sign-in
Home
/
Wheat (1) - Part 1
/
Image 57
Wheat (1) - Part 1
Image 57
image 57 of 99
If you need a symbol, fraction or a wider dash please highlight, copy (Ctrl C) and paste (Ctrl V): £ — ¼ ½ ¾ ⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⊚ 🡹 /|\
bygone days. With that money the local people provide social facilities and better facilities generally. That can be done everywhere, and I hope it will be. 1314. You said you were dissatisfied with the agents on account of the weights, and that you thought the man selling should do his own scaling. But has not each bag to be weighed? — Each bag has been weighed separately. You understand that when an agent is employed he has to make good to his principals the weight that he weighs. In every instance, when scaling a bag, he allows a safe margin. We are of the opinion that he was a little too conservative. 1315. Would he not give you the exact weights weighed on the scale? — The fact that we were not satisfied is all I can state at this stage. Personally, I am satisfied that I never got the fair weight. 1316. You were there when the agent was weighing your wheat, and you saw him weigh it. If your bag weighs 200lbs.,you would not be satisfied to have 180lbs. credited to you? — That is quite true, but we had no say in the testing of the scales. One could go to three or four scales, where three or four buyers were operating, and place one's bag on each scale, and a different weight would be shown by every one of them. 1317. For the past three years there has been legislation dealing with that matter. Are not those scales tested under that legislation? — During the last two or three seasons we have not had any reason to challenge the scales, because we have been really scaling our own wheat. We have not actually scaled it ourselves, but we have had supervision. The local directorate of the company would be strict with regard to that point, and would see that fair treatment was meted out to both sides. 1318. When the agents were taking the wheat, they were taking it on behalf of the Pool, in the same way as the agents have been doing since? — I am not strictly referring to the Pool, because these men operated just prior to the Pool and also, I think, for the first year, or a little more, after the Pool. But that was the general procedure. 1319. While your statement is relevant to what happened prior to the Pool, as showing that the agents did not satisfy you then, have you had any reason to complain since the start of the Pool? — Personally, I offer no reason, because since the Pool started we have been acquiring wheat on our own behalf. 1320. But let us look at it from a State point of view. The State gives a guarantee for the payment of the wheat. Is it not necessary that the person weighing the wheat should have the interests of the State to consider equally with those of the person from whom he purchases the wheat? — Quite so. 1321. As far as he was concerned, he could only act justly between the two? — Yes; but I claim that the co-operative people's interests are identical on both sides. It is their wheat. It is to their best interest to see that fair and just treatment is meted out to both sides, and their efforts are used in that direction. 1322. You have denied the statement that wheat which was not f.a.q. has been accepted as f.a.q. That is not so, as far as you are aware? — As some proof that it is untrue let me mention that in the early days of the co-operative concerns, when we had occasion to dock a man, he would go along to the opposition at the siding, and in no case do I know of a man having to suffer a dock when he had first been turned away by us, the co-operative people. The competitive people received him with open arms. 1323. Is it not possible that with persons accepting their own wheat on behalf of the Pool there may be more likelihood of an inferior sample being accepted than in the case of a man accepting as an agent only? — I will admit that in the early part that was possible. But it is not probable. I do not think it has ever been done. The co-operative people realise that their wheat is going into the Pool, and that they have to protect their own interests. The directors of the companies are very definite on the point that a fair and just system must be uniformly applied, and that there must be no grading nor any sectional work. We realise that the wheat is ours, even although it is in the Pool. 1324. Your co-operative society as a society is agent foe the Westralian Farmers Ltd., who are the acquiring agents? — Yes. 1325. You generally appoint the manager of your co-operative society. who is an employee of the society, to take charge of the wheat? — Yes, or to supervise it. He is responsible. In almost every instance one of the directors acts in an honorary capacity for the purpose of guiding that official. 1326. Do you know of any case in which men have been appointed as managers of the co-operative society who have had no previous experience so far as wheat was concerned? — No. 1327. Every man appointed to a position of that kind must have had experience in wheat prior to his appointment? — Such experience is always searched for, and it is not difficult to find it. Recently the company to which I belong called for a secretary, and we had 60 applications. Practically every one of these applicants claimed to have had previous experience in the handling wheat. There are many men who previously handled wheat but who have been thrown out of employment. One of the reasons why we favour the co-operative handling of wheat is that in some centres there are many men who are capable of handling it, but had to make sufficient money out of doing so to keep them in existence so that they were there to operate for the various competitive firms for the following season. 1328. Are you aware that the system proposed for the 1917-18 harvest was that there should be only one acquiring sub-agent at each centre? — Since the Scheme has been in operation this difficulty has not been so pronounced. Prior to that these men were established in these centres, and to-day they are available for and prepared to take on the work of the co-operatives companies as secretaries. It is not difficult to get a man with previous experience. 1329. A co-operative society deals with other goods, such as groceries and drapery? — Yes. 1330. Is a man who has only had experience in wheat suitable for a general trading concern? — No, but we have to consider wheat as the most important item that we deal with. We have to endeavour to lead a man gradually into a knowledge of the other lines. 1331. Do you think from a co-operative point of view it is advisable to appoint a man to manage a general store who has only a knowledge of one of the items such as wheat dealt with? — I do not know whether it would be wise. Usually a man who is capable of handling wheat has had some business training. We often find that such a man has had an early training in respect to groceries and other lines. It is rare for a man of this description to touch nothing but wheat in the course of his life. 1332. It is necessary that such a man should have a knowledge of the qualities of wheat that he has to acquire on behalf of the Pool? — Yes, but absolute authority need not necessarily be vested in him. The co-operative society appointing the manager can vest in one of their directorate authority to act in an honorary capacity in safeguarding the interests of the wheat farmer in that respect. If this is done, there need be no mistake if the manager is not thoroughly conversant with the handling of wheat, and fair treatment meted out to all. 1333. One of these directors might understand something about wheat, but may not know what wheats are most suitable to the markets of the world? — The battle of the farmer has been so strenuous that he has been forced to study these things. I have given the question close study myself and claim to have sufficiently familiarised myself with wheat to be able to show the different grades. 1334. Are you aware that many farmers are not members of these co-operative societies.? — As yet there are many, but we are still a young people. 1335. As far as those non-members are concerned, they have no interest in the movement except their individual interest as farmers? — There are many men who are not in the company, but this does not say that they are antagonistic towards it or have not a desire to join. 1336. You said, " We as organised farmers are of opinion that the charges in the past have been excessive." You are aware there has been a change in the matter of responsibility, etc., in the handling of wheat this year? — Yes, so far as the agreement is concerned.
Save edits
prev
|
next
|
all images
|
history