The Waikato Times FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1939 CAMPAIGN FOR STABILISATION

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20785, 21 April 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1939 CAMPAIGN FOR STABILISATION

Stability of wages and prices, which Mr Xash put forward at the dairy conference as of paramount importance to New Zealand in the immediate future, will probably become a much discussed topic and may, and should, develop into a definite campaign. It will be welcomed by everyone, for every citizen has shared the difficulties and the worries of constantly changing conditions and steadily mounting costs. Business has been hampered seriously because no one could lay plans for the future on a reasonably settled basis. 3lr Nash, however, seeks to stabilise conditions on the present basis; whether he can do so with justice without first adjusting several important anomalies K another matter. .Mr Nash denies that New Zealand is at present involved in an upward spiral of costs, but everyone knows that costs have been rising rapidly and without intermission in the past three years. Can it be said with justice that every section of the community has enjovod increased returns commensurate with its particular additional burden of costs ? Some have leapt ahead and others have fallen into arrears. If Mr Nash can adjust those anomalies and then stabilise the whole structure he will perform good service to the country. In the interests of stability he has asked the dairy farmers to accept in the coming season the guaranteed prices paid in the current season. And he evidently expects sheep farmers to be satisfied with their present position, although heavily increased costs have placed them in difficulties. In the whole scheme of stabilisation it must be remembered that both the sheep farmer and the dairy farmer occupy in the minds of the present Government a position far different from the estimate of their worth held by previous administrations. The value of the farm owner is expressed in a “wage” of £4 10s a week, and presumably the sheep farmer is placed on a similar level. The farming community has its own opinions whether, especially in view of the importance of the primary industries to the Dominion, that is a fair and reasonable assessment. Mr Nash has made an appeal to them in the name of patriotism to remain satisfied with their present lot. At the same time the Minister is not willing or able to guarantee that costs of production will not advance further. If they do, he does not wish to give the farmers any further compensation. That attitude is scarcely in keeping with tUo spirit of the legislation which gave the dairymen a guaranteed price. Stabilisation without adjustments may lead to an even more serious decline in primary production and thus defeat the ends which Mr Nash seeks to achieve. It is impossible to hold the primary industries at a fixed level unless •ill other sections of the community share in the effort. The policy of stabilisation will have wholehearted support if the obvious injustices are eliminated.