40 



ROTAL COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURE. 



17 



, 1919.] 



MR. H. AEMOCK and MR. O. O. MERCER. 



[Continufd. 



(6) I have also given an estimate of the cost* of pro- 

 duction for year 1919. 



(6) On the basis of that estimate the following 

 prices would be required in order to do no more than 

 meet the cost of production (without providing any 

 profit) : 



Wheat per quarter of 504 Ibs. ... 58 

 Barley 448 Ibs. ... 60 

 OaU , 336 Ibs. ... 48 



d. 

 

 3 

 9 



(7) Although it may not be strictly allowable to put 

 down Income Tax as a cost of production, and I have 

 uot put it down, it ought not to bo overlooked that for 

 the most part the tax comes out of the profit of 

 production. 



(8) Hie Scottish Chamber has approved of the 

 principle of the Corn Production Act so far as regards 

 guaranteed prices of cereals. The directors are of opi- 

 nion that unless adequate guaranteed prices are given, 

 there will very soon be less land under cultivation 

 than before the war. Labour difficulties, with in- 

 creased wages and shorter hours, increased education 

 and other local rates, will all tend to throw land 

 back to pasture. 



(9) It will not suffice to confine the period of 

 guarantee to 1990-22 (the remaining years of 

 guarantee under the Corn Production Act). I lu 

 guarantee should extend to at least 5 years. As, how- 

 ever, it will be impossible to fix prices so long in ;i<i 

 vance, I suggest that there should now be fixed prices 

 for crop 1990, and that a responsible Committee be 

 constituted with statutory powers to fix prices for the 

 following four years. They should be bound to fix 

 and publish the prices for each year not later t!: m 

 September in the preceding year. 



(10) In fixing prices for years 1990-32 regard should 

 be had to the fact that consequent on excessive and 

 cross-cropping, much land is dirty and will require 

 extra expense for cleaning. It should also be kept 

 in view that in order to clean the land it will ha 

 necessary to grow potatoes and turnips on which 

 there may be a considerable loss. 



(11) We attach great importance to an adequate 

 guaranteed price being provided for oats, because if 

 this be not done, much of the secondary land which is 

 suitable to this crop, will fall out of cultivation. It 

 is certain that in Scotland, at all events, this is the 

 land to which we must look for maintaining pro- 

 duction. 



TABLK No. 1. 



SCOTTISH CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE. 

 Ettimated Coat of Production of Wheat, Barley and Oatt. 



Acreage under rotation, say, 



Year 



Wages: 



Amount paid in money 



Ham-it allowance 



Potatoes 8 men 8 cwts. each 



Increases affecting 1919, 10 per cent 



Shorter day , 



National Insurance and Workmen's Compensation 



Mitimaitd east per acrt in 



Rent and rates, etc., per acre 



Interest on Capital 



Crop and Stock Insurance 



Management 



Repairs and General Smith work 



Depreciation on implements 



Saddler 



Upkeep of buildings, fences, etc 



Upkeep of hones-14 (1913, 12*. per week each ; 1919, 

 Me.) 



Depreciation in do 



Shorter day, 6 hrs. per week, say, 



Wages as above 



TABLC No. 2. 



Kttimatni out in 11)13 a/ 



Cost per acre as per Table N. 1 



Dung exhaustion 



Artificial manures 



Seed 



Binder Twine 



Threshing, fuel, twine and mill 

 Thatching material only 



Credit straw 

 Net cost per acre. 



Gout per quarter In 1913 

 A* Average price in Edinburgh, 1913 . 



1912. 



6 17 1 



Wheat. 

 t. d. 

 6 17 1 

 1 5 



16 



1 

 036 

 060 

 036 



10 9 1 

 3 10 



6 I ;i 



27/10 



32/8 



36/4 



10 16 3 



Harlry. 

 . d. 

 I! 17 1 

 16 

 16 

 18 

 026 

 o r, 

 036 



9 16 1 

 1 18 6 



7 17 7 



31/6 

 29/4 

 33/11 



11 16 6 



Oati. 

 *. d. 

 6 17 1 



10 



1 6 

 16 

 026 

 060 

 036 



9 18 1 



2 14 



7 4 1 



22/2 

 23/11 



