UUYAL COMMlNMON <>N Ai.lilCl l.ll UK. 



27 Aug,,H, 1919.] 



Mil. J. SAIH.EB. 



[Continual. 



riding shorter hours in the milk industry? We hare 

 milkers who are regularly employed. 



7190. For milking only? Yes, but wo have no sur- 

 plus; no reserre to fall back upon; that is the 

 difficulty. 



7121. What is the reason that there is no reserve to 

 fall back upon? What rate has usually been paid in 

 the past for that work? The lowest wage I paid in 

 1914 for milkers was 1 think -Is. 6d. a week. I am 

 not defending it mind you, I am simply stating what 

 was the fact, and it was in harmony with the terms 

 of their employment. I believe I paid rather more 

 than most people did. 



7133. I quite agree. Now it ranges from 8s. up 

 to 14s. 



(The WUnen 



7123. How many cows do they milk at a milking? 

 7 or 8. 



7124. How often a day do they milk ? Twice. 



7135. You are paying now from 8s. to 14. P Yes. 



7136. Has that not produced more workers who are 

 willing to milk? No, rather less now than ever. 



7137. Where were these milkers drawn from? 

 They were largely the workmen's wives. 



7125. You do not find that the increase of the wage 

 has had any effect in creating more workers willing 

 to undertake the work? The increase of the work- 

 men's wage generally has rather defeated thut object ; 

 their wives do not come out as freely to milk now as 

 they used to do. 



withdrew.) 



NINTH DAY. 

 TUESDAY, 2ND SEPTEMBER, 11)19. 



PRESENT : 

 SIB WILLIAM BARCLAY 



BIB WILLIAM JAMES ASHLEY. 



Da. C. M. DOUGLAS, C.B. 



MB. G. G. REA, C.B.E. 



MK. W. ANKER SIMMONS, C.B.E. 



MB. HENRY OVERMAN, O.B.K. 



MB. A. W. ASHBY. 



MB. A. BATCH ELOH. 



MB. H. S. CAUTLEY, K.C., M.P. 



MB. GEORGE DALLAS. 



MB. J. F. DUNCAN. 



MB. W. EDWARDS. 



Mr. R. OOLTON Fox, representing the Yorkshire 



7129. Chairman: You have submitted to the Com- 

 mission a statement of the evidence you propose to 

 give, and also certain schedules of income and expen- 

 diture for the years 1916, 1917 and 1918, and balance 

 sheets for the same years, and statements of costs of 

 wheat, oats and barley.J Will you allow me to in- 

 corporate those in the day's proceedings without read- 

 ing them through? Yes. 



Evidence-in-chief handed in by witness. 



* 



Cott of Production. 



7130. (1) Since I did not enter this farm until April, 

 1915, I have no balance sheet to show for a pre-war 

 season, and as the land was not worked up to a normal 

 level until the end of 1918, I have taken the 1919 

 harvest as a guide to expenses and yield. 



All crops, except late sown barley, have been 

 seriously affected by the drought. 



(4):- 



PEAT (Chairman). 



MB. F. E. GREEN. 

 Ma. J. M. HENDERSON. 

 MB. T. HENDERSON. 

 MB. T. PROSSER JOM> 

 MB. E. W. LANGFORD. 

 MB. R. V. LENNARD. 

 MR. GEORGE NICHOLLS. 

 -Mu. E. H. PARKER. 

 Mit. R. R. ROBBINS. 

 MR. W. R. SMITH, M.P. 



Union of Agricultural Clubs, called and examined. 



7131. (2) Owing to the practice of fallowing being 

 practically non-existent in this district, my actual 

 expenses for the wheat crop are less than in other 

 localities. 



To the actual cost of working must be added a per- 

 centage for profit and risk, and this I have taken at 

 20 per cent. 



Horsemen's wages have been calculated from 

 September 15th last year to 18th August, 1919; the 

 result is 37 weeks at 41s. and 12 weeks at 47s., giving 

 a weekly average of 42s. 



7KJ2. (3) As the cost of production will be still 

 further increased for 1920 harvest. MUM- the uago is 

 now J7s. and food for horses has gone up, it is 

 evident that the present guaranteed prices will be as 

 inadequate, for next season as they are for this year 

 on land affected by drought. 



Oats should be no Jess than 60s., barley 80s., and 

 wheat lK)s. ; tor though Mieli prices may appear high 

 where a full yield is obtained, they are necessary 

 when crops have failed after every effort has been 

 made. 



; AM Appendix Mo. II. 



Then estimate! rrfrr I,, // karretl HOW being reaped. 



Ploughed by order, 1918. t Figures corrected in course of evidence. 



