GUARANTEED PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 June 1939, Page 8

GUARANTEED PRICE

SCHEME FOR MEAT AND WOOL NOT FAVOURED STRONG OPPOSITION EVIDENT. VIEWS OF WAIRARAPA SHEEP FARMERS. Very definite opinions against the adoption of a guaranteed price scheme for meat and wool were voiced at a mass meeting of sheep farmers held in the Opera House, Masterton, yesterday. The meeting decided by an overwhelming majority against anv such scheme.

Mr L. T. Daniell advanced reasons in favour of the scheme, stating that as it applied to butterfat and wheat, he himself had experienced no interference under the scheme and had received really good prices. Ha did not hold out much hope from the Royal Commission recently set up. No date on which to report had been stipulated, nor did he think a proposal to raise the exchange would meet the position. One of the alternatives to the guaranteed price would be to change the Government. Mr Hugh Morrison said he was definitely against the guaranteed price scheme, it meant the socialisation of their industry—the handing over of the whole of the meat and wool industry which they had built up for the last thirty years and putting it in the hands of the Government. Surely, said Mr Morrison, they had more self-, reliance than that and wanted to handle their own produce. The sheep industry was the biggest in New Zealand- Last year wool returns dropped by eight or nine millions. How would it be possible for the Government to meet a drop of that amount when they knew its exchequer was empty? It would mean wild inflation. The conditions under which the sheep farmers were placed were different altogether from the dairy industry. Butterfat was sold in Tooley Street, whereas wool was sold all over the world.

Mr H. Bennett said they could not bring costs down unless they brought wages down. He had never advocated reducing wages. When they could not get costs down they must put up the prices of produce. The individual dairy farmer was not doing so badly. Not only were costs up, but taxation was also higher, “How can the Government possibly pay more than the present value of our produce?” asked Mr H. H. Mawley. “The idea is absolutely ridiculous.” (Hear, hear). Mr Simon Dalgliesh asserted that the dairy industry today was sweated, as teachers were complaining about children working in the milking sheds and he knew of a case in this district in which a mother, three weeks after coming out of a nursing home, was milking cows. Mr J. M. James said the foundation of the guaranteed price scheme was a rotten one on which to build. It was not going to help the Dominion one iota. He hoped he would never see the day that the sheep farmer would consent to it. Mr Dalgliesh moved: “When the Government agrees to pay the dairy farmer what the Advisory Committee unanimously recommended they should receive for their produce, on conditions laid down by the Minister of Finance, plus increased costs, until then, we, the sheep farmers, will not consider the Prime Minister’s offer of a guaranteed price for our meat and wool.” Mr R. D. McKenzie seconded lhe amendment, but it was considered better to take a straightout vote on the guaranteed price. On the question being put to the meeting there was a roar of “noes” in response to a small minority in favoui’ of the scheme.