NO GUARANTEE

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20513, 1 June 1938, Page 9

NO GUARANTEE

DAIRY PRODUCTION NORTHERN FARMERS’ PROTEST (Special to Times) WHANGAREI, Tuesday ‘‘For the two seasons that the scheme has been in progress, it has become apparent that no guarantee exists,” said Mr E. G. Appleton, chairman of the North Auckland Dairy Conference, to the meeting of delegates at Whangarei to-day, when speaking of the guaranteed price for dairy produce. ‘‘All that has happened is that the Government has commandeered our product arbitarily, determined on an advance to be made to the primary producer, and marketed the produce. "All this has been carried out without advantage to the producer,” said Mr Appleton. ‘ Where savings have been made by virtue of mass marketing, these have been entirely lost in the cost of administration and the increased charges to companies due to deferred shipments. The Government has vaunted widely the saving of i per cent commission, which on last season's output would amount to 6£d per cwt., while the cost of administration of the guaranteed price scheme amounted to 10.09 d per cwt.

Unanimous support was accorded the proposal that, during the operation of the guaranteed price scheme, the price should be determined each season by a tribunal of an equal number of assessors appointed by the Dairy Board and the Government, and presided over by a Supreme Court Judge. The conference affirmed the principle of orderly marketing, as at present in force with dairy products on the British markets. It was decided to ask the Minister of Marketing to arrange for an equivalent return from both sale sources, London and New Zealand.