Part 5

Page 275
image 36 of 98

This transcription is complete

MEREDITH ROBERTS, Storekeeper and Farmer, Dalwallinu, sworn and examined:

6341. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been in this district for four years and commenced farming operations in the year of the drought, 1914. I had purchased the land the previous year with the crop on it. I hold 622 acres and there is a mile of cartage to the railway. Five hundred and twenty acres are cleared, the whole is fenced and equipped with a two-roomed house, stables and chaff shed. The water supply is a dam seven feet deep, 1,000 cubic yard in extent, but it is not a permanent supply. It goes dry in normal seasons, although for the last two years it has not been dry. It was there when I bought the property. I endeavoured to bore for water in the timbered country. I intend now to bore in the sand-plan.

6342. From your experience as a storekeeper, do you consider the settlers here thrifty and careful, while with others the credit system is their downfall. They are careless of the machinery and do not keep it well covered. They let it lie around until it is wanted again. Their housing accommodation is very poor.

6343. Have there been any acute cases of distress that you know of?—There would have been had it not been for the assistance of the board, and in fact most of them would have had to leave the land.

6344. Under what conditions are the wives and children living?—Reasonably decent conditions. The board has been exceptionally considerate in providing them with a house.

6345. To Mr. CLARKSON: There appear to have been only about four persons here who were not on the Industries Assistance Board, and 50 per cent. of them will make good. I think that the idea of funding their liabilities and spreading them over a period of repayment an excellent one. But some of them when they get credit lose sight of the fact that it has to be paid back. Any man, once he had a fair portion of the land cleared, should be able to make it keep him.

6346. How many bushels pay the expenses of putting in and taking off a crop, allowing for depreciation in machinery, but allowing nothing for a man's own labour and investment?—I averaged 32½ acres with a 16 disc drill for 450 acres. I worked from daylight till dark and never stopped the drill, using two teams. Others, of course, might not work so hard. I had another man there always and with one man did 25 acres a day.

6347. Working on your system, how many bushels would pay the costs at, say, 10s. a bag?—I think I could do it on six bushels, allowing for seed, super, bags and depreciation, which should be very small with ordinary care.

6348. Would bulk handling decrease your costs?—I have not gone into it carefully, and so would not like to offer an opinion; but the present method is costly. Bags, for instance, cost 10½d., and when you sell you get 2d back for them, but I certainly think farmers' implements should come in here free of duty. As a storekeeper I have a grievance. During 1914 and in previous years I and other country storekeepers assisted the farmers and were actually the I.A.B. at that time, but the I.A.B. seized the whole of the proceeds of the 1915 crop and did not pay the other accounts.

6349. By the CHAIRMAN: How late in 1914 did you keep on advancing stores on credit?—We thought in the early part of the year that there was a prospect of getting good crops. We went on as far as October and that was when the Government came to the assistance of the farmers.

6350. Did you have a guarantee expressed or implied that the Government would take them over?—No. We went along the same as in previous years in the hope of getting our money after the crop was taken off. We thought the Government would only take 50 per cent. of the crop and that the other 50 per cent. would be divided pro rata among the outstanding creditors.

6351. Did you get any thing at all?—Yes, the sum of £13s. 10d.

6352. What was your claim?—About £750. Now that the farmers are still owing us money for their stores, as soon as the cash advance has been made they send it away to Perth and buy their requirements there. It is a matter I brought under the notice of the chairman of the board, and he pointed out that they had no jurisdiction over that matter. It was the intention to make cash advances to enable the settlers to spend the money with those who stood by them in previous years.

6353. By Mr. CLARKSON: Perhaps they did not like to spend the cash with you while they owed back debts?—No; but they can purchase cheaper in Perth and have the goods sent up here to them. Even now we are asked to give a certain amount of credit.

6354. Why can they purchase cheaper in Perth?—Because they have no bad debts in Perth and pay cash all the time. I would be quite satisfied to sell here at Perth prices plus freight if I could only get the cash. The future of the district in my opinion is excellent. With normal seasons it should be prosperous. We have the land and the rainfall is all right. When we had drought here they had drought also in the older districts, but before farming can be made the success it should be here, it will be necessary to have sheep so as to get the full value out of the land. By fallowing the land the feed and weeds grow up on it, and at present they are left to die or be killed out by cultivation. Then there is the stubble which is left there till the burning season. I intend to go in for sheep myself.

6555. Do you think that some scheme for providing ewes on extended terms would be feasible?—Yes, but the authorities would need to be careful and see that the farmer was in a position to depasture them. Out east dingoes are said to be troublesome, but not here. The settler's dog will eventually be the worst trouble here. I might mention that I have supplied as much as £150 worth of stores to farmers on bills. Nevertheless any farmer who is careful and works must made headway. There are men who have been here for five years with only 100 acres cleared. To assist men of that type would merely be to encourage laziness.

(The witness retired.)

The Commission adjourned.

Note.—After the adjournment Messrs. C. Kayner and J. H. Osborne interviewed the Chairman. In each case their grievance was faulty reclassification.