "Although tlie Hon. W. Nash has said that the coalfield reserves of the Dominion are very much less than was previously supposed," Mr. Bartley continued, "men intimate with the coalfields claim that they can prove to the contrary. This matter should be taken up with Mr. Nash."