GUARANTEED PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 July 1939, Page 5

GUARANTEED PRICE

ATTITUDE OF DAIRY BOARD OUTLINED MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE. CALLED FOR NEXT MONTH. (By Telegraph—Press Association., WELLINGTON, This Day. The attitude of the Dairy Board toward the guaranteed price scheme was outlined in a statement made last night by the chairman, Mr W. E. Hale, in commenting on the Prime Minister's recent statement. He said that the board had from the outset regarded the scheme as a matter of Government policy, and had co-operated with the Minister of Marketing. At the same time he stressed that the industry had nevei’ asked for the scheme, nor had it had the opportunity of voting independently on the question, and that that section which had originally favoured it had since found that costs had soared above the benefits.

A meeting of the special committee set up to handle the guaranteed price question on behalf of the industry had been fixed for early in August, said Mr Hale. By then the Government’s intentions would probably be clarified and the industry would be in a sound position to review the matter in light of recent developments.

“The position which the Dairy Board has taken up from the very inception of the guaranteed price scheme is that it is a matter of Government policy." said Mr Hale. “The board has therefore worked in co-operation with the Minister of Marketing and has presented the industry’s viewpoint to him from time to time.”

The dairy industry had never asked for the guaranteed price scheme, nor had it ever had the opportunity of voting independently on the question, said Mr Hale, but in view of the cost of production in New Zealand today the dairy-farmer had to have some protection. That section of the industry which originally favoured the guaranteed price scheme considered that the price to be paid was to be a New Zealand price based on the farmers' costs, but had since found to its sorrow that its costs of production and manufacture had been running continually ahead of the benefits obtained under the scheme, said Mr Hale.

The dairy-farmer’s complaint, particularly during the past season, when the standard recommended by the guaranteed price advisory committee had been altered by the Minister of Marketing, was that he was not protected against the steadily rising costs. He felt that now that his price, instead of being a price fixed in accordance with the terms of the Act, was simply an average of the market price and did not take fairly into account the high cost under which he was labouring.

Mr Hale added that it had been decided at the Dairy Board meeting last Wednesday to call together early in August the special committee set up to handle * the guaranteed price question on behalf of the industry. That meeting, comprising representatives of the National Dairy Federation, the South Island Dairy Association, the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and members of the Dairy Board, would closely consider the present position and, if it was thought necessary, the elected delegates to the Dairy Board’s Dominion conference would be called to Wellington. That decision to call the committee together had been made before the Prime Minister’s statement, said Mr Hale, but by the time it met. the Government's intentions would probably be clarified and could be considered along with other aspects of the matter. MEMBER FOR WAIRARAPA WANTS OPINIONS OF DAIRY FARMERS EXPRESSION BY LETTER INVITED. A note has been received from Mr Ben Roberts, M.P., in which he stales: "As member for Wairarapa, I attended the meeting with the Ministers of the Crown, when the farmers' “march on Parliament” took place on Thursday last. Among others. Mr W. J. Thomas, Carterton, on behalf of the Union, pleaded for a free exchange in place of the present policy. I am anxious to know whether that represents the true opinion of the dairy farmers and I would appreciate a short letter from any dairy farmers addressed to myself, c/o House of Representatives, Wellington, as early as possible, saying whether they want the guaranteed price policy abandoned or retained”