NOT SPOON=FED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1938, Page 3

NOT SPOON=FED

FARMERS AND GUARANTEED PRICE Mr J. S. Hickey, chairman of directors of the Opunake Dairy Company, at the annual meeting of the company made reference to the guaranteed price and said he strongly resented any suggestion that the dairy farmers were being spoon-fed. They were being paid by the Government only what their produce realised. The marketing of the produce was now unfortunately a political matter, but he reminded suppliers that any payments made to them were made entirely from realisations overseas and that they were under' no obligation whatever to any Government for any part of these payments. The present system was supposed to give them security but anyone with even a slight knowledge of sound economics knew that the possibility of fluctuating markets coupled with enormously extravagant expenditure in other directions must tend to make the farmers’ business as well as every other business most insecure. The farmers would be wise to so consolidate their positions while they could that if necessary they could weather any storm likely to come.