Wheat (1) - Part 3

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notice of the Commission. I do not wish to find fault, but I would like to draw attention to the sheds. Contracts were let for the handling of the wheat out of stack at per bag. If the wheat in the stack is badly damaged and the contractor has to make both ends meet, he must to a certain extent slum the work. I have had this brought home to me pointedly by having to handle that wheat from some of the stacks. Some men handle it well; others do not trouble; they put bad bags in a truck. If we are compelled to pick the wheat we have to open every bag, and in that way we reduce our capacity to handle wheat to a fourth of the quantity we could otherwise handle in a day. This is not a personal matter; it is a national matter. Some of the agents who have not had experience have put that kind of wheat into the stacks. They have the contract to take it out. They say I am paid for putting it in and paid to take it out; I shall put it in as quickly as I can and take it out as quickly as I can, irrespective of how it is to be loaded. New wheat has gone from here to Tambellup without a sheet on it and bags bursting, and water running through the trucks. Some of the bags should never have been sent away without having been patched or the contents re-conditioned. A man gets rid of his responsibility, say, at Lake Grace, by getting rid of his wheat and the Scheme take over the responsibility. Then the wheat goes to Tambellup, and unless there is a zealous officer there it is carrying the trouble further afield. Greater care should be exercised be all concerned in the handling of this wheat.

5784. By the CHAIRMAN: If you undertook the shifting of a stack of wheat at so much per bag, plus a certain amount for supervision, would you consider that you were responsible for the supervision of the removal of that wheat from the stack to the truck?—Certainly, I take it I would have to see the thing right through and be responsible for the whole of the handling.

5785. You would not expect the man you engaged to do the work for you at per bag to try and make something out of it by subletting the work?—I would not. Subletting has been the trouble.

5786. By Mr. HARRISON: Are you milling for the Scheme at so much per bushel?—Yes.

5787. How do you calculate the amount of wheat received?—The actual weight coming in here by rail.

5788. And you are paid 7d. per bushel for that amount coming in?—Yes.

5789. Do you find with the abnormal conditions existing that 7d. is a high price?—It is a very hard thing to arrive at. Some wheat might be very good and some might be badly riddled with weevil. You design your mill for flour, not for bran or pollard. Wheat of light weight brings down the quantity.

5790. By Mr. BROWN: Is this wheat which you are putting through retarding the operations of your mill?—It takes longer to put through the mill. If I get bad wheat it will pull me up considerably.

5791. By Mr. HARRISON: Do you consider that there will be much greater outlay for your cleaning up and overhauling before next season commences?—I did mine just lately.

5792. Will it mean much greater cost to the miller in overhauling in connection with the low-grade stuff?—It is knocking much more silk out in the mill. The rollers have been sharpened and re-ground. We will have an opportunity now of seeing hoe it affects us. We always keep our mill up to concert pitch.

5793. If you are running three shifts, do you find that the costs materially increase through handling lower grade wheat?—Costs do increase, because there is a loss of capacity.

5794. Do you find that 7s. 6d. extra for bags is a good proposition?—It was a reasonable proposition, but lately we have not been able to get a proportion of bags which have been fit to put flour in.

5795. If the Scheme runs three shifts next year would 7d. meet the average costs together with the bag allowance?—Yes, I would be prepared to go on. The 7d. per bushel, if it is utopian, is all right. If the wheat is good three men at the silo can handle it comfortably. Now we have to employ five or six men to get the same quantity of wheat through, because we have to be careful before shooting. It costs me £5 a week more to clean bags now. On the block on which we are now I spent since the war began no less a sum than £15,000. Take Ockerby's mill, which is larger one than mine; he has laid out more capital on it, but he has not laid out more on wheat handling. It is the overhead charges which run away with the money. Furthermore, in going into this matter you must take into consideration the men who have their own money and who are able to put it into a milling concern. That is well and good, but those who have to borrow from the banks have to get some return. Therefore if the thing is cut down to such an extent that it will not give a reasonable return, there will be no chance of going to a financial institution.

5796. By Mr. HARRISON: You are met with increased expenses at every turn?—I can honestly say yes.

5797. By the CHAIRMAN: A portion of the wheat we saw to-day is very light in weight, and therefore you have to put a greater quantity of that through than you would if it were f.a.q.?—I have only to increase the draught to lift out 10 per cent. of that wheat I showed you.

5798. When milling by weight instead of by measurement, the miller suffers a loss?—Certainly. On a bright day the dust has gone out of there in a continuous stream. Some of those bags have been 20lbs. down, and if we took everything out we could make them 30lbs. down.

5799. A suggestion has been made that the Government should commandeer all the mills; what is your opinion of the proposal?—If the Government will pay us all the capital which has been invested, it will be a matter for them to say, but I do not see any reason why the Government should commandeer the mills. I am against the State stifling private enterprise.

5800. If they adequately compensated you would you have any objection? We have also been told that it does not require much knowledge or experience to run a mill?—Whoever told you that has not been in the business.

5801. And if the Government commandeered the mills, your opinion is that they would make a mistake?—I certainly think they would make a mistake.

5802. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: In other words, they would be taking the business out of the hands of those who have a personal interest in it, and putting it in the hands of those who have an impersonal interest in it?—Exactly.

5803. Was there much rain falling on it before it was sent to the depot?—Quite enough to make the wheat thoroughly damp.

5803a. I understand you have five bins; does that mean four circular bins and one in the centre enclosed by the other four?—Yes.

5804. What is the size of your circular bins?—60ft. high by 25ft. diameter.

5805. Have you ever taken into consideration the question of constructing timber bins?—Yes, and turned down the idea. The insurance was a great factor against wooden bins. With steel bins the insurance is nil. I do not insure my silos or the contents. They cannot burn. The only portion insured is the running gear and the woodwork. When once you get weevil into a wooden silo I do not know how you are going to get it out again. There is another matter I would like to refer to. We get an order from the Scheme to rail flour to Fremantle. The officers of the Railway Department do their utmost to please us, but sheets are not available. That does not help us. I think the Commission should impress on the Railway Department the necessity for having an adequate supply of sheets. Loss of wheat through weevil could be brought back largely to the question of absence of sheets. The bags are destroyed by the rain. Although wheat is badly riddled with weevil, providing it is kept dry, the flour will not be injured in any shape or form, so long as it is sweet.