GUARANTEED PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1938, Page 6

GUARANTEED PRICE

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS MR HAMILTON’S CRITICISM. “COLLAPSE OF GOVERNMENT SCHEME.” (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 12. Conflicting statements made by Ministers of the Crown concerning various points raised in recent political addresses were the subject of comment i.y the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, before his departure from Auckland on Saturday. Mr Hamilton dealt particularly with divergent Ministerial opinions concerning this season’s surplus in the dairy industry account.

“The manner in which the Government is attempting to cajole farmers is almost ludicrous,” Mr Hamilton said. “In .the first place the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, informed a Farmers’ Union conference that the surplus of about £500,000 would be distributed among producers. Then the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, said he would give effect io the Prime Minister’s promise. He did not know how, but he would think the matter out. Finally, the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, a man of principles who is not given to election bribery, informed the country that on this one occasion the Government was prepared to depart from its policy of making the dairy industry account self-balancing. “What we have said all along is that surplus moneys in' the dairy industry account belong to the farmers by right. Any surplus represents a . balance realised by sale of the farmers’ produce on the open market. They have worked for it and earned it, but what we know —and what the Government knows —is that the rights of farmers are not recognised by the law. Mr Fraser has shown honestly and clearly that in election year the Government is willing to make a temporary amendment to its own laws in order to hand over to the farmer a portion of what rightfully belongs to him.” ■' ■ . ‘ •

Mr Hamilton said it was ridiculous for Ministers to assert that they were adhering to their original policy. When the marketing legislation was first brought downjt had been stated by Government members time and again that any. surplus on the first year’s operations would be used for the benefit of the dairy industry and that any loss would be the responsibility of the Government and would represent its contribution toward the stability of the dairy industry. After the first season the account would be made self-bal-ancing, surpluses being held to counteract possible deficits in other years. “Now we are witnessing the collapse of the Government scheme,” Mr Hamilton added. “The whole foundations of its guaranteed price system are to be undermined for reasons of political expediency. I do not think for a moment that dairy-farmers will swallow the very obvious bait which Mr Savage is offering.” One point which might have been overlooked, Mr Hamilton added, was that the pay-out of this year’s surplus, or of any portion of it, would require legislative sanction. Mr Nash had abounding belief in the efficacy of his own theories and before the farmers congratulated themselves on scoring a point they would be well advised to see what restrictions and conditions the Minister placed round his amending legislation.