GUARANTEED PRICES

Grey River Argus, 21 September 1937, Page 5

GUARANTEED PRICES

REPLY TO AGITATORS Is Their Object Politics ? [Per Press Association]. MASTERTON, September 20. An extended debate on the subject of the guaranteed dairy prices developed at a meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union to-day. It was remarkable because a sharp difference of opinion was disclosed between the dairy farmers. The sheep farmers present refrained from faking part in the discussion. Eventually, two Featherston remits, one of them approving of the principle of the stabilised dairy prices, and the other declaring that the new season’s price was not sufficient to meet increased costs, were both referred back to the branches of the Union.

Reporting on a meeting of the Dominion Farmers’ Union Executive, at which he had represented the Wairarapa Provincial Executive, Mr. W. J. Thomas contended that the guaranteed price was inadequate, and that the increase that had been made in it might be cancelled out by rising costs during the period for which the price had been fixed. Two other members of the Provincial Executive, Messrs G. A. Hansen and F. E. Jansen, strongly supported the guaranteed price. Mr. Hansen declared that much of the Opposition to the guaranteed prices, including that of the Dominion Executive of the Farmers’ Union, was for political purposes. Mr. Jansen said that the principles of stability and of security were embodied in the guaranteed price, and these were acceptable to eighty per cent, of the dairy farmers, and probably to ninety per cent, of their number. While Mr. Thomas had contended that compensated prices and guaranteed prices were exact reversals, one of the other, Mr. Jansen, declared that both compensated prices and guaranteed prices were much the same thing.