GUARANTEED PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1939, Page 6

GUARANTEED PRICE

ATTITUDE OF FARMERS’ UNION ABOLITION NOT ADVOCATED. ATTACKS BY MINISTERS RESENTED. A good deal of discussion regarding recent Press reports on the suggested abolition of the dairy guaranteed price took place at today's meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. The general feeling was in favour of a continuation of the guaranteed price for dairy produce. Several members were of opinion that, the Dominion President of the Farmers’ Union (Mr (V. W. Mulholland) was against the guaranteed price and that he was in favour ef its abolition. Other members defended M Mulholland, pointing out that memberhad misinterpreted Mr Mulholland'” views and that actually he was in favour of the guaranteed price scheme, his main objection to it being that it was under political control. “No resolution was passed .against the guaranteed price at the Dominion conference.’’ said the Provincial President (Mr H. Morrison). “The resolution was: ‘That standards and conclusions as reported by the 1938 Guaranteed Price Investigation Committee be endorsed and the conference protests against the arbitrary alterations of such standards and prices by the Minister. That this conference is unable to agree to the Minister’s suggestion that the prices fixed by the Government for the current season should be continued for the 19339-40 season. That the conference is of the opinion that in order to do justice to the producer and give effect to the provisions of the Primary Products Marketing Act, the price to be paid for the 1939-40 season should be the price recommended by the 1938 Advisory Committee, plus ascertainable increases in costs sipce the date of the committee’s report. In conformity with the Union’s policy of reduction of costs, and in order to co-operate with the Government, this conference supports the offer made by the Dairy Board’s Dominion conference to forego any increases in costs and to accept for the 1939-40 season the standards and prices recommended by the 1938 Advisory Committee.’

In endorsing Mr Morrison's remarks Mr W. J. Thomas said that whether or not the farmers wanted the guaranteed price, it was never brought up at the Dominion conference. Mr Thomas said he also resented the attacks made against the Union by Ministers, describing them as unwarranted and unfair. Mr Morrison: “I am a sheep man. but if I were asked to vote on this question I would definitely favour a continuation of the guaranteed price.” The discussion then lapsed.