MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 



171 



20 August, 1919.] 



MR. CASTELL WREY. 



[Continued. 



4446. You believe that by an improvement in the 

 mechanical side of labow you will increase produc- 

 tion? Yes. If we have to produce more bread, and 

 to produce it more cheaply, we shall have to improve 

 and increase our mechanical appliances and sacrifice 

 the agricultural labourer, but there is a difficulty from 

 both points of view. 



4447. With regard to your accounts, have the profits 



of the last four years wiped out the previous losses? 



On the last eight years there was a loss of 80. 



4448. You are calculating the increased value of 



stock in arriving at your profits, are you not? That 



is a matter for the valuers ; I have nothing to do with 

 that. 



4449. As a matter of fact, that is what has been 

 done on these profit and loss sheets, and that is what 

 shows the profit? I am afraid that is so, but I cannot 

 say. It is a system I do not agree with at all. 



4450. Do you think that the cost of production or 

 the market price ought to be taken as the basis of 

 valuation? The cost of breeding the stock, or the 

 actual cost of buying it, ought to be the basis. 



4451. When once you have got your stock you ought 

 to keep a stable figure from year to year? There 

 ought to be a standardised price for all stock. It is 

 a matter which is absolutely beyond the farmer's con- 

 trol, and he ought not to be saddled with it or pressed 

 with it if it is a profit or a loss. 



4452. It is not a profit unless he happens to be sell- 

 ing it? That is so. It is merely a paper profit. 



4453. With regard to improved methods of educa- 

 tion, what would you suggest? Would you suggest 

 having a greater number of agricultural colleges and 

 demonstration farms, and so on? Yes, and, I think, 

 also by means of literature, the circulation of 

 pamphlets and the Journal. I do not know~whether 

 you have read the evidence which was given before 

 Lord Selborne's Committee on Reconstruction? 



4454. I was on it? The evidence given by the prin- 

 cipal of the Harper Adams College wa<* most strking. 

 He said that before the war they only used to get 

 two or three visits a week to the College, and that now 

 they had so many visitors that they had three or four 

 men continually employed taking farmers round the 

 College who came to see what was being done. 



4455. From your experience do you think that has 

 led to more enlightenment on the part of the younger 

 farmers up to now? From chance conversations I 

 have had with people who are interested in that sort 

 of thing, I think most of tho farmers who visit the 

 College are of the younger generation. 



I l-'il. My impression is that a great many more of 

 the younger generation are taking an interest in these 

 more scientific questions than was the case formerly? 

 ~Yes. 



1 '-77. And that we may hope for improvements from 

 that means alone? Yes. 



1 I."M. Several questions have been asked von as to 



the working davs of horses and men. Your staff are 



employed n good lot tijxin estate wo''k, are thev not? 



at times. For example, wo had fairly heavy 



rain on Monday, and we had no use for our hordes on 



the farm, so we put 36 of them on to carting timber 

 on the estate. 



4459. Do you have estate jobs where you can turn 

 your farm labourers on to in case of bad weather 

 or slack times on the farm? Yes, I can nearly always 

 engage the horses and the men. 



4460. You can provide almost constant employment 

 for the men and the horses where you would not bo 

 able to do but for the estate? Yes, that is an advan- 

 tage I always have. 



4461. We are trying to get at the cost of production, 

 and you have given us some very interesting figures 

 of costings. Do you think that your figures could bo 

 applied, or would be of any use in any area except 

 just in your own immediate district? No, I think 

 they would bo absolutely useless for that purpose. 



4462. Speaking generally, do you think we can by 

 getting figures from farmers in "different parts of tho 

 country, strike any general average which would be of 

 more or less universal application? I do not think !t 

 in possible so much depends upon the individual, 

 and so much depends upon the weather and other 

 things. You may be extraordinarily lucky at one time 

 and at another time have everything against you. 

 Then again one man's brain works quicker than his 

 neighbours, and it is almost impossible to get an 

 average costing which would apply generally. 



4463. T)r. T)ouqlas : I want to ask you a verv 

 general question about your costings statements. So 

 far as I can make out there is no account taken of 

 manure at oil in your figures? Where the crops have, 

 been manured, the cost of manures is taken into 

 account. If there is nothing here for manure they 

 have not been manured. 



4464. There is no account taken in vour wheat crops, 

 for example, of anything that should be debited to 

 the previous crop, or anything of that kind? I think 

 I answered that question this morning, with regard 

 to unexhausted manures. This is actual cost, and if 

 there is any manure it has been charged. 



4465. Yes. within certain stipulated months, omit 

 ting previous costs? No; where it is after fallow 

 50 per cent, is charged. 



4466. Let me take vou to 1 (c). 12 acres of spring 

 oats after old turf. There is no manure in that case 

 at all? No. 



4467. Is that the practice? What manure would 

 you suggest after old turf ; there ou^ht to be plenty 

 of nitrogen already there. Did you look at the cost 

 of thit field? 



4468. Yes. 6 5s for nulline charlock. Is that tho 

 custom in your district? Is it not vonr practice to 

 sprav? -We did spray this field, and then we pulled 

 it and cut it. 



4460. You hp.ve no moans of including the mamirinl 

 contributions from other crops or othervVe in tho 

 case of th^e particular erops? N^ Where no 

 mon'ire hns been used, none his been eborged. 



4470-1. TJir fJiairmnn: Could you kindly come a^nin 

 on Tuesdnv. the 2nd September?- T really eannot tell 

 vmi now: T will write you to-morrow. 



(The WUnfsi withdrew.) 

 Mr. B. STRATTON, called and examined. 



Evidence-in-C-h'ef handed in by Witness: 

 1172. (!) (irntrnl. As you are aware, prices of all 

 farm produce have for the last three years been sub- 

 ject to control, and in most cases at prices much 

 below the world price. I should like to give an in- 

 stance of an injust ce which we suffered under con- 

 tro'. Take the case of barley. The coiitro'Ied price 

 to the farmer was 70s. per quarter 11 score 4 Ibs. The 

 pig feeder had to give from 40s. to 50s. per sack for 

 barley meal of 10 score. His price for fat pigs was 

 Is. 4d. per lb., while for this name bacon consumers 

 were paying from 2s. to 2s. 4d. per Ib. 



Hut with the knowledge that control with its fixed 

 prices was to come off in a few months' time, farmers 

 this last spring were seriously alarmed. It was 

 generally considered by men who should have known, 

 that the price of farm produce would, with the release 

 of shipping rapidly fall, and we had just received 

 thn decision of the Wages Board raising tho wages of 



farm workers by 6s. 6d. per week. I take it that it 

 was under these circumstances that this Commission 

 was appointed. 



The Corn Production Act while guaranteeing a 

 minimum price to the farmer arranged the prices on 

 a falling instead of a rising scale. The effect of this 

 uncertainty in my neighbourhood, Warminster, 

 Wilts, was that it was found extremely difficult to lot 

 or sell arable farms. Ex-soldiers or civilians wanting 

 small holdings would not take arable land; in fact a 

 farm of 120 acres mostly arable given to the County 

 Council for small holdings was on the advice of the 

 Board of Agriculture handed back to the donor. 

 Most farmers seeded down to permanent pasture ono 

 or two pieces of land and curtailed their expenditure 

 to avoid what looked like an inevitable loss. 



I am strongly of opinion that such prices should IHI 

 paid for our produce that will enable us to spend 

 money with confidence, so that wo may be able to 



