GUARANTEED PRICE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 155, 19 July 1937, Page 6

GUARANTEED PRICE

Anxiety Among Farmers DIVIDED COMMITTEE Inquiry among delegates to the N.Z, Farmers' Union conference revotiled considerable anxiety in regard to the guaranteed price for dairy produce that will be paid during the«coming season. The matter has been referred by the Government to a committee, of which Sir Franeas Frazer is chalrman, other members being Messrs. D. Jones, G. A. Duncan (Exeeutive Commisslon of Agriculture), D. O. Williams (formerly "economiat at Massey College and now a director of the Bank of New Zealand), N. H. Moss (solicitor, Stratford), A. Morton (chairman National Dairy Association), B. Roberts, M.P., W. E. Hale (New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company), A. J. Sinciair (Te Awamutu Dairy Company), J. Dunlop (Southland) an.d E. Faweett, statistician, Department of Agriculture. It is alleged that considerable differences of opinion have arisen between the members of the committee and that the farmer members of i,t have been nnable to impress their ideas of what would be a fair price upon the other members of the committee. "The dairy industry is, I fesr, iikely to receive some very uncoipfortable disillusionment when the new guaranteed price as announced," said ox^e member of the Farmers' Union. It was the uncertainty in regard to the committee 's attitude which had, he thought, made the union pass a resolution demanding that an impartial tribunal should fix the guaranteed price. He«.,did not think at was fair to the producer that he should be compelled to accept a price fixed by the buyer, and it had to be remembered that by special legislation the farmer 's right of appeal to the courts had been taken from him. "If the rumours concerning the committee 's findings are even approximately correct I think i.t will be difflcult for the Government to prove that It has accomplished.the purpose for which the guaranteed price system was established," said another farmer. "The Government stated that its aim was to giv«* the farmer as good a return for his capital and industry as was obtainable by others performing equivalent services for the community. That is all we ask, and we think our claiim is reasonable." The committee will meet again this week and it is expected that finality will be reached by July 37-