FRIDAY, 26th JULY, 1918.

(At Perth)

Present:

Hon. W. C. Angwin, M.L.A., Chairman.

Hon. J. F. Allen, M.L.C. / Hon. R. G. Ardagh, M.L.C.

S. M. Brown, Esq., M.L.A. / J. T. Harrison, Esq., M.L.A.

FREDERICK CHARLES KEYS, further examined:

4326. WITNESS: Last night I was dealing with the question of inferior wheat, and you, Mr. Chairman, pointed out to me that Mr. Murray was evidently not aware that his company could send samples of inferior wheat which had been gathered at country sidings to Dalgety's, Perth, for valuation. I pointed out to you that this wad being done. You wished me to make sure on the point; accordingly this morning I rang up Mr. Seymour of Dalgety's and he said Dalgety's were valuing samples from country sidings for the Westralian Farmers. I asked whether he meant one or two or three samples, and he replied, "No; quite a number." I said, "It was suggested to me that the Scheme should tell the Westralian Farmers that they could do that," and Mr. Seymour said, "There is no use telling a man to do a thing that he is already doing." So, evidently Mr. Murray wad not quite aware of the procedure which was being followed.

4327. By the CHAIRMAN: Mr. Murray said that his instructions were that all the wheat had to be sent down?▬The instructions were that all inferior wheat from sidings was to be consigned to Dalgety & Co., Perth. But that would not preclude them from, as they are now doing, getting valuations of any wheat likely to be dealt with in a better manner at the country sidings. (The Chairman quoted from evidence▬ questions 2990 to 2992.)

4328. WITNESS: Quite so; we do not agree with them that it is the most suitable way of dealing with the wheat. We instruct them what to do and they come along and try to dictate to us. They want to say how it should be done and not allow us. We think the method adopted in disposing of the wheat is in the best interests of the farmer.

4329. This wheat which we saw had a considerable amount of earth in it ?▬We do not want them to send earth to Perth, but wheat. If the stack sites are cleaned up properly, the greater part of the earth is separated from the wheat, and the wheat is bagged up properly.

4330. This is dealing with the final cleaning up of the sites. We proceeded to see this wheat and some of the bags contained a considerable quantity of earth, but taking the whole lot, there were not many bags that were too bad, seeing that it was damaged wheat. That shows clearly they are under the impression that they must send this wheat to Perth ?▬They have been submitting this wheat to Dalgety's, but their valuation has been too high.

4331. Some of the bags we saw in the Perth yards should never have been sent ?▬In a number of the complaints they say the wheat averaged so-and-so, and we made a profit, but if it had been bagged in a workmanlike manner the earth would not have been sent, and the wheat which was sent would have realised a much higher price.

4332. By Mr. HARRISON: You will realise that when the weather conditions are bad and there is flood water underneath the stack, the wheat becomes wet in the bag and there may be loss in transit ?▬Generally speaking, if a stack has been flooded and there is any water lying underneath the stack, it would be almost useless for any purpose.

4333. Would it not be better to give instructions for such wheat as that to be disposed of locally ?▬Such wheat is carted away and dumped.

4334. You got a buyer for that class of wheat at Doodlakine ?▬Not that class of wheat; that is only fit for manure.

4335. In cleaning up a stack, the wheat is wet and there is soil as well, and you put it all into a bag, and it has not much of a chance, after a three days' journey in the train ?▬We have been handling it through three winters and this is the first time that such a trouble has occurred.

4336. I never saw it in Doodlakine yard before; I saw it there this year ?▬Doodlakine is an exceptional case.

4337. In the first 10 days of June this year there was continuous rain ?▬It was practically the same in June of last year.

4338. By the CHAIRMAN: So far as the Westralian Farmers, Ltd., are concerned, according to the evidence of Mr. Murray, they seem to be of the opinion that they must send all this stuff to Perth, even the sweepings, because of the instructions they have had previously ?▬They admit in one of their letters that they have submitted samples to Dalgety's on account of the higher values obtained by Dalgety's compared to what they could get in the country. Our complaint is about the unworkmanlike manner in which the stacks are cleaned up. If half of that wheat were sent down, it would realise a better price. The other half is quite valueless. When a buyer is making his purchase he bases the value on the worst sample. If he is going to make an error it would be on the side of safety in buying.

4339. Suppose they sent half the stuff down in trucks, what would they do with the other half ?▬So far as we can see, the other half is earth, and it would have no value except as manure.

4340. They say they can sell this wheat locally ?▬I have my doubts about that; test them and see whether they can. We had an instance recently at Minnievale. Our inspector was there and he saw a fair quantity of wheat lying about. He said to the agent, "Why do you not pick that up, if the weather gets at it it will be useless." The agent replied that he had instructions no to bag it, or he was to sell it on the clean up of the stack as it stood. By the time the stack is cleaned up that wheat will have no value whatever if rain falls in the meantime.

4341. That would not affect the Westralian Farmers, Ltd.?▬No, but it would affect the farmers.

4342. You imply that the instructions to the agent were from the Westralian Farmers, Ltd ?▬Yes.

4343. It would not affect them because the agent is paid for looking after this wheat ?▬Yes, in this particular case. From memory I cannot say what particular stack it was.

4344. The agent is paid by the Westralian Farmers, Ltd., and they would have nothing to gain by neglecting it ?▬But probably they would lose nothing.

4345. Under such conditions, is it feasible to believe that they sent out instructions of that nature; I would like to see the instructions ?▬Maybe you can get a copy of the circular that they sent to the agents. We had a case recently at Kellerberrin, which is the home