FRIDAY, 5th JULY, 1918 (At Perth.)

Present: Hon. W. C. Angwin, M.L.A. (Chairman). Hon. J. F. Allen, M.L.C. Hon. R G Ardagh, M.L.C. S. M. Brown, Esq., M.L.A. T. H. Harrison, Esq., M.L.A.

WILLIAM HENRY LOCKHARD, farmer, sworn and examined:

1041. By the CHAIRMAN: You desire to make a statement regarding the management of the present Wheat Pool?---Yes, in connection with the inferior or second-grade wheats. I consider the poultry farmers are being garrotted. When we were allowed to deal with the acquiring agents individually, we always got a fair amount of satisfaction. To bear that out, I have here certain accounts which I can show you (documents handed in). However, since the business has been passed to the sole control of Dalgety's we are simply told, Take it or leave it. Once you buy it, that's the end of you. In one case, I remember, in response to a protest they made us an allowance of £2 5s., but since then they will not entertain any protest of any sort. During last month we bought a truck of wheat from them at 4s. 1d. per bushel, and we had to sell some of it at from 5s. to 8s. per bag, stuff that cost us from 11s. 6d. to 12s. per bag. That is under Dalgety's management; they have a monopoly, and they use it, I can assure you. This Commission has already justified its existence, for this morning, on going into the yards to look at some trucks of wheat, we found had been sold at 1s. 6d. and 2s. stuff for which three or four weeks ago they would have demanded 3s. or 3s. 6d. The poultry keeper has been and is being treated shamefully. The whole purpose of it is to make the Pool read well. What I am about to tell you is only hearsay, but it was told to me by Albert Mayor, Messrs. Piesse's representative. He made the remark in front of Mr. Nairn, M.L.A., Mr. Wake, and myself. He asked Mr. Keys why they were demanding such an exorbitant price for the wheat, Mr. Keys simply laughed and said that they had to make the Pool read well. Also Mr. Keys admitted to him that some of the wheat had been brought from North Fremantle to Perth, put on the open market---it is only open above Dalgety's reserve; up to that price bidders are only wasting time; in other words, Dalgety's is the reserve price ---and if the bidding did not reach Dalgety's price it was reconsigned back to North Fremantle, so that it should not appear to be lingering on the market. On two occasions we went as a deputation to Mr. Baxter. To my mind the reply we got from him was a silly old thing. He said the price was fixed by the demand. Why, the demand is simply what Dalgety's make it! If the price is not up to their mark they take the supply off the market. To-day they tell us the market is gutted. The merchant in a position to store a lot of this stuff is getting a throw in, but the unfortunate poultry farmer, being in only a small way, still has to pay the same. Our co-operative society has been compelled to keep the price fairly firm in an endeavour to make up for the losses I have referred to. I got a shock with the last truck of wheat we had from the Pool. The price of the preceding truck was 4s. 1d., but the last truck we got at 3s. 9d. Our secretary went down and inspected it on rail when we had it in the store. I also examined it. It was real good stuff, well worth the money.