MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 



17 



26 August, 19(9.] 



MB. ALBERT BUCKLE. 



[Continued. 



5541. You have thought of nothing whereby he can 

 be assisted on co-operative lines, say? It is possible 

 that something might be done on those lines, but, 

 as I think I said some time ago, the average of 80 

 farms which I surveyed was about 150 acres. I 

 think that man is quite capable of getting all the 

 implements for carrying on his holding. 



5542. Yes, but you state here that the larger 

 farmer is in a better position than the small one, 

 as he can take advantage of up-to-date machinery? 

 That is so. 



5543. The men you have been referring to up to 

 now have been able to get on quite all right ? There 

 are a few small holdings that have been created in 

 our district, and I think those men are at a great 

 disadvantage. 



5544. Do you not think there is some value in the 

 suggestion with regard to co-operation? Un- 

 doubtedly. 



5545. With regard to this labour question, would 

 you be surprised to know that there are some 

 r.\|>erienced men in the industry who arp out of em- 

 ployment at this very moment in certain districts? 

 I ran only say if they will come up to Cleveland they 

 will soon find employment if they want it. 



5546. Sir William Ashley : Will you kindly tell us a 

 little bit about the industrial situation? I suppose 

 Middlesbrough has a great power of attraction upon 

 the labour in your district? That is so, and other 

 industrial centres also. There are mines all round 

 Cleveland, as you know. 



5547. Yes, quite so. I suppose your labourers usu- 

 ally live in villages? No, mostly on the farms. 



5548. What is there in the way of recreation for 

 an adult agricultural labourer in your district? I 

 do not think there is very much ; they do get a lirttlo 

 cricket perhaps on a Saturday afternoon, but that is 

 about the extent of it. 



;:). What are tho prospects of a hard-working 

 and able labourer? Can he look forward to becoming 



a bailiff? I certainly do think so, and many have 

 done so. 



5550. In your neighbourhood? Yes, and particu- 

 larly the young men who are getting, theso high wages 

 and who are boarding in. They have every oppor- 

 tunity of saving a great deal of money and might 

 very soon become small holders. 



5551. There are small holdings for them to obtain 

 in your neighbourhood? Yes I do not mean that 

 they are vacant to-day, but there are many farm 

 labourers who have risen and got on to small holdings 

 and eventually on to farms. 



5562. You have been examined a good deal with 

 regard to the confidence which a farmer may be sup- 

 posed to feel. I suppose you wish us to understand 

 that, although farmers are confident in regard to the 

 prospects of agriculture generally, they are not con- 

 fident in regard to the prospects of wheat growing? 

 No, I do not think they are over -confident. We never 

 know what is going to be dumped into this country 

 from abroad, and unless we have a guarantee the 

 price might drop very low. 



5553. Chairman: We are very much obliged to you, 

 Mr. Buckle, for the evidence you have given us? If 

 you will allow me, I should like to say there is a very 

 strong feeling in our district that this Daylight Sav- 

 ing Bill is detrimental to the interests not only of 

 farmers, but of the farm labourers. In hay time, and 

 harvest particularly, with the dews in the mornings, 

 now that the hours are fixed we are losing that hour 

 altogether. I also think it is detrimental to the 

 health of the rising generation the children. They 

 do not get to bed until it is dark half past ten or 

 eleven. Young boys particularly who have to be at 

 work next morning on the farm do not get to bed 

 until 11 o'clock at night, and they are expected to bo 

 at their place next morning at half past five. When 

 they come to their work they are tired out. and I 

 think the Daylight Saving 'Bill is a great disad- 

 vantage in the case of the agricultural industry. 



(The Witness withdrew.) 



Mr. R. C. BOURNE, called and examined. 



5554. Chairman: You have put in a statement of 

 tho evidence you propose to give to the Commission:' 

 Yes. 



o5.>>. May we take it 'as read? Certainly. 



(Evidence-in-chief hmn/i/l in >>i/ Witness.) 



5556. (1) I regret that I cannot give accurate evi- 

 dence as to pre-war costs, as I was not keeping the 

 farm account^. :it that period and the accounts were not 

 analysed at this period. Fourteen horses were kept, 

 and 11 men were employed. Hours worked, 63 per 

 week and wages approximately 18s. 



").")". (2) A tractor was purchased in 1917 and two 

 teams were sold, thus reducing the horses to eight. 

 Hours the same, and wages raised to 25s. 



5558. (3) In 1918 hours were reduced to 56 per week 

 in tiiintner and 48 per week in winter. \V,t<;<". wen- 

 raised to 31s. One tractor and eight horses employed, 

 the latter as two teams and two spare. Average 

 overtime worked per week was 22 hours at lOd. per 

 hour. This overtime was worked chiefly by the wag- 

 goners and the two men employed with the tractor. 

 Those four men averaged four hours overtime each 

 per week, leaving six hours overtime to be distributed 

 amongst the remaining seven men. The stock men 

 and shepherd worked very little overtime, and con- 

 sequently received very slight increase in wages in 

 this respect. The ordinary labourer received lOd. 

 per week (average) and the waggoners and men em- 

 jil'i.vcd with the tractor 3s. 4d. overtime per week on 

 the average. 



If the rise in wages is considered from the point of 

 vii-w of the individual labourer it will be seen that 

 the waggoner's wage had increased by 16s. 4d. per 

 I'tagi- increase 90-7 per cent.), whilst 

 that of the ordinary labourer had only increased by 

 13s. lOd. per week (percentage increase 77-3 per 

 cent.). 



MM 



50. (4) In 1919 wages were again raised to 36s. 6d. 

 per week and hours shortened to 54 hours. This has 

 necessitated the employment of another man, and 

 what is still more important, of another team. A 

 team in my part of Herefordshire is three horses, and 

 at present prices the price of a team is approximately 

 200 per annum, made up as follows: 



s. d. 



Interest on cost of horses (300) at 

 5 per cent. ... ... ... ... 15 



Depreciation on basis of 15 years ... 20 

 Cost of food, &c., at 2s. 4d. per horse 



per day 158 10 



Small expenses, drugs, &<., say ... 6 10 



200 



Or 66 13s. 4d. per horse per annum. 

 In arranging for another team only two more horses 

 have been required, thus the number at present em- 

 ployed is three teams of three horses each=9 horses 

 and 1 spare horse, or 10 horses in all, but this in- 

 crease in the number of horses adds 133 6s. 8d. to 

 the annual cost of production. 



5560. (5) With the extra team and man employed 

 the amount of overtime worked is negligible. The 

 present figures are : 



3 waggoners. 

 1 stockman. 



1 shepherd. 



2 men with tractor. 

 5 general labourers 



Total 12 



Theso 12 men working 54 hours each per weok give 

 a total of 648 hours work per week, which with 10 

 horses working enables tho farm to be kept in a 

 proper state of cultivation. 



B 9 



