46 



KOYAL COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURE. 



6 Attyutt, 1919.] 



MR. J. M. CAIR. 



" vorgo wholesale price " means the producer'* 

 price or whether it moans the wholesaler's price, 

 whirh is a very different thing?--lt is the producer's 



price, 1 In-Ill 



I 1 >">.<. I am not here to givo evidence, but I do nof 

 think you are quite accurate there) 1 Do you think 

 1 am wrong f 



1054. I am certain you are? I am quite prepared 

 to look into that again. 1 have had these Tables 

 prepared, as I hare already indicated, under the 

 greatest pressure. 



1056. It would be a pity, if it is wrong, for this 



to go out as the. producer's price. It would appear 



> that the producer's price per gallon in tho first 



half of 1919 was 3s. 34d., whereas it is more nearly 



approximating to Is. lOd. The producer's price for 



May was Is. 6d. and the producer's price for June 



which would In- thi lat.'M month of the half-year- 

 was Is. 4d., and I think I am right in saying that 

 tin- price for January. Kebruary, March, and April 

 certainly was not more than 2s. 3d.? I will have that 

 checked again. 



J)r. Duuijltif. Would you ask whether the special 

 prices allowed in town districts have been added to 

 the normal average prices. If so, it confuses the 

 figures. 



1056. Mr. Lanyford: Even assuming that those 

 psoial prices are included, which are applicable only 

 to two places, Edinburgh and Dundee for stall-fed 

 oom, tin- prices could not be 2s. S^d.? It was only 

 included as regards Fxlinburgh, and the effect of that 

 one figure would not be very great when you take 

 tho whole into consideration. 1 do not think it would 

 mean more than Jd. a gallon probably. 



10-37. If my suggestion is right, the price would 

 work out at Is. lOd. instead of 2s. 3Jd., and if 

 Is. lOd. is approximately the figure, the increase 

 instead of being 214 per cent, would be more nearly 

 150 per cent., which makes a very considerable differ- 

 -This is certainly the average of the prices 

 returned to us. but I will have that looked inito, seeing 

 that some doubt appears' to exist on the subject. 



1058. A question has been put- to you as to tho 

 amount of tillage that has reverted to pasture within 

 lecent years pre-war. I put it to you that a good 

 deal of the land of Scotland does not lend itself suc- 



tlly to being laid down to permanent pasture? 

 I think that is generally recognised. 



1059. That is probably the reason why a less pro- 

 portion of the land reverted to pasture in Scotland 

 than was the case in England? Possibly. 



1060. Mr. Lrnnard : Have you in Scotland any 

 system of grading milk, at different maximum prices, 

 in the ca.se of certain producers under certain con- 

 ditions!' -I think not, so far as I know. 



1061. If that is so, the 2s. 3Jd. 'an not be due to a 

 preponderance of a better quality of milk or grading? 



No, this does not include any allowance for grading. 

 Whether any local grading is done or not I do not 

 know. 



1062. There is no higher maximum price for graded 

 milk, or a specially good quality of milk produced 

 under social hygienic conditions'? I believe in some 

 cases that is so, but that is certainly not included in 

 this Table here. 



1063. You mean this only includes the ordinary 

 quality of milk and does not include any special 

 quality !' - That is no. 



1064. I notice that in reference to all the farm 

 product* for which the figures are given here, with 

 the exception of first-quality dairy cows, the average 

 price for the first half of the ye-ir I!M!> is higher, and 



in some cases considerably higher, than the average 

 price for the year 1918. Is it usually tho case that 

 tho price for tho first half of the year runs higher, 

 or is this due to a general upward movement of priced 

 during the first half of this year? I should not like 

 to go into the causes of Uie increase of prices. There 

 are many factors affecting prices just now, and I 

 should not like to allocate a cause for tho rise. 



1065. Supposing you take the first half of 1913 

 instead of tho average over the whole of the year, 

 and compare the average of the first half of 1918 

 with the first half of 1919, would you still find a rise? 

 I do not know. It would depend upon the circum- 

 stances of the year entirely, would it not? 



1066. Could you give us those figures, so that we 

 may be in a position to compare them? The figures 

 for the first half of 191s- 



1067. Yes. Tho figures we have here are for the 

 first half of 1919, and it may conceivably be the case 

 that prices generally run higher in the' first half of 

 the year. Therefore, if we get the corresponding 

 figures for the first half of 191s, we shall get a better 

 indication of the movement of prices by comparing 

 tho first half of 1919, not with the annual average of 

 1918, but with the average of the first half of 1918? 

 I quite see your point. 



1068. Mr. Nicholls; I only want to ask one ques- 

 tion, that is with regard to your reporters. There 

 is some doubt in my mind with regard to your system. 

 Did you say that your reporters are practical 

 farmers in most cases? In practically all cases; and 

 where, a reporter is not a man who is actually farm- 

 ing land himself, he is a man in close touch with 

 farming. 



1069. If a practical man goes to a farm, say at 

 harvest time, or just after harvest when the first 

 threshing is on, and gets into conversation with the 

 farmer, is it not quite possible for a practical man 

 to form a critical estimate as to what the yield per 

 quarter or bushel will IK> in the case of that farm? 

 That is certainly the doctrine underlying the gyn. in 

 on which these reports are got. 



1070. It seemed to me the suggestion was that the 

 man ought to go round with a machine and weigh 

 every bushel of corn before he could express an 

 opinion. It seemed to mo that he could form an esti- 

 mate, and if he is a practical farmer himself, do you 

 think there is any danger that h would overestimate 

 the yield? I think a practical farmer would probably 

 come fairly near it, although he is certainly liable to 

 error. 



1071. If there was any error it would be rather the 

 other way, would it not? That, I think, depends on 

 the temperament of the farmer, Joes it not? 



1072. Mr. 1'nrkrr: I do not wish to ask any ques- 

 tion. I should like just to make one suggestion to 

 you. You have kindly promised to obtain and send 

 us some balance-sheets? If they can be obtained. 



1073. Could they represent different sizes of hold- 

 ings and different districts and methods of farming!' 

 So far as possible. 



1074. Chairman : It is understood that you are 

 going to prepare and forward to the Commission these 

 amended figures which you have kindly promised to 

 get? Yes, as far as it is possible to do so. 



1075. As to the balance-sheets and other things that 

 you have agreed to recommend the Scottish Board 

 to get for us, you will undertake in do your best in 

 that direction and to forward them as soon as you 

 possibly can? Yes, I will put it before the Board on 

 I'Yidav' morning, and " ' cvervth : > I 

 can tn supply yon with what is wanted. 



(The Witnets withdrew.) 



