Wheat (1) - Part 2

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been that all the agents under me have endeavoured to give the best value for the money they get, and assist the Scheme in getting the wheat to the depots. 2982. If those instructions had never been issued would your stacks have been considerably reduced?—Yes. 2983. Can you give the Commission any idea of the percentage you would have got shipped away quicker? —At the very minimum I should say 50 per cent. of the stacks would have been removed before damage 2984. These instructions cause the stacking of 50 per cent, more than otherwise would have occurred? —As far as my knowledge takes me, yes. I know the station-master could have got us trucks, but it is not always convenient because the farmer does not cart every day. We got a very heavy rain at the end of January, which made the roads very boggy for many days, and the farmer could not cart. But we could have put a number of bags into trucks and railed them away. 2985. You had trucks at the siding? —We could have got them; I believe there were some in the Bruce Rock yard, but the trucks were not allowed to be loaded in the interim between the farmers' carting and re-starting to cart. 2986. Then you believe a good deal of this wheat could have escaped the bad conditions in June if the instructions had not been issued?— I do. 2987. Reference has been made to the Farmers' Mercantile Union and there being 1,100 shareholders, also farmers? —I think it was said members. 2988. The chairman said also farmers with the exception of two or three. Have you any idea whether they have any maximum of shares in the company?—I know nothing about the company. 2989. If these same shareholders as farmers put business into the hands of the agents, do they participate in any profit the Westralian Farmers may make?—I suppose they would. 2990. I understand your company professes to be truly co-operative? — Yes, they would participate in the profits. There would be issued to them bonus shares for the profit due to them on the amount of wheat put through. 2991. Suppose your shareholders put business through the Farmers' Mercantile Union if they were acquiring agents, would they participate in the profits?—Certainly not. 2992. Where do you think you have had the biggest loss in connection with handling of wheat in the 1917-18 harvest? —In connection with my agencies? 2993. Yes, in your administration?—The greatest loss has occurred through the Railway Department not being able to forward trucks, and through the instructions of the Scheme that no wheat should be handled out of stack into trucks until the farmer had completed carting. 2994. Do you think there was much loss through want of cover in transit? — I do not. 2995. By the CHAIRMAN: You stated to Mr Harrison that trucks being in the yard partly loaded and you not completing the loading out of stack, you would not consider it fraud if a farmer brought his wheat in and there were no trucks to receive it and he put it in the stack and found it necessary at a later date to pay the increased charge to load it from stack to truck?—If there was no truck there was no fraud attached to it. It would be compulsory to put it into stack. 2996. Would it not be a saving to the Scheme if trucks were there to enable the wheat to be put into the truck?— A saving to the Scheme, yes. 2997. Therefore, if you load all the trucks to-night and completed them from the stack there would be none for the carts in the morning? — No. 2998. Were not instructions issued to see the trucks retained to enable them to be filled from the farmers' wagons to save ½d. a bushel? — From my own knowledge I do not believe it was the case, and own knowledge I do not believe it was the case, and from what I have heard. 2999. Would you be surprised if I told you it was the case?— Instructions were issued on account of keeping available trucks in the yard for further carting. I do not think it was that. 3000. So that they should not pay one penny instead of halfpenny? — They would save something undoubtedly. 3001. Even if they were put into the stacks and then into the trucks, there would be no dishonesty? — Certainly not. 3002. Therefore there could not be any fraud? — No. 3003. You said that in your opinion 50 per cent, of your stacks would have been removed before the rain set in if that had been allowed? Are not farmers coming in every day?—As a rule. 3004. You have not had some trouble at your sidings as they have had at other sidings where farmers have had difficulty through the lack of agents and causing delay?—There was no delay through farmers getting unloaded. 3005. You said that if the shareholders of the Mercantile Farmers' Union were putting the wheat through the Westralian Farmers, Ltd., any profit that ensued would be given them by issuing bonus shares? — Yes, I think so. 3006. Would they not at the same time be losing interest on more of the capital which they invested in the Mercantile Union?—Loss through patronising their own company, yes. 3007. There would not be much gain in getting the bonus shares?—It all depends on whether the Mercantile Union company are in a position to pay dividends or not. 3008.They would not be if the whole of their trade was put over to the other company?—I do not suppose, if the Westralian Farmers, Ltd., handled the whole of the business of the other company, it would make the Westralian Farmers, and I do not suppose it would break the Mercantile Union to lose the amount of business we put through our own company. 3009. You agree that they would lose a large proportion of their business if they lost the handling of the wheat of nearly 1,100 farmers? —I suppose so. I have not much sympathy with them all the same. 3010. Have you ever heard of or seen the old wheat being put together in the same trucks as the present season's wheat?—No. (The witness retired.) The Commission adjourned.