DID NOT ASK FOR A SUBSIDY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 98, 28 April 1939, Page 7

DID NOT ASK FOR A SUBSIDY

MR. MULHOLLAND EXPLAINS INTERVIEW WITH MR. SAVAGE MISLEADING SUMMARY TO A REPORT. I Per Press Association 1 CHRISTCHURCH, April 27. A denial that he had discussed a subsidy with the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) was made hy Mr. W. W. Mulholland, President of lhe New Zealand Farmers’ Union, in a statement before the North Canterbury executive of the Union. Mr. Mulholland said that a summary published with a report, of his recent interview with Mr. Savage had given the impression that he had asked for a subsidy of from £5.000,00!) to £7,000,000. "I am afraid that people got lhe impression that I asked for a subsidy,” said Mulholland. "Subsidies were never discussed. In the body of the report the position was sta‘e,l correctly, but in the summary at the top of the report, which was sent throughout New Zealand by the PrciS Association, an unfortunate impression was given. "A figure of £15.000,000 to £7,000,000 r was mentioned in the interview,” ? said Mr. Mulholland, "but it v.as 5 merely by way of illustrating what f the guaranteed price would mean. Mr. Savage raised the question of a guaranteed price, but. officially, because he had no instructions to do so from the union, Mr. Mulholland could not discuss i' He did discuss it informally and told the Prime Minister that the experience of dairy farmers did not suggest that a solution of the sheep farmers’ difficulties lay «n a guaranteed price. "I said that. £5.000,000 Io £7.000,000 t would be necessary to finance a guaranteed price.” said Mr. Mulholland, "and asked if the Government could ’ find that amount. That was the only reference to money. I also asked Mr. Savage to let mo have a mcmoran- ' dum of what he thought could he done and how it could be done. The report itself makes that quite clear, , but the summary was misleading. It , is very unfortunate that, all over the country, an entirely misleading sumI mary of the interview has been pubI lished. I hope my explanation will be given as wide publicity as the er--5 roncous summary." i