THE GUARANTEED PRICE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 56, 29 November 1937, Page 7

THE GUARANTEED PRICE

"Biggest Hoax in History," Says Col. Hargest EXCHANGE RATE DEFENDED "If there was ever anything justifiable in this country, it was the raising of the exchange rate," said Colonel •Hargest, speaking at Otane on Saturday night. ' ' Mr Savage knows he can 't remove it. All our secondary industries are sheltering under its protection." "Would you lake it off if you got in?" asked a questioner. Colonel Hargest: No. "Then why do you want the Labour Party to take it off?" he was asked. Colonel Hargest: Because they promised before the election that they would. In reply to a further question as to whether the present exchange rate would always be necessary, the speaker replied: "I don't know. Probably it will be necessary until our competitors — Australia and Argentine — remove theirs." "The biggest hoax this country has known," was how the ispeaker described the guaranteed-price scheme. When the scheme was brought forward, he saicl, it was never suggested that the Government would commandeer tho produce and take it right out of the farmers' hands. "I know that there are out-and-out Communists in the present Lagour Party," he added. "What has happened in Bussia can happen here. Mr Semple -and Mr Savage may hurl diatribes at the Communist, but they are certaiu that every Communist in the country is behind them and will vote for them next election. They know that no Nationalist candidate will get one Communist vote, so what is the use of this pretence. There are no half wqys to Socialism. In this country the poorest boy can get to the top of the ladder. There 's notliing wrong with a system that allows that." The Nationalist Party had never opposed high wages, s said Colonel Hargest, as long as industry could pay them. "I say now that we are not going to cut wages," he said.