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

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R S. Grallam, Esq.,J.P,, · continued, 12th Mny 1883. 1498 50G10. If you add on to the cost of the cultivation of an acre 12s. for the rent of it, taking the Yalue of your own farm, and putting 2s. 6tl. instead of 4s. Gtl. for the wear and tear or implements, it n1akes up a total cost, according to the list you have given, of £3 lOs. per acre per annum ?-Yes. 50G11. And a return of 25 bushels per acre would give you £3 15s. in money, a profit of. 5s. an acre?-Yes, an cl many a time we work at a loss instead of a profit. 506!2. Those then are exceptional seasons when yon lose the crop altogether ?-Yes. 50G 13. Every fal'mer of cOJn·se has to take a risk, but do you wish the Commission and the country to believe that 5s. per acre profit is the usnal ::md normal rate of profit upon farming operations in this district? -It varies, in some years that is all the farmers get. 50614. We have been trying to get an average year-everybody knows and admits that there are exceptional years-there may be one year in which yon say yon woul(l get GO bushels to the ::tere-of cOiu·se the calculation between 60 bushels and 26 makes all the additional of the 60 over the 25 clear profit, assuming the expenses to be the same-of course some of the expenses increase and some do not, but there may be another year in which the yield may be. only fifteen bushels, and that would be an exceptional year in the opposite direction '1-Yes. 50615. Therefore, for the pnqrse of our investigation we asked you to name an average year? -Yes. 50616. And I understood you to tell me, when I commenced the inquiry, that 35 bushels per acre might be taken as the fair average yield of the district, and you afterwards reduced it to 25 bushels as the yieltl of yom own farm. Mr. Longmore's inquiries were all based upon 25 bnshels per acre :tH the yield, >tml mine upon 35-now which is the correct one to be taken in this matter ?--Thirty-five; but there are two other matters you have not taken into consideration, that is pease and potatoes ; tlmt Yaries quite differently from the oats. Pease will bring from 6d. to Is. more per bushel. 50617. It woulcl take us far too lcmg to go into each individual item; we took oats as the first upon the list from which we conlu make a fair estimate of the rest ?-Quite so. 50618. Are we to nlll1erstand that 25 bushels is the or,1iuary average yield per acre, or that 35 is? -Thirty-five. 50619. I want you aml the gentlemen present to elearly understand the position we are in about that malting in bond business. I am quite snre, from the contradictory nature of your replies, that you h;we not thoroughly understood the position of the case. The position is this-after the maltsters have converted Victorim1 barley into malt for the supply of all the Victorian brewers, they naturally look round to do a business outside the colony ?-Yes. 600:20, After they ·have supplied the whole of the colony with your barley grown here, they look for a business outside to keep their malt houses going, and they try to find a market in Sydney and Adelaide, of course for your barley, in the first instance-it is yonr barley they are working with ; but when they go to those markets they find that they are 1i1et there with malt made in New Zealand from New Zealand barley, which can be put upon the Sydney and Adelaide markets cheaper than you can put your barley upon the same markets. Consequently they are beaten out of tho1>e outside markets. It does not affect you here in the lenst, nor the Victorian market, when (to enable them to compete with New Zealand malt made from New Zealand bm·ley in Sydney and Adelaide') they ask that they may be allowed to operate upon that same barley for those marker.s, not for your market, nor to affect you in the least. They ask that they may be pet·mitted to bring that New Zettland barley here, convert it into malt in the time when they are not occupied in converting your barley for om owu people, and send it away to compete with New Zealand in Sydney and Adeluide. Now are yon under the impression that that would affect your business as a grower of barley for the Victorian m!trket ?-No, so long as the Victorian barley is all consumed in Victoria or elsewhere. 50621. Now let me ask you this-you say" so long as the whole of the Victorian barley is consumed in Victoria or elsewhere" ?-Yes. 50622. Up to the present time the Victorian growers have not reacheLl that point that they have got a surplus to send elsewhere, or it is a very small surplus. Supposing the Victorian maltsters have used up as much of the Victorian barley as supplies all the Victorian brewers, and there is a surplus to send elsewhere, they cannot send it elsewhere to other markets, for they are beaten by New Zealand barley-you wonkl not get it sent there except at a lower price which will compete with the New Zealand price; because you have a duty upon it which enables you to get a higher price in Victoria, that does not enable you to get' a higher price abroad than other people take abroad, and your barley will not command in Sydney aml Adelaide the same price as you get here ?-So long as it does not interfere with the Victorian barley I should not object to it. 50G23. So long as it does not affect your disposing of yonr barley to Victorian brewers at the rate you get now ?-Yes. 50624. It is impossible for it to interfere with your price for the duty prevents that. If after malting the foreign barley in bond that malt were to be sold in Victoria in competition with Victorian malt, yon would luwe your prices reduced by the competition ?-Yes. 50625. But that could not possibly be put upon the Victorian market without paying dnty first. Now under those cicenmstances have you any objection ?-No, no objection at all so long as the Victorian barley is not interfered with. 50620. By Mr. L11clntyre.-Will you tell the Commission please, Vi' hat the 500 acres of land that you first took up here cost you-was it taken up ?-Bought at auction. 50627. What did it cost per acre ?-Five pounds. 50628. By 111T. f.obb.-In regard to this barley, I do not think you understand the question right, now-excuse me for saying SQ.; will you tell the Commission what is the price you have been getting for barley, say the last three or four years-what was it last year ?-Four shilliui!s. 50629. \'Vhat was it the vear before ?-It was uot. so much the vear before. 50G30. Would not it in yonr opinion be f~tr better to preveJtt ·this malting in bond so that when barley is a low price hero it should 110t encoumge other countries to sE>nd it here, so that our barley might be consumed for the purpose of sending to other colonies ?-Yes, but if we have not a surplus. V 50031. But we have a surplus sometimeti ?-But I understood the Chairman to say that it was not to interfere.
