2nd Progress Report - Part 2

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This transcription is complete

there are thousands of pounds lost here. Bacon and pork are a reasonable price and a number of pigs could be produced at 6d. per lb.

(The witness retired.)

CHAS. McCAY, Farmer, Waroona, sworn and examined:

11248. To the CHAIRMAN: I have had 18 years farming in this district. My wife and I have 1,500 acres; of this about 300 acres is freehold and I consider 600 acres is fit for the plough. It is from a mile to 2½ miles from the railway station, all fenced and about 400 acres have been cleared and ploughed. None of it, however, has been under intense culture. I have a five-roomed house, necessary buildings and implements to work the land, 20 horses, 500 sheep and 20 head of cattle. I started with £100. I have never been free of the banks. I find the West Australian bank has treated me very well indeed. I do a little dairying and rely on this and my sheep. I can make ends meet by practising economy.

11249. To Mr. VENN: I have been dairying for 18 years on and off.

11250. Why do not more people go in for dairying here?—The labour question is the big drawback making the cost of production too great.

11251. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have been milking 10 cows. The average results according to the monthly cheque for the cream equals about 12lbs. of butter fat per cow per week. Against this, of course, is the feed. I consider that is is necessary to feed the cows all the time. I have grown sorghum. There was a time when I considered I could only grow green crops on certain picked spots. Now I find that they will grow on the poor soil once it is cultivated.

11252. Do you consider that the dairying industry can afford to pay labour?—No, not to pay the wages that the ordinary man wants at the present time.

11253. How do your sheep do?—I am careful with them and they do all right.

11254. Could you carry any more?—No, the number I have is the full carrying capacity.

11255. Have you received any assistance from the experts of the department of Agriculture?—No, with the exception of Mr. Berthoud who gave me a lot of practical assistance.

11256. Have you received no assistance from Mr. Connor?—None at all.

(The witness retired.)

CORNELIUS SHERIDAN, Farmer, Hamel, sworn and examined:

11257. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have been 19 years in the district. I go in for mixed farming. I have about 400 acres, 10 acres of which are freehold besides a homestead farm of 160 acres. I consider that there are 65 acres fit for intense culture. I have a small area under fruit trees. I have 40 head of cattle and five horses. I am milking 10 cows now; sometimes I milk more. I find the cows are profitable. I grow millet for them and feed them also with chaff. They pay best in August, September, and October, then I can milk them on the natural pasture with only a little artificial feeding.

11258. Do you consider that dairying will succeed in this district?—If you can send your milk to Perth and get 1s. a gallon for it, it will pay. It is the side lines from dairying that make it profitable.

11259. By Mr. VENN: Do you find potatoes profitable?—Sometimes. I have a poor crop at the present time. I think it is due to bad seed. Manures are costly. The quality is all right, but it is dearer than it was. The great grievance I have is against the Railway Department, in regard to the minimum rate. This is very hard on the small producer. I would not complain if I only had to pay a minimum rate, but I have to pay 18s. 8d. on two tons of fertiliser, whereas, if I took a truckload I would only have to pay 9s. or 10s. On the 8th February I obtained from a Bunbury merchant two tons of superphosphate which were sent ex Guildford, and the railage cost me 18s. 4d. At the same time I obtained three bags (5cwts) of sulphate of ammonia from Bunbury and this cost me 3s. 3d. Another matter is the want of lime. Our land is fairly sour, and although we have good deposits of lime close at hand, still we cannot get lime at a reasonable price.

(The witness retired).

EDWARD HENRY BROWN, Farmer, Waroona, sworn and examined.

11260. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have been 19 years in this district. I have 474 acres freehold. I paid 10s. per acre for this land. I have carried as many as 15 to 20 milch cows. I have four now. I have been dairying for some time and sending my milk to Perth. The company I was sending my milk to however, went bankrupt and let me in. I grow potatoes, on an average about three acres per annum. For the past three years I have had no water. A party purchased the land adjoining my land and has refused to let me have any water from the brook. There is water on both sides of me and yet I cannot get any water at all. In regard to my potatoes, they are not fetching any price in consequence of my not having had sufficient water for them. My place is now worth nothing.

11261. Why did you get rid of your cows?—For the same trouble. I have seven boys and two girls and I could succeed in dairying if it were not for the shortage of water. If you could do anything to get me the water I can go in for dairying now. I have written to the Lands Department, and I think they are fixing it for me. I wrote to the department and advised that I was prepared to do anything to help them in supplying the water to my land. I advised I could only use one foot of water per annum. I have to go fifty chains to water my stock three times a day and I have to cart water for home use, and to do this, I have to go through a neighbour's property even to reach the brook.

11262. What was the cost of clearing your land?—It averaged £6 per acre.

(The witness retired).