Wheat (1) - Part 3

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waived that. I do not think there has been much since then. I had twelve gangs doing 182 trucks a day, and we never had more than 230 trucks on top of us.

6135. Your demurrage has not been brought about by a rush of wheat?—No. We have been able to cope with it fairly well. When I found there was extra wheat coming in we worked from seven in the morning until six in the evening. The men were only too glad to do so.

6136. The chief trouble has been lack of roofing and damage of wheat in transit?—That is so.

6137. By the CHAIRMAN: You said you had 21 trucks with weevil in in one day. Are you able to tell us where they came from?—Yes; six from Kununoppin, twelve from Pingelly, one from Dalwallinu, and two from Quairading.

6138. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: You are the officer in charge who is controlling everything?—Yes.

6139. Whom would letters addressed to the Superintendent be intended for, you or Mr. Hayes?—They were intended for me, perhaps.

6140. There can only be one chief?—There is one officer in charge. I open all the correspondence.

6141. And any letter addressed to the Superintendent would be intended for you?—Sometimes for me and sometimes for him.

6142. Were all letters addressed to the Superintendent intended for you?—Some were intended for me, but I did not always see them.

6143. What salary do you get?—£7 a week and £1 expenses.

6144. By the CHAIRMAN: What salary does Mr. Hayes get?—£5 10s.

(The witness retired.)

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ROBERT EDWARD GILLESPIE, Sampler, Spencer's Brook, sworn and examined.


6145. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been here?—I came from Geraldton in March.

6146. You have handled a good deal of the wheat; do you find much weevilly wheat coming in?—Yes, there have been several trucks of weevilly wheat.

6147. What steps have you taken to protect the stacks?—I would not allow weevilly wheat to go into the stack at all. When weevils are on bags we brush the bags and put those bags in a place set aside for them. Pierced or powdered grain is consigned to the mill.

6148. Where were the bags cleaned with the brush?—They were brushed on the edge of the truck before being taken into the stack.

6149. Were any brushed in the shed?—No.

6150. Was there much damaged wheat coming in?—A good deal and some was in a shocking state. It got wet at the sidings and became mouldy and shot. That wheat would be sent to another shed to be reconditioned.

6151. When the wheat is re-conditioned must the samplers pass it before it is stacked?—The sampler is standing over the men all the time.

6152. There is none of that inferior wheat that has been graded put into the stack unless it is passed by a sampler?—No.

6153. By Mr. HARRISON: Is it your duty to notice whether the bags are torn by hooks and to see that they are stitched up?—We have a sewer with each gang. No bags go into the stack unless they are sewn, and the bags that come in with holes stuffed with bag or straw are also sewn up before being put into the stack. A good deal of grain has been lost in transit from the trucks because the bags were not sewn.

6154. I noticed a number of bags with holes in them?—The mice at times will open a bag.

6155. Is it advisable to use hooks in the stacking?—A lot of the stackers use a hook with one prong. That tears the bags. The short-nosed three-pronged hook is better. It is necessary for a man to use a hook.

6156. Who would be responsible for putting brown paper into the holes in bags?—That would happen at the sidings before they were loaded. They will stuff grass or anything into the holes.

6157. Then the bags are allowed to go into the stack permanently?—Yes, if the hole is not too big.

6158. What proportion of those bags with holes of all sorts would have to be re-bagged before they could be shipped?—There are a lot of bags that want attending to, and all have been put aside to receive attention.

6159. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: Is it your personal duty to attend to all these bags?—No.

(The witness retired.)

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FRANK GEORGE HANCOCK, Farmer, Spencer's Brook, sworn and examined:

6160. By the CHAIRMAN: You desire to give evidence before the Commission?—With regard to the weevil I have seen many trucks infested with it coming in here. If it is desired to keep the place clean something will have to be done. I have seen wheat coming in here that has not been worth the price of the bags. In the district that wheat came from mixed with other wheats it might be used for pig food, but sending it to the central depôt and having it re-consigned means a waste of money. There is a lot of wheat coming in here which should be re-conditioned at the sidings. It has been wet when it has arrived here and in such a state that it is impossible to do anything with it. The stacking of the wheat here is generally good . 6161. Have you seen them at work stacking?▬Yes, I think the stacking is good. It is a credit to those in charge, but a the beginning of the season there were difficulties. The sheds were not completed and the rain came in before the covering was up, consequently, a lot of the wheat became wet and the stacks had to be pulled down and re-conditioned. that will tend to breed weevil.

6162. Do you think that a person seding in wheat in the condition you have described should be prosecuted?▬Perhaps the individual who sent it in is acting under instructions. It is the organisation that is wrong. The Scheme is to blame.

6163. I suppose they know nothing about it?▬They should know. they have inspectors at different stacks and those people should be instructed not to send it to a stack, but to the mill direct. The agents are the men who should be brought to book. The stacks here are on damp ground and everyone knows that weevil will breed from the bottom and work up. They are not going to get away from the trouble either if they continue to bring weevil here.

6164. A very small portion of waste wheat has come here?▬Quite enough.

6165. Do you think that an opportunity should be given to farmers to purchase that inferior wheat?▬Yes, the wheat that is not fit to go into a re-conditioning depôt.

6166. Do you blame the officials for that?▬The men in charge are doing their utmost, but when the wheat is sent here and has to be unloaded and reconditioned that is where the trouble is. Someone has to pay for it and they should give a chance to the people to purchase that wheat. I would buy some of it, but not at their price.

6167. By Mr BROWN: Do you think this site is equally suitable to any other site between here and Perth?▬I suppose it is the best site they can get here so far as the levels are concerned. There is dry land on the other side of the railway line which would be better.

6168. By the CHAIRMAN: I suppose you would not stack your wheat between the river and the pool of water on the block adjoining the present stack?▬Certainly not, and I understand they are going to build on the adjoining block. If they do it will be a scandalous shame. That land will never drain to the river. The drainage comes from the hill and stops at the end of the stack by clay ground that runs parallel with the present site.