1499 The Cftairrnan.-Quitc right. 50632. B.!J Jllh. Woods.-Ca:n you compete with New Zoaiand barley here ?-No. 50633. If you cannot compete with it here, can you expect to compete vvith it in Sydney or Adelaide plu!Sthe carriage ?.......:..No. 50634. Then under those circumstances can there he any objection to employ Victorianlabom to work up foreign material so long us that forei"'n materiaJ is not put upon the Victorian market?-No objection. "" 50.635. By the Clwirman.-If.ave you anything you wish to add ?-No, nothing further. The tvitness witltd1·ew. Hemy Louis Galbn1ith sworn and examined. R. S. Grah!llJl, Esq., J.P., tJotainued, 12th May 1883, 50636. By the Clwi·rman.-\Vhat a1·e you ?-A tenant farmer. H. L. Gn.lurutth, 50637. How many acres does your farm holding contain ?-Two hundred and sixty rented, and 12 thMaylSsa. about sixtv freehold. 50G38. That is 320 altogether ?-Yes. 50639. How much of that do you cultivate ?-About 230 acres. 50640. What crops do you priitcipally grow ?-Ofits, pettse, barley, and potatoes. 50641. Did you hear the evidence of Mr. Graham ?-Part of it. 50642. Have you any objection to the removnl of the dnty from wheat and flour ?-Individually I have not, because in Lancefield we do not grow much wheat, we arc not now a wheat-producing district, but it interferes with the protective ririnciples of the country, aucll oppose its being clone .. 50643. Did yotl hear Mr. Graham's evidence upon the question of oats ?-Part of 1t. 50644. Do you agree with his evidence ati far as you have heard it ?-No. 50645. Have you an objection to the removal of the duty from oats ?-A decided objection. . 50646. How many bushels of oats to the acre will. yonr laud yield upon the average ?-It is rather a uifficult question to answer, but I wonld not cultivate land that would only produce 25 bushels to the acre. It would not pay for a threshing machine, which is the best test. My land has prodtlced GO bushels to the acre for three years. . 50647. We have the evidence of Mr. Gralmm that 35 bushels to the a,cre of oats i~ the average yield of the district, is that according to your experience ?-:For Lancefi-eld propel' it is much below the average. If you go outside to Newham, and to the outside loamy lands, it might be the average. 50648. What would it he for Lancefield proper, as you term it ?-I cannot say, about 45, the way we cultivate our ground. It all depends upon the way yon cultivate. One man may get 60, and another man my not get 30. · 50649. Did you hem· the list of expenses given by }\fr. Graham for the cultivation of an acre of oats ?-Yes. 50650. Is that correct, according to your experie_nee ?-I differ a little, not much. I say about 14s. an 11Cl'C would cover ploughing, harrowing, and rolling, but ad to sowing, it all depends upon whether you are sowing for hay or for crop. Of course, for hay, you put on much more t.ha,n you do for an oat crop • . 50651. Mr. Graham's total comcH to £2 1Ss., without any item for rent or manure, is that your experience ?-~I heard part of that, and I would say 14s. 11n acre for ploughing, harrowing, and rolling. 50135:l. That is 1s. 6cl., more than he puts down leaving out cost of twice ploughing and perhaps twice grubbing, as I frequently do, and the rent of my farm is 12s. !)d. an acre; some people pay as high as 15s.; I have paid £1 rtud I8s. As to reaping, I tl.gree with him. 50653. And as to threshing, lls. ?-That depends upon the amount of your crop, say £1 a hundred, it is hardly £1, and then you get seconds that they do not charge for. There are a lot of things to be considered. 50654. By M1·. Longmore.-Yotl pay for all the la hour ?-We pay for all the labour, and feed the men. It does not come to £2. 50655. By tAe Chairnum.-Not £2 a hundred ?-No, about 30::>. '' hundred I put it down at. 50fi5G. Then the carriage 5s. ?-That is the railway. 50657. Bags cost you more ?-~That has nothing to do, I snppo~e, with this Cm:nmbsion, it is a gre11t grievance to l,hc farmer. 50658. First of all we are at the cost of production ?-You eau put tlown the bags at from Ss. to 10s.; they vary. in price; I think !lB. to 10s. is a fair average. 50()59. And the expenses in town ?-It eosLs me about 4~d. a bushel, inclu1liug railway freight; weighing, receiving, and delivering at the store, whieh is about 2d. a bag, and 2d. the charges and railway freight, come to about He!. a bushel. 50660. By llfr. Longmore.-There is carriage from the railway to t.he fMm, 5s.?-Tlutt is not 5s., about 4s. from my fm·m, and more or less according ti) distance from rnilwny. 50661. By the Clwi1·man.