THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19878, 6 May 1936, Page 6

THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE

When the guaranteed price proposal was before the electors there were so many versions, given by various Labour candidates, that naturally the electors gained only a general impression of the plan. At one time the present Minister of Finance urged the creation of a stabiliSation fund out of any profits, and the Minister of Public \Vurks said that the plan was simply one of a repayuble ndvnnco—repuyable, in some unknown way, by the overseas consumers. But throughout, the stress was laid on a guaranteed price. That was the election slogan and it was efiective. On Monday the representatives of the dairy companies in the \Vaikuto met and dis—cussed the Marketing Bill and one speaker said that “no mention prior to the election had been made of the Government’s intention to purchase the produce compulsorily." That is probably correct, but the outline of the plan given by Mr Nash made that. certain.

In an effort to make the probabilities plain to the producers, we reviewed the Labour proposal on November 14 and drew attention to the feet that “ the price fuetor is by no means the most important, as it matter of national policy, and it may deflect public inquiry from the Yllfll principle involved.” That principle, we said, was State ownership, and we stated plainly that the Labour proposal “ involves the pun'hnh‘e by the State of the exportnble surplus of our production." Unfortunately, at the time. the price faetor overshadowed :1]! other issues, but State ownership was emJotlied in the scheme from the beginning. and, to the Labour Government, that is prol)ul)l_\' more important than the price to be paid. It is eorreet to say that no emphasis was laid on this principle ll_\' the Lahour vaudidutes. In the ease of the rank turd file that can well be understood, because their strangely varied accounts of whut the plun wus, and what it involved, showed plainly that they themselves llltl not actually know its final form. The price was the thing thut attracted the elector: the sot-ialistie policy of State ownership of distribution and exchange was kept in the. hackground.