Wheat (1) - Part 2

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ment in the "West Australian" I think as fairly as I could. It will thus be seen that we were shocked when we saw the communication in the "Sunday Times" that Mr. Keys was to be appointed manager of the Scheme. It did not seem reasonable to suppose that the work would be conducted on harmonious and friendly lines and in such a way that there would be mutual assistance rendered. Such a feeling is essential between the Scheme and ourselves. All sorts of things crop up in the year which are not provided for and it is essential that a friendly feeling should exist between the parties in order to get over difficult situations successfully. We wrote protesting against Mr. Keys' appointment, not, of course, on personal grounds. We suggested that when the row was on with the merchants, with Mr. Keys as chairman, they thought fit to publicly castigate us and say that we could not carry out the contract, and that it was therefore foolish for the Minister to expect Mr. Keys to successfully manage the Scheme and our company to act as acquiring agents. Feeling was running high in the country. The agents in each of the towns had been agents for the acquiring firms before and suddenly found themselves cut off from a remunerative occupation. They damned us from Dan to Beersheba. Had the original offer of the merchants been accepted there could have been only one acquiring agent in each town as at present, and the suggestion which made those men lose their billets did not come from us.

3150. That was in connection with the zone system ?—Yes. There could have been only one agent. Dalgety's for instance, could not act where Darling's were acting. Feeling was particularly high amongst the employees of these firms. We were appointed acquiring agents to carry out a huge contract. Mr. Keys, the chairman for the merchants, is made manager and is given a free hand to appoint his own officers. He appoints four inspectors, one of his own men, one of Bell's men, one of Darling's men, and a milling man had been appointed by Mr. Sibbald.

3151. One inspector from each ?—Yes. There were many complaints about these people. The late inspector for Darling was carrying round the district a type-written statement of what had taken place, considerably abridged, and with a lot of stuff left out, attempting to prove to the farmers that their action in floating a co-operative company had definitely resulted in a loss to them of a farthing a bushel. I contend it was the effect of our flotation which made the merchants cut their quotes in the first place. I put down the trouble which has arisen since to this and to bad management, and to the fact that these people would practically control our every action. When we have made suggestions they have not taken any notice of them.

3152. By the CHAIRMAN : And when they have made suggestions they say you will not take them ?—Where have they said that ?—I defy them to quote an instance.

3153. I am talking about the country agents ?—Our country agents will not do it, for this reason. We arrange with Mr. Keys a certain method of handling and instruct our agent accordingly. Along comes the Government inspector and gives a different instruction. This has led to a state of hopeless confusion. I wish to quote from an article in the "Sunday Times" of the 2nd June of this year. It is as follows:— Pingelly Wheat Stack. In a deplorable condition. "Onlooker": If there are any people who still require evidence as to the shocking way in which the wheat scheme is being mismanaged, I wish they could see the deplorable state of this season's wheat stacks at Pingelly erected about three months back, and containing about 20,000 bags. The majority of the wheat still remains uncovered. A feeble attempt was made recently to roof the stacks, but after covering one stack and weighting down the iron with a few old sleepers, the first strong wind carried a large portion away, and up to the present no further attempt has been made to replace it. A great percentage of the wheat is rotting and growing, and will be unfit for human consumption. The stench from it is a menace to the health of the town. A statement was recently made in the House by the responsible Minister, in which he said the damage was more apparent than real to the uncovered wheat stacked at sidings. At this one siding alone the damage must already amount to many hundred of pounds sterling, and will run into thousands unless the wheat is promptly despatched to one of the depots, or securely protected from further rains. At present it is being dribbled away in old truck lots. Wheat stacked 18 months ago by the much-abused private firms is still sound and in good milling condition. If the handling of last season's wheat had been given to them instead of to one company having a monopoly and no responsibility, there would not to be present enormous amount of wheat going to waste throughout the country. A remarkable feature is that we have a Farmers' and Settlers' branch and a local co-operative company, both created to protect the farmers' interests, and yet they are contented to look on and see their wheat rotting without even so much as a protest. There are some remarkable statements in that. Our records show that there were nothing like 20,000 bags at Pingelly. All the stacks were under our care so that their good condition was attributable to us. There will be no difficulty in proving that we did our work pretty well at Pingelly. The letter in the newspaper is an absolute fabrication. I wish to read the following declaration :— I, Ernest William McAullay, of Pingelly, in the State of Western Australia, Caretaker, do solemnly and sincerely declare that: In conversation with Mr. Gillespie, Inspector under the State Wheat Marketing Scheme, he, Mr. Gillespie, made the following statement, viz.: "Did you read the "Sunday Times'? I have been tuning them up about these wheat stacks" (meaning the wheat stacks at Pingelly). Mr. Gillespie's conversation gave me to understand that he (Mr. Gillespie) was the writer of a letter appearing in the "Sunday Times" of 2nd June, 1918, and signed "Onlooker." This conversation took place on the Pingelly Railway Station on Wednesday, 5th June. Mr. Gillespie was then a passenger on the afternoon train proceeding towards Narrogin. And I make this solemn declaration by virtue of section one hundred and six of "The Evidence Act, 1906." Declared at Pingelly, this 3rd day of July, 1918, before me, J. McBurney. (Sgd.) E. W. McAullay.

3154. By Mr. HARRISON : The wind blew the cover off the stack ?—Yes. We protested against the construction of those roofs, but Mr. Keys said it was the best possible. Yet they promptly blew off.

3155. It was recovered ?—Yes, within a week. We have protested emphatically against this system of roofing but Mr. Keys will have it. In consequence of all this, I am sorry to say, there has not been the slightest attempt at friendly working. It has been said that the reports of the inspectors were strikingly similar; I shall deal with that later. I say the Scheme, as managed by Mr. Keys, has been distinctly unfriendly, and has lost no opportunity of embarrassing us and attempting to prove the contention which Mr. Keys publicly made, namely, that we could not carry out this work. Let us look at the agreement. Here I again come to the letter of 23rd August, the conditions in which constitute the basis of the contract. It has never been suggested that his is not so, and, consequently, we continued working under the terms set out and we might have gone on to the end, but that Mr. Baxter had introduce into Parliament some measure which required that the agreement should be attached. So it was not until February that the Government sent along their suggestion of an agreement. When we got that agreement, as suggested by Mr. Keys, we found it to be the most remarkable document it has yet been my lot to see. The letter of the 23rd August contains these passages:— Any dockage on account of quality to be agreed on there (at the depots), and agents' responsibility in respect to such wheat then to cease. The quality of the wheat to be judged on a running bulk sample. The Chamber of Commerce f.a.q. sample to be the standard when ascertained. Provision to be made for three arbitrators, one to be nominated by the board, one by the agents, and these two arbitrators to nominate a third to act as umpire if necessary. The arbitrators will decide any dispute between the Board's officers and the agents as to dockage to be