CONFERENCE OF

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 108, 24 May 1937, Page 8

CONFERENCE OF

DAIRY GUARANTEE Price "Little Better Than Under Ordinary Marketing. FARMERS' UNION V1EW "The dairying industry has about completed a year under the guaranteed price, and it would appear that the price given will have been little or no better than that which would have been obtained under ordinary marketing conditions," comments the president of tbe Hawke's Bay branch of the .New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr C. 11. Edgecombe, in his annual report which wa* presented to the provincial conferenee on Saturday. "We can. well understand,'' he adds, "that had there been, or if tbere should be in the future, a deficiency in the Primary Products Marketing Account it would immediately become a charge on the general taxpayer of this country, and I firmly believe the farmer will not escape further direct taxation. "At our last Dominion conferenee it was agreed to press for a compensating price for all primary products. This proposal has not been endorsed by some members of our union. It has certainly not been discussed by this executive, and I cubmit it requires oareful consideration. "Legdslation passed by the Government raising wages to an uneconomic level and the subsidising of primary and secondary industries mean in other words, as the cost of living goes up, paying a compensating price to workers and in turn a further compensating price to industry, starting again the vicious circle. I submit that what we condemn in principle we cannot defend in practice."-