GAMBLING ON FUTURE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 192, 31 August 1937, Page 8

GAMBLING ON FUTURE

— Press Association.)

( Bt TclearaDh-

NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night. Suggesting that Mr Nash will find it necessary to explain whether the enhanced price is a gamble on future values, or il he has information which satisfies him that the present values of New Zealand dairy produce in Great Britain are likely'to remain or to im« prove, the Taranaki Daily News comments on the new guaranteed prict for dairy produce. "The Minister would be well advised," continues the iNews, "to explain why the Government consistently refuses to refer the State purchase of dairy produce to an independent authority upon which producers would be. represented and to whom farmers' organisations could tender information regarding costs of production with tho certainty that it would receive -ful| consideration before a price was arrived at. The request for such an authority is only for an extension of the system which now appiies when the State buys compulsorily any privata property other than dairy produce. "There is certainly oue gamble in which the farmer is asked to take a hand," the articlq continues. "He is asked to assurue that the proposed iucrease in the price will eover' increased costs on the i'arm, in the factory and until the butter and cheese are placed aboard ship. It is a- gamble which many farmers, in the ligiht of recent experience, will approach with , much trepidation, for they see steadiiy increasing iirices for almost every; commodity essential to primary production. Soouer or later the Mmistry will have to show upon vvhat premisea the new price has been arrived at. "Dairy farmers will agree that the Government iu purchasing their output must take into account the values obtainable when dairy produce is sold and must regard also the interests ot the general taxpayer. They will nota with approval that the premiums fox; liigher quaiity produce are to continue, and it is satisfactory to knojy that the JMinister found that the Marketing system in Britain evolved the Dairy Board functioned quite satisfactorily under State control. What is not so satisfactory is that the shipping coutract concluded by the Minister ot Marketing couccded a rise of " 2^ per cent. in export freights, while * Australia has secured a reiluction ivorth £500,(X)0 a year in her shipping agreement. "It may be suggested that rising costs will be otfset by increased production. That raises tho question whether the chan'uels tor disDosal ar« to remain opeii as at present. In uthor words, has the Minister ^een able to secure from the Government of Great Britain protection afc least as iavourahle as that contain in the Ottawa agreement, a reuewal of which has been obtained by Canadai1 llie farming community in Britain has by no means relinquished its endeavours to have a levy placed upon all iniported dairy produce whether from Empire or from foreign countries,-'