GUARANTEED PRICE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 93, 21 April 1939, Page 8

GUARANTEED PRICE

CONFERENCE DECISION ADVSORY COMMITTEE’S PRICES [ Per Press Association J WELLINGTON, April 20. The special committee set up by the dairy conference to bring down one comprehensive report dealing with the guaranteed price presented it to-day. The point was made by Mr. A. Marshall in so doing that the report gave expression to the dairymens willingness to reciprocate in the Minister of Finance’s aim to reduce costs in New Zealand and consequently set out that as a practicable mesaure of co-operation with the Minister the conference offer to forego ascertainable increases in costs and to accept for the 1939-40 season the standards and prices recommended by the 133 b advisory committee. Mr. Marshall pointed out that the conference could not turn a deaf ear to the Hon. W. Nash's plea to bring about some stability and it was recognised that in the end all costs would ultimately come back on io the farmer. Although the committee recommended the 1939-40 price as above, the report nevertheless endorsed as correct the standards and conclusions as recorded by the 1936 guaranteed price investigation committee and protested against the alteration of such standards and prices by the Minister of Marketing. It also set out it was unable to agree to the (Minister's suggestion that the prices | fixed by the Government for the current season should be continued for the 1939-40 season. That price, to do justice to the produce and to give effect to the provisions of the Primary Products Marketing Act, should be the price recommended by the 1938 advisory committee, plus ascertainable increases in costs. Increase in Price. Mr. Marshall stated that if the Government agreed to pay the price for next season as recommended, it would be an increase of .71d on the current season’s price. The report also requested the board, in collaboration with a representative committee, to continue negotiations with the Minister. The report was adopted unanimously and enthusiastically. There was very little discussion. The point was made that the dairy industry alone should not make a sacrifice to reduce costs but would make a sacrifice if other sections of the community walked with it, step by step. The suggestion was made that if the Government did not agree to the committee's recommendations the conference should reassemble, but thio was regarded as a threat to the Government by some delegates and the matter was left in the hands of lhe