SHARP DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 210, 21 September 1937, Page 3

SHARP DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

Press Association.)

Wairarapa Farmers Divided on Guarantee RISING-C0STS FACT0R

rBv TeleeraDh—

MASTERTON, Last Night. An extended debate on the subject of dairy gaaranteed priees whicli developed at the meetxng of the Wairarapa provincial executive of the Farxners ' Union to-day was remarkabie for the sharp difference of opxnxon clisclosed between the dairy farmers. The sheep farmers present refrained from taking pact in the discuesion. Eventually two Featherston remits, one approving of the princip.le of stabilised dairy prices and the other declaring that the new se.ason's price was not suliicient to meet the increased costs, were both referred back to the branehes of the union. Reporting on the meeting of the Don]ion executive at which he ^ had represented the- Wairarapa provincial executive, Mr W. J. Thomas contended that the guaranteed price was inadequate and the inerease made might he cancelled out by the rising costs during the period for which the price had bee.x iixed. . . Two other members of the provxncxal executive, Messrs • G. A. Hansen and F. E. Jensen, strongly supported the guaranteed price. ^ Mr Hanseix deelared that much of the opposition to guaranteed prices, includino- that of the Dominion executive^ of the Farmers' Union, was for political ptxrposes. . , , Mr Jensen said that the prxncxples of stability and security embodied xn ' the guaranteed price were aeeeptable to 80 per cent. of the dairy farmere and probably to 90 per cent. of thexr number. While Mr Thonxas contended that eompensated prices and guaranteed prices were exaet reversals one of tho other, Mr Jensen deelared that eompensated prices and gnaranteed prices were much the same thing.