Wheat (1) - Part 4

Image 342
image 43 of 50

This transcription is complete

country sidings for over 2,000 bags? — I should think it would cost four times the amount to drain the sheds at the country sidings.

7195. Do you not think it should be obligatory on the part of the Railway Department to drain their own yards?—They should certainly keep their yards in proper order and well drained.

7196. It is a menace to the produce to have the yards undrained?—Undoubtedly.

7197. Do you not think the policy of the Railway Department should be to drain their yards? — I do not know what the policy of the Railway Department is. If it were a private company they would be forced to do it.

7198. Have not the roads boards to make provision for drainage in the various townships in their areas?—I understand they do.

7199. If they were working with the Railway Department most of these centres could be drained by the railway Department? — Some of the sidings are awkward to drain, because they are in a natural depression.

7200. The Scheme had to bear the whole of the cost of the drainage at the depots?—It is debited up to the depot, and it has to be borne by the farmers.

7201. You agree with the other witnesses that the main factor in keeping the asset free from weevil is to keep the wheat dry?—I will not say that. I think the main thing is temperature and the next thing combined is moisture, because moisture makes heat.

7202. Do you think that up-country sites would be less humid than where your depôts are?—I would not like to say that Korrelocking was less humid than Dowerin, but it might be less humid than Spencer's Brook and Midland Junction.

7203. What is your estimate of the breakdown value of the present depot sheds?—I have not gone into the figures, but we ought to get one-third of the cost of the material.

7204. Have you made an estimate of the permanent value of the sheds at the country sidings?—I do not know what it cost to put the sheds up.

7205. They would have a better value?—If you got the railways to buy them.

7206. Or anybody else?—You might get someone to buy them who wanted to use them for some purpose or other.

7207. You have a note as to the disposal of the plant and you say co-operative companies may not be able to provide sufficient cash to take over the plant at the sidings, but may through political influence obtain control of the sheds practically for nothing in meantime. I suppose you still agree with that?—I would like to explain. Perhaps the Commission does not understand. Suppose a school has been put up in the past in a locality and the school has been disbanded. There is always a deputation comes along asking for the use of the building as an agricultural hall or a church, and the Government of the day might say, go on and use it. The same might apply with regard to the wheat sheds.

7208. But I understand you to say they would not be able to find sufficient cash?—They may not.

7209. The second clause says that when the sheds are disbanded they could be disposed of to the best advantage and the co-operative companies could build sheds if they wished to use the material?—We say "may" in the first place and "if they wish to" in the second.

7210. By the CHAIRMAN: Could you give any idea of the average value per bushel of the wheat you have in the stacks?—I have not the remotest idea. It all depends on what we are likely to sell to the British Government at.

7211. You would advise them to bring the price down?—We might have to sell at 4s. 6d. to the British Government, so Mr. Watt said.

7212. In regard to sampling: you have not any average samples yet as far as the wheat is concerned?—The average wheat at the depôts all went fairly high, all over the Chamber of Commerce record. I have no record of these. We are getting samples drawn at all the depôts, and I can give you these.

7213. If you take the various samples by the various machines, you expect them to be as near as possible alike?—Taken by the same machine and weighed by the same man. In working the chrondometer you can make it weigh as heavy or as light as you like.

7214. We were in the Westralian Farmers' office the other day, where they had three large tin boxes locked up containing fair average samples of the wheat taken when put into depôts. There were three lots weighed out of the Spencer's Brook depôt; I cannot swear to this, but from memory all were under 58?—That is not a fair average of the Spencer's Brook wheat.

7215. Mr. Harrison says he thought there were 56, 57, and 58?—That is not a fair average of the Spencer's Brook wheat.

7216. In regard to the wheat which you now have to supply the British Government have you much left? Would you give Mr. Childe authority to give us the records?—Yes. I got the figures out some time back for another purpose.

7217. You are making some arrangements now with Mr. Love?—A certain percentage of what we have got has gone weevily, and there is a lot at out-ports where it never will be shipped from. We are arranging to take that wheat from him and give him flour in exchange.

7218. At so much per bushel?—Yes.

7219. He will take the flour that comes from the wheat; you have not to guarantee the quantity of flour on a f.a.q. standard?—We will have to give him it as if the wheat was f.a.q.

7220. Then all the wheat had to be f.a.q. which you have to supply to the British Government. In regard to checking the wheat at the depôts, if I mistake not, in evidence you pointed out previously to us that the wheat was checked by the Scheme officials?—Yes.

7221. And the dockage at the depôts was also made by the Scheme officials?—Yes.

7222. The acquiring agents are paid one-eighth of a penny for that work?—For checking weights and sampling at depôts.

7223. But the work is done by your officers?—They have a man at each of the depôts looking at the samples that are withdrawn.

7224. They had one man at each depot?—Yes.

7225. Could one man supervise at each depôt?—He could not.

7226. Therefore, you were paying for a service that was not given?—As far as the Scheme is concerned, that is the position; we knew they were not doing it.

7227. It made no difference so far as the Scheme is concerned?—Yes.

7228. In making a new contract do you think you should provide an amount for that work which is not necessary?—I do not.

7229. It made a difference of several thousand pounds to the acquiring agent-three or four thousand pounds?—About four thousand pounds.

7230. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: You say that practically all the railway sidings are weevil affected now?—A large number—the principal sidings.

7231. How long could you temporarily stack wheat at these sidings before the wheat becomes weevily affected?—All of the sidings that we are taking the wheat from now are affected, and any wheat stacked there would be affected.

7232. At the sidings the weevil are in the soil. How long could you temporarily stack it there?—Some wheat may be affected a week after stacking.

7233. In any case you will have to stack the wheat there?—We could pick out certain sections that could not be used for erecting sheds on.

7234. What means do you adopt to see that wheat taken from those sidings and sent to depôts has not weevil in the wheat?—The acquiring agents are supposed to consign weevily wheat to the mills.

7235. That is if the weevil is visible on the bags?—If it is visible either by sample or to the eye.

7236. That is only the matured weevil that could be seen?—Yes.

7237. So that if you put that wheat infected with weevils into the depôts you run the risk of infecting the whole depot?—A section, until you have cleaned it up.

7238. Until you opened up the depôt you would not know it was there?—They do not make much headway in the centre of the stack.

7239. If you took on of the stacks at any depôt, if there happened to be a weevily infected bag in the