MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 



61 



12 August, 1919.] 



THE HON. EDWARD STRUTT, C.H. 



[Continued. 



that is so. I think he does not see the necessity for 

 working so hard as he did, but it is very difficult to 

 say. I think that is one of the reasons why the cost 

 of the labour on one's farms is higher than it ought 

 to be, bearing in mind the ordinary rise in wages. It 

 is certainly a general opinion among farmers that 

 that is so, and I think it is also the opinion that is 

 hold among farm bailiffs. I do not think it applies 

 to some of the best men, but it does apply to some 

 others, I am afraid. 



1394. You would not say it is general, but you have 

 evidence that it occurs? -I think it is rather general. 

 I think the real reason is that everybody is tired, 

 you know. I am tired myself, and I think they are 

 all like that, and we all want to do a little less. T 

 think. There is another point on that I might 

 mention. It is very difficult to get the agricultural 

 labourer to take piecework now. He will work by the 

 day. My own opinion is that if you always work by 

 the day you do get to a lower standard somehow or 

 another. I think that is what it comes to. I hope, 

 however, that we shall get over that difficulty 

 presently. Another thing is that it has been very 

 difficult for us to fix the price of piecework in the. 

 past, as the labour changes so much. 



1395. Your view is that in order to maintain cul- 

 tivation a guarantee with regard to prices is 

 necessary ? Undoubtedly. 



1396. And you submit the figures which are your 

 estimate for 1920 which you have taken as the basis 

 for that suggestion? Yes. 



1397. Have you anything to add on that subject? 

 I do not know whether you want mo to say what 

 would bo an adequate guarantee. 



1398. You have gone into costs very carefully, and 

 I think the Commission would wish to know that? 

 Of course, under the Corn Production Act it would 

 bo 4os. for the next three years. I think my figures 

 undoubtedly show that that would be a hopeless price. 



1399. That price would represent a heavy loss? 

 fw Of course, when the Corn Production Act 

 prices wore fixer! it was supposed to be the minimum. 

 It was not supposed to be the maximum the farmer 

 would get. or even a profitable price. The idea was 

 to defend him against any serious losses, so that ho 

 should not bo ruined. 



1400. The object of the Corn Production Act was 

 to guarantee a minimum price? Yes, and for that 

 reason I should not put the minimum price so high 

 as a great many farmers would desire it to be put. 

 Personally I do not know that we really want a 

 guarantee at all very much for the next year or two, 

 because I think prices will be high probably, but 

 fanners generally do not believe that. 



1401. That would lead you rather to conclude that 

 the Government might safely give a guarantee? 

 Yes; the effect of giving a guarantee would be very 

 inexpensive probably. When the Corn Production 

 Act was passed is was prophesied that it would cost 

 millions a year. Some of us did not believe that, 

 although wo were too low no doubt, but I think it is 



:iry to give a guarantee now, otherwise people 

 will not have confidence. The figure which I think 

 it ought to be is a low figure compared with what 

 tho farmers would export. Ninety-nine farmers out 

 of one hundred would tell me it would not be suffi- 

 cient. Tho figure T should put would be 60s. ;md 

 a oorros|H>mling price for oats. 



1402. In your view, the relative prices of wheat 

 and oats in the Corn Production Act should be in 

 proper relation ? Yes. 



1 103. T)o you think that would give confidence to 

 farmers 5 1 think in the long run it would, although 

 they still say it would not. I think when they came 

 to think it over it would, and that i/fc would prevent 

 tho land from rushing back to grass too fast. 



1404. It would prevent some land going back at all 

 event -t would prevent the moderately good 



land rushing .back. I think of course with the pro- 

 of s;ettiii^ more than that very likely, because 

 that would onlv be the minimurr if the market jus- 

 tified 



1405. There is another matter that you refer to at 

 the end of your precis, that is the question of 

 guaranteeing the price of milk by means of a guaran- 

 teed price of cheese? Yes, I attach a great deal of 

 importance to that, because I have been in consulta- 

 tion a great deal with doctors and people who are 

 very anxious that there should be more milk con- 

 sumed in the country. The only way of getting more 

 milk is to get more cows in the country to produce 

 it. I do not think anyone ait the moment would be 

 prepared to go in for much fresh cow-keeping unless 

 they saw there was a prospect of milk not slumping 

 down. The moment you get a surplus now I am 

 not talking of the price to-day, because the price to- 

 day is quite exceptional but in the future, if the 

 price goes back to, say, 50 or even 75 per cent, above 

 the pre-war prices, or perhaps 100 per cent, on pre- 

 war prices, it is very essential that the farmer should 

 feel that if he launches out, builds cow-houses and 

 starts a herd of cows at the very high prices which 

 are ruling to-day, he will be able to continue cow- 

 keeping at a reasonable profit. There is sure to 

 be a surplus of milk at certain times, and the only 

 way he can be assured of a reasonable profit is by 

 his having a guaranteed price for cheese. 



1406. The price of cheese does not exercise in 

 normal times a controlling influence upon the price 

 of milk? -Yes. 



1407. That is to say, if milk goes down to a certain 

 point in price, the surplus is manufactured into 

 cheese? Yes. I should keep my price of cheese below 

 the price of milk. I should fix it at a sum, so that the 

 farmer who made cheese should on the whole not 

 make so much as he would by selling milk. 



1408. That guarantee, if it were to be effective, 

 would almost certainly cost the Exchequer something, 

 would it not? Yes, I think it would be sure to cost 

 the Exchequer something. 



1409. A guaranteed price of cheese adequate to 

 maintain the price of milk would be costly because 

 of the competition of cheese in the world markets? 

 No, I am not certain it would. You have the world 

 markets in regard to wheat also, and that does not 

 operate, or at least it would not do so to-day. 



1410. It is very difficult to say, because the cheese 

 control is more extended to other cheese-producing 

 countries. We are influencing the prices of Canadian 

 cheese, are we not? Yes; but we are giving the 

 market price for cheese in Canada, are we not? 



1411. I should not like to say? I thought we were. 



1412. You agree that it would be a source of 

 expense? It might be a source of expense. I do not 

 say it would be. 



1413. You do not agree that it would be a source 

 of expense? Not absolutely necessarily. I agree it 

 would probably be a source of expense, but I want to 

 get a supply of milk. 



1414. You put it to us that the future of the milk 

 supply is a serious agricultural problem? Very, I 

 think. 



i 1 1."/. Do you Hgree that the control which has been 

 exercised on tho whole has rather depressed milk pro- 

 duction? 1 would not say that, although I think 

 people do not like control. Personally I am not going 

 to find fault with the controlled prices. 



1416. Mr. Rea : You have had a good deal of experi- 

 ence as a member of Commissions and Committees 

 yourself, have you not? Yes. I was on Lord 

 Milner's Committee and I was on Mr. Hobhouse's 

 Committee for Soldiers and Sailors on the Land. 

 There I signed the Minority Report with Mr. 

 Roberte, the present Minister of Food, and Mr. 

 Leslie Scott, rather recommending something similar 

 to the Corn Production Act. I was also on the Recon- 

 struction Committee, of which Lord Selborno was 

 Chairman, and which you were on yourself. 



1417. Of course, that puts you in the position o'f 

 being able to speak with first-hand knowledge of the 

 subjects we are dealing with? Yes, I know what has 

 been going on most of the time. 



1418. You said you would suggest that the 

 guaranteed price for wheat should be put at 60s.? 

 The minimum price. 



