Minutes of Evidence p.1401-1509 - Parliament of Victoria

1463
taken the place of mill-stones, and this machinery ought to come in free, for the porcelain rollers and the ThomasBrunton,
chilled iron rollers cannot be made here, and they ought to come in free as the silk for dressing does. Bt~ 0 ~i::';~83 ,
49433. Mr; Gibson gave us evidence in favour of removing the duty from wheat altogether, how does
that accord with yom experience ?-I think it is really unnecessary. It does not bring in a penny of
revenue, and I see no necessity to stain the statute-book with it.
49434. You agree with Mr. Gibson that it should be removed ?-Yes, I think so. I think the
competition could not be greater than it is now.
49435. Have you any dealings in other cereals than wheat ?-No, I deal in wheat principally.
49436. You do not express any opinion upon the duty upon barley and oats ?-I think the farmers
in this country are sufficiently protected, and have been so sufficiently long, and as they do not grow sufficient
barley to supply our wants they ought to give it up altogether, and let us get om· supply from New
Zealand, or somewhere else.
49437. Before giving that evidence, I clo not know whether you considered the fact that during the
last three or fom years, since the last alteration of the duty upon barley, and since the alteration, at the
same date, of the duty upon malt, the farmers have been growing a much larger quantity of barley, and that
they are, year by year, increasing it ?-Does that apply to this last year, I thought it was less?
49438. Everyone admits that last year was a bad crop, but taking the nm of the last three or four
years, they are growing much more barley than they clicl five or six years ago. You know, as a fact, that
about 1879 the duty on barley was doubled over and above what it was previously, and above what other
cereals paid ?-Yes.
49439. Concurrently with that an excise duty was put upon malt ?-Yes.
49440. The result is that nearly all the malt now used in the colony is grown and manufactnred
here ?-Yes.
49441. Unless you bear that in mind you >vill mislead the Commission and yourself, in recommending
the remission of the duty upon barley, upon the ground that the farmers were not taking advantage of it?
-Perhaps it may not he judiciotls to remove the duty off barley just now, but it must be upon the other
cereals, for when production is in advance of consumption what is the use of protection?
49442. Has the production of oats in this colony ove1TUU the consumption of oats in this colony?-
I am not able to speak clefinitcly upon that.
49443. You clo not deal in oats ?-No.
49444. And you are not able to speak with authority upon that ?-No.
49445. Then your evidence may be fairly confined to the question of wheat?-Yes.
49446. And leave the parties interested in other grains to speak for them themselves ?-Yes.
49447. Have you anything more to aclcl in relation to the duties that affect you as a miller?-! clo
not think so. I concur with Mr. Gibson in reference to belting and Sl1cks, that they indirectly press upon
the mlllers, but I do not think it is of sufficient importance to be worthy of the attention of the trade,
myself.
49448. By Jfr. ~"4fclntyre.-As to the barley, it is simply an opinion you give about barley ?-That
is all.
49449. It is not in your business ?-No.
49450. As to machinery, did ever you try to get this class of machinery that you require in your
works made in the colony ?-No.
49451. How do you know then that it could not be made ?-Just upon the same principle that you
can only get French burrs in France. And porcelain clay simply cannot be made.
49452. You understand that the impression prevails in this country that anything under the sun can
be made, if you protect it highly enough ?-I do not know that exactly. I have got a lot of machinery out
lately, and I felt rather sore to have to pay 27~ duty upon it; it was pu.tent machinery.
49453. But never having tried to get it made in the colony you do not know whether it can be made
here ?-Purifiers, which are the greatost improvements, I think, which have taken place in milling in the
last ten years, certainly could be made ii1 the colony, and I believe Bocldington is making them now.
49454. You see unless we get evidence to show that the article you speak of cannot be made in the
colony, except at very great expense, of course we should not be in a position to recommend your policy to
be adopted ?-I understand the purifiers made here work very well.
49455 . .Are they a patent here ?-No, the patent L1.ws here are so loose that if a new invention
comes in, any man may patent it at once.
49456. As to wheat, you did not hold with Mr. Gibson as to the fmer qualities being an improvement,
as compared with coarser qualities ?-That is simply a matter of opinion.
49457. That is medical opinion ?-That is medical opinion and practical opinion. I may say I was
a baker for many years before I was a miller, ancl bakers want a good strong clasH of flom that will take
up a good deal of water aucl make plenty of bread. That is what they want, if it is of a colour that satisfies
the customers.
49458. You think the flour that pleases the baker, is the one that turns out the most loaves, though
it may be an inferior article as far as the public are concerned ?-My experience is that I have tried it, aml
it makes a particularly white beautiful flour hut it lacks strength, and consequently it clid not give that
satisfaetion to the baker that the other class did. .
49459. That is the finer class ?-Yes.
49460, And [I suppose they use it Tlith alum and other things ?-I do not think it; they do not
require it in tbis country, with the fine class of wheat they have. They may use some lime water, perhaps.
40461. By 11fr. Zox.-In reference to the nutriment in this :flour dressed by patent machinery, clo
you consicler it possesses equally as much or more than the other samples of :flour ?-That is exactly where
the faculty differ. .
49462. But I want your opinion; can you give an opinion at all'npon it?-I can give you an extract
from a London journal of some German philosopher who feel two: dogs, one upon pure wheat ftonr and the other
upon pollard, and the dog fed upon pollard grew stronger and was well, while the other actl1ally lingerecT
~md died. The germ is entirely taken out of the flour by this proces,-;; but it is debated, and very
successfully I think, that the germ of the grain is what constitutes the real nutriment of the grain itself.