Part 9

Page 657
image 22 of 100

This transcription is complete

SATURDAY, 16th JUNE, 1917. ( At Katanning.) Present: B, L, Clarkson, Esq. (in the Chair) H.H. Paynter , Esg F. E. Venn,

GEORGE SALMON GOODCHILD, East Katanning, sworn and examined.

9764. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have farming here 11 years. I had previous experience in England. I hold about 740 acres. My brother and I have 1,400 acres between us. He has gone to the war. I am working the lot while he is away. We have all but 50 acres cleared. All is sheep-proof fenced. We have 130 acres in crop. We had 700 acres in 1915-16. We cannot now get the labour. The cost production is too high on the average return we have had, which has been only nine bushes for the last five years. Last year we had 125 acres in crop. Of the 700 acres we had in in 1915-16 only about 100 was fallow. We do not get much better results from fallow. September and October are too dry for fallow. Oats do better than wheat. The highest average we have had in wheat was 15 bushels, with 14 bushels of oats. A normal average for the district during the last five years has been about nine bushels of wheat and 12 bushels of oats. The cost cropping is £1 8s 6d without fallow, or with fallow £1 15s. Cereal growing is not profitable if one has to pay labour. I have never been to either Perth or Albany since I landed. We have 640 sheep with the increase and 17 horses, but no cattle . That is the full carrying capacity of our place in its present condition. I do not think bulk handling would reduce our costs. We would require a different harvesting plant. Our place is one mile from the siding. the tariff is very hard on farmers. Farming implements should be free of duty. I have to sell in a free-trade market and buy in a protective one. Railway freights are a little high on all but fertilisers. On poultry from here to the goldfields freight and commission come here to 1s. per bird.

9765. To Mr. PAYNTER: I favour the continuance of the wheat pool. I have any assistance from the experts or officials of the agricultural department. I do not think such assistance is of much value in most cases. Our present land laws could be improved. Rent for poor land should be reduced. The cost of machinery is our great difficulty. A binder on the English, market can be bought for much less than it costs in Australia. I started 11 years ago with nothing and I have done little more than make a living. I value my property at £2 per acre; it has cost me that. The cost of clearing was 25s. Without root picking. In its original state the land was worth nothing at all. Wheat-growing does not pay me. We borrowed £600 from the Agricultural Bank, after which they would not give us any more, and £1,200 from the Bank of New South Wales, which enabled us to finish our fencing and out sheep on. We have not got one penny ourselves. Our liability at present is about £600 to the Bank of New South Wales. The sheep are slowly getting us ahead. We are supposed to be a successful example. We have worked 14 hours a day for 11 years. I am satisfied with the country, But not with the treatment. The cost of fertilisers is too high, and they now refuse to take an order on the basis of last year's price. We will have to do without fertiliser, which means decreased production and decreased railway revenue. If I can produce 2,000 bags of wheat, it means a considerable sum for the State. We are relatively all right and there are plenty in the district not in so good a position as we are.

9766. By Mr. CLARKSON; Have you any suggestion to make for the betterment of the agricultural industry?—I suggest free-trade or tariff reform. I do not see how rent can be reduced taking them all-round. Railway freight should go down, but then we are told the railways do not pay now. The duplicate parts of machinery cost far too much. September and October are dry to fill out the wheat, while the winter months are too wet. I am 22 miles east of Katannning. The cost of production is too high in proportion with the return. We have averaged 36s., an acre from wheat and has cost us 35s.

(The witness retired)

JAMES DUNCAN SHAW, Farmer, Badgebup sworn and examined:

9767. To Mr. CLARKSON: I am out 22miles east from Katanning. I have been farming here six years. I had 1,000 acres, of which 750 is so called first class. Until six month ago I was paying 15s 6d. an acre on that. the greater part of it is unfit for cultivation. It is over-run with poison and of no use to me until cleared. A year ago I was granted a reduction to the extent of 5s 6d. There are about 200 acres actually first class land. I have 600 acres cleared. Last year I had 250 acres in crop. This year I have 300, of which 200 is wheat and the balance oats. Oats do better than wheat here Last year I had 100 acres fallow and off my fallow I got a crop no better than that on the virgin soil. I have never had anything about six bushels of wheat. My highest in oats was 12 bushels. That was last year. The wheat alone does not pay costs. The cost per acre represents £1 5s, allowing 8s a day for labour. I have never employed any labour. I have no sheep