K-iY.M. 



; i ui . 



MR. ALBERT BUCKUC. 



[Continue*. 



SSil. M>. I. M. llrndrrsun.l understand that you 

 a tanner yourself P That ia 80. 



3328 1 think you cultivate 380 acres? Yet. 



6399. I unlit to get on the records with regard to 

 accounts. You have kept nccounU of the results on 

 your ou farm from time to time, have you notP 

 1 make a valuation every year, but I am afraid that 

 during theae war yean I have not had time to keep 

 uch accurate account* as would satisfy an accountant. 



5330. One would suppose that a person who was 

 capable of making all these various calculations 

 would be just the very man to keep accounts? I do 

 keep accounts. 



5331. Can you say generally what has been the 

 result of your farming, from those accounts, for the 

 last three years P I cannot give you the actual 

 figures of the result of my farming, but out of the 

 last three years the last year was certainly not so 

 successful as the two previous ones. 



5332. Can yon tell us on the average during the 

 last three years what profit you madeP I do not 

 think I could off-hand. 



6333. You have got the material, surely? No, I 

 have not got that. 



5334. Would you be prepared to produce to the 

 Chairman such accounts as you hare? I am afraid 

 I have no accounts with me with regard to my own 

 particular farm. 



5335. Could you get them? Before I came I asked 

 if I should be required to produce any balance sheet, 

 and I was told no. 



5336. It would be of great value to the Commission 

 to get the results of an expert farmer. Can you 

 produce them to us, and if you ran, will you? I do 

 not think I can do that. 



5337. Is it that you cannot or that you will not P 

 I cannot; I have not got correct balance sheets. 



5338. You have not got the material? No. 



5339. You speak of a 70s. guarantee. I suppose 

 you are aware that several other experts who have 

 given evidence before us have recommended :\ 

 guarantee of 60s. ? No, I was not aware of that. 



5340. In your idea 60s. would be too little? Yes. 



5341. Have you made any estimate of what such 

 a guarantee would cost the State for the year 1920? 

 No, I have not done that so much would depend 

 upon foreign import* and so on. 



5342. You look upon it by way of an insurance, 

 do you not? Yes, that is so. 



5343. That is to say, the farmer would be insured 

 up to four quarters of wheat an acre at 70s. a 

 quarter? Yes. Of course, the four quarters is 

 problematical; he might pet it. or he might not get 

 it. 



5844. I think the Corn Production Act says " four 

 times," which means four times for each acre? Yes. 



5845. That means four quarter* P Yes. 



5346. Have you ever considered, or have your con- 

 stituents considered, whether the farmers ought not 

 to pay a premium for this infmrnnep? T do not think 

 that has been considered. 



5347. Supposing it were put to thorn, " We will 

 give you a guarantee of 70s., but on every quan.-r 

 that you sell at a price beyond 70s. you shall pay a 

 premium of inturanco of In. a quarter or 2s. a quarter 



frown." Doe* thnt iile:i shock y<m rather! \ 

 little bit, I think. 



5S4S Everybody pay* a premium for in 

 I think it is in the interests of the nation. 



6S49. We have heard the phrase very often " in 

 the interests of the nation " but we do not know 

 hut it means. I put it to you that if farmers get 

 m insurance they ought to pay n premium fnr it 

 the same as anybody else has to do. 



Chairman : This witness is representing the Cleve- 

 land Chambnr of Agriculture, and he Kays that the 

 Chamber him not ennoidered the point of insure 



i tfr. J. M. Jlrndrriton : 1 want to ask him 

 what he think* about it himself? T do not think 

 much of that. 



53151. I do not suppose you would. Do you think 

 it would He fnir? I do not I am not prepared to 

 answer that question', I have not thought it out. 



5352. Have you made any estimate or calculation 

 of what would be the price of wheat or the world's 

 production for the next eighteen months or two 

 years? No, I have not the world's production? 

 I. Yes? Certainly not. 



5364. We have had it in evidence here that the last 

 two American crop* have heen excellent? 



. Notwithstanding that the price of wheat has 

 kept up above the minimum? Yes. 



.5356. What is it to-day ? I think it is 76s. 6d. to 

 the farmer. 



5357. What is barley to-day? I am not sure. 



5358. Will you be surprised to hi ar that they are 

 asking llKis. tor it? That may be possible; I have 

 heard that it is making a good price. 



5359. If the crops in America fail the result will be 

 that the price here will rise: M\ |*>int rather in 

 asking for this guarantee for wheat" is that the I 



will grow' barley if it pays him better; and if it is 

 in the interests of the nation, if the nation wants 

 us to grow wheat, I think they should give some 

 guaranteed price. 



5360. That is a political 'question which we need 

 not go into. You spoke about a 30s. per acre profit, 

 did you not? Yes. 



5361. Would I be right in saying that in addition 

 to that 80s. the farmer has free quarters a free 

 house. That is included in the rent? Yes. 



5362. He gets his food for very little? No, he 

 does not. 



5363. Most of his food. He gets milk and eggs and 

 butter, and so on? That would be charged to his 

 household expenses and credited to his farm. 



5364. Have yon charged it Inn:- I have not given 

 any estimate of the household expenses. 



5365. As a matter of fact that would account for 

 a considerable amount, would it not? Yes, but the 

 farmer would have to live on the profit; we have not 

 put down anything for household expenses. 



5366. In addition to the 30s. an acre, be it right or 

 wrong, he has free quarters which is charged in the 

 rent of the farm? Yes, a free house. 



5367. And I think you mus,t admit a considerable 

 portion of his produce he gets, if not free, at 

 price, at any rate? Yes. 



5368. I suggest you should put it to your consti- 

 tuents to consider this question of a premium on all 

 guaranteed produce sold at a price over the minimum. 



Cli'tirman: I have no doubt he will report what 

 you have asked him. 



5369. Mr. Thomas Henderson: I think I heard 

 you say you thought it better to grow wheat at 70s. 

 than have a shortage of wheat? ' 



5370. You think by offering a guarantee of 70s. yon 

 can insure the country against having a shortage? 

 That will depend to a very large extent on the 

 price of cereals. If barley, as you say, is making 

 100s. a quarter and is likely to make it, I do not 

 think a farmer is very likely to grow wheat on land 

 that will grow barley. 



,1.'!71. So that the 70s. would not have very much 

 effect? I think not if barley was making a very large 

 price. 



.">.'i 7'J. Yon spoke of it being in the national interest. 

 What national interest had you in your mind? To 

 ensure tho growing of grain. We know me position 

 in which o wen- in in this >untry during the war 

 owing to the shortage of cereals. 



5373. That is what yon had in mind only to 

 prevent shorbu 



"..'17 1 Mr. rriisxrr ./r/nc<: You lold us that theie 

 was a great shortage of labour in your district? 

 That is so. 



ID any complaint to make against tho 

 Micioncy of the labour yu have? No, I do not 

 wish to mnke any complaint against the' labour. 



J)o von find the men as efficient as they 

 ttiTe. say. in KIK)? I ihink. particularly ri'li -ih,- 

 younger generation, those shorter hours have- a 

 t'tidenc\ to make them wish to he off at nights, and 

 RO forth. 



.">.V7. That is what I wanted to get at, tho younger 

 :iion seem to be n,t fnult in one f<r two rjiscsr 

 Yes. 