-Do you reckon anything for manure ?-I think I have paid abont as mueh for artificial manmc, barring one farmer, as any man in the district. I pnt ontLS much as G cwt. to the acre. 50G6:.!. By .Mr. Longmore.-Bonc dust?-Yes, nml other 11rtificial manures. 5066;3. By the Cltairman.-'vVhat do you reckon your expemlitnre per acre, upon the rtYcrage, to be in order to get 60 bnshels ?-That is a question almost impossible to auswer; it all depends upon the way you work your farm. I subsoil my land, ru1cl my neighbour may work differently from me, and it is almost impossible to say what it costs upon the average. 50G6±. Would !Os. an acre be a fair estimate of the expenditure for manure ?-I do not think there is a farmer in the district, barring two, that ever goes to a halfpenny of expense in it. I have used as much as 50s. worth per acre. 50GG5. Then we can leave that out. In what respect do you disagree with .Mr. Gmhmn in the matter of oats ?-I disagree with him about the average quantity on the good farms of Lancefield. 50666. You do not disagree with him as to the advisability of retaining the Llnty ?-I mn thoroughly in favour of retaining the duty. 50667. Would it be a. serious injury to the farming industry if the dnty wcrerednccd to one-half and pnt bacl\: to what it waj> l!l 1879 ?-! O[!,lJ(lf St:ty yes or po (,0 that question! bnt I ORII tell yon, ft,S a. practical
Page 1 and 2:
1401 47±25. How many pounds do the
Page 3 and 4:
1403 4748±. You say you received t
Page 5 and 6:
1405 475±9. Do yon mean to say it
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1407 told me thttt they preferred l
Page 9 and 10:
1409 because the revenue would not
Page 11 and 12:
1411 47743. How was that divided be
Page 13 and 14:
l4:13 47824. Y on did not need to a
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1415 Yarraville constructed and mai
Page 17 and 18:
1417 47927. You clo not call bungs
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14Hl 47998. You cut litt.le corks o
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1421 48060. Would the public get th
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1423 48145 . .Are they aule to comp
Page 25 and 26:
1425 48210. How many hours do they
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1427 48283. What prevented you from
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'1429 Frederick Kennon sworn and ex
Page 31 and 32:
1431 Gillman Goodrich Pearce sworn
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1433 48483. Who uses condensed milk
Page 35 and 36:
1435 48563. The removal of the duty
Page 37 and 38:
1437 48631. How can you make ends t
Page 39 and 40:
1439 people in the country ?-I thin
Page 41 and 42:
1441 the ld. is taken off, the mine
Page 43 and 44:
1443 48793. Is it a success ?-It wa
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1445 48854. No, all the evidence we
Page 47 and 48: c 1447 are sold at 10d., that would
Page 49 and 50: 1449 duty th11t is upon fhinnels-is
Page 51 and 52: 1451 49028. But also the value?-Yes
Page 53 and 54: 1453 49088. Have you any reason to
Page 55 and 56: 1455 when we commenced as nmnufactu
Page 57 and 58: 1457 49236. Has there been any fall
Page 59 and 60: 1459 49302. Have you tried Queensla
Page 61 and 62: 1461 49367. I understand that you s
Page 63 and 64: 1463 taken the place of mill-stones
Page 65 and 66: 1465 49494. Do you think you could
Page 67 and 68: 1467 4·9558. Youwoufd not be dispo
Page 69 and 70: 1469 49629. Where do you get your r
Page 71 and 72: 1471 49704. Approve of what ?-You t
Page 73 and 74: 1473 49786. Oats have not yet reach
Page 75 and 76: 1475 49854. Will you give us a case
Page 77 and 78: 1417 49922. What pTopoTtion does th
Page 79 and 80: 1479 49981. You think they should p
Page 81 and 82: 1481 John Rigby Non·is sworn and e
Page 83 and 84: 1483 50i 17. Are yon in the habit o
Page 85 and 86: 1485 50183. By JYir. Longmore.-Do y
Page 87 and 88: -14:8:7 50238. By 11£1·. Longmore
Page 89 and 90: 1489 .'i0314. Do you export to Sydn
Page 91 and 92: 1491 Henry Berry sworn and examinet
Page 93 and 94: ]493 50429. That being the case, an
Page 95 and 96: 1495 50498. In what way ?-Something
Page 97: 1497 50578. What woulL1 you do for
Page 101 and 102: 1501 50689. Are you opposed to the
Page 103 and 104: 1503 50755. Thn.t leaves you 836 ac
Page 105 and 106: 1505 50807. Is that what you want t
Page 107 and 108: 1507 50881. At the present price of
Page 109: 1509 {)0950. Where were you living
show all

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

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