Wheat (1) - Part 2

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bag." I said, "Very well, the position as far as we are concerned is that we have to pay 1½d. per bag to the lumper. For the responsibility we consider we are entitled to 1⅝d." He said "I am sorry, but I have my definite instructions from the Minister that the cost shall not exceed 1½d. per bag." I said, "Surely something can be done in the matter." He said, "There is a man waiting outside now wants the job of doing it, wants to go up to Quairading and do it." I said, "Can you hang it up for a while, and I will go and see the Minister. It seems to me out of all reason that an irresponsible lumper should be put in charge of this work for the sake of ⅛d. per bag."The quantity in the stack was 24,000 bags, so that extra ⅛d. which we were asking meant £10 for the supervision of the work. Mr McGregor said, "I will try to put the man off till tomorrow. Will you see the Minister?" I said " Yes, certainly." I went and saw the Minister again. He put it to me this way, " We are doing the best we can for the Scheme, and we can get the work done for that, and I cannot do otherwise in justice to the Scheme." So we let it go; we could not do otherwise. The position I wish to put before the Commission is that an irresponsible lumper has the contract. He is in no way responsible; he might not know how many bags of wheat were put into the stack. Neither is he responsible for what he knows. He has also been instructed by Messrs. Dalgety & Co. that he can dispose of the damaged wheat at 9s. and 6s. per bag. I know this by reason of the fact that a neighbour went to the man and asked what was doing in the damaged wheat. The reply was, "I am instructed by Dalgety's to sell this wheat if possible. I am particular about it, though. I get 1½d. per bag for loading the wheat, and I get nothing if I sell it." It is the natural sequence that the man would say that. 2539. Is that an actual fact, or a supposition?—It is a fact that he said that. You can take it as hearsay so far as I am personally concerned; but I assure you that is so. That is the natural thing a man would say. 2540. Would it not be natural if someone said that for the man, someone who wanted to buy?—It is quite possible. But I wish particularly to point out that even if that state of affairs does not exist, one's knowledge of human nature tells one that there is the possibility of its being created. 2541. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: The fact was certainly that he got nothing for the wheat he sold?—That is a fact, as far as I can gather; and he does get 1½d. if he loads. Then, suppose he sells. I am not wishing to say that it is done, but without supervision there is the possibility, with an irresponsible lumper, that he sells a few bags of wheat, so much as would justify a farmer in backing his wagon up to the stack. The lumper can sell as much of that wheat as he pleases and put the money in his own pocket, under the present system. If the farmer who purchases the wheat connives with the lumper, and is prepared to take what he can make, the farmer can take just as much as ever he like out of the stack and no one the wiser. The farmer has paid a certain amount to Dalgety's, and that justifies him in backing his wagon up to the stack. I wish to draw attention to the wrongful system which permits of the letting of a contract this kind to an irresponsible man. 2542. By Hon. R. G. ARDAGH: Without local authority to watch over him?—That is the point exactly. There are cases that I know of only from hearsay, and which are much stronger; but it is no use my stating them without having proofs. 2543. Do you know of any farmers who have second grade wheat stacked on their holdings for sale?—I cannot say. 2544. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: You spoke of Mr. Hayes, Messrs. Dreyfus & Co.'s inspector. Is that the Mr Hayes now at Spencer's Brook?— Yes. 2545. By Mr. HARRISON: Was any of this wheat disposed of locally?—Not to my knowledge. I am not quite sure. I have an idea that there were one or two who bought some. 2546. As a business man, do you consider this first quality which you spoke of to be good value for the small amount of £170 that Hatch Bros. paid? Would a portion of that be wheat which would warrant the expense of railage?—For feeding purposes, yes. 2547. There was another portion which you did not think would warrant the expense of railage?—A certain amount of it, right on the bottom, one would have to pay anybody to cart away. That would not warrant the extra cost of railage. 2548. Do you think any of the portion which did not warrant the cost of railage could have been disposed of locally?—Yes. I personally would have been prepared to buy it. 2549. At what value?—To set a value on it would be rather hard, for the reason that I know it cost Hatch Bros. a certain amount to remove the useless portion, to get it carted away and thrown away. But I would recall to your mind that three months elapsed between the time when f.a.q. wheat was removed and the disposal of this, and during that time the decomposition was very great. Finally, it took a month or six weeks to remove it; and they had to pay for the stuff to shifted. That naturally has to be taken into consideration, and a proportionately less rate was paid; whereas if the opportunity of buying had been given to us and that wheat had been disposed of locally, although certainly for the last of it I would not have paid anything, yet I would have removed it for free of charge; and the benefit would have gone to the Scheme. 2550. There was a greater asset on the spot of the dump if taken advantage of immediately than could possibly be obtained at any other point?—Most decidedly. 2551. By Mr. BROWN: Did Dalgety's give publicity in any shape or form to the matter of the disposal of this wheat before Hatch Bros, got it?—Only when Dalgety's notified us that their agent would be at the siding on that particular date. 2552. But there was no advertisement?—None whatever. 2552a. It was purely and simply a personal deal between Dalgety's and Hatch Bros.?— Yes. 2553. You said Keys promised that in the future cases of the kind you local residents would be given an opportunity to quote, and yet that stuff was sold without your being given that opportunity?—Yes. All the damaged wheat has been removed from Badgerin stack, and Quairading is just completed now. I know a certain amount of it has been trucked to Perth. 2554. Do you know who the buyers were?—No. 2555. By Mr HARRISON: You say there was 2,400 bags of damaged wheat. Have you any idea what percentage was worth the cost of railage; more than 50 per cent.?—I should say 75 per cent. was railed away; and even more than 75 per cent. 2556. By Hon. R. G. ARDAGH: The rest was simply carted away?—Dumped, as far as I can gather. 2557. And if the three months had not elapsed, probably none would have been lost?—Had it been disposed of immediately, it would have been all right. I had it from Mr. Hayes that when he first recommended the disposal of it, there was a certain number of bags on the top layer that could perhaps have been broken in halves, and half a bag of milling wheat taken out; perhaps the half higher up. He said," The delay simply means that the moisture and the steam rising from the putrid stuff underneath damages the whole of it, and there is not a grain in the whole stack now that is worth removing at all." 2558. By the CHAIRMAN: You said Hatch Bros. bought the stack for £175?—That is as near as I can remember the statement which Mr. Keys made to me. 2559. Are you sure you have not made an error?—I would not be sure. 2600. The file here says £275?—Then there is a mistake of £100 in my statement. 2561. I note that in reply to certain letters sent by you through Mr. Griffiths, that Mr Griffiths was notified that the wheat would be sold on the spot on the 23rd November last. That is the letter you referred to, that Mr Griffiths notified you about. I also notice on the file that the agent of Dalgety's reported that he could sell about 300 bags at 4s 6d. per bag, but that the local people would not take it unless it was rebagged?—When I spoke to Dalgety's agent he said that