THRESHING RATES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2938, 25 November 1916, Page 12

THRESHING RATES

A deputation from the North Canterbury iTlireSliing' Machino Owners' Union waited upon-the executive of the Fanners' Union ,'on'.Wednesday to explain why-the'threshing machine owners were charging aii extra three-farthings per bushel. Four 'balance-sheets - compiled npon the previous year's basis of 3jjd. were read.- The first showed a loss of £1 on the year's working, tlio second showed a profit of £3 Gs. Bd., the third a, loss of £96 6s. Bd., the fourth a profit of £224 2s. Gd. (but no charge was mado for attention to mill and interest on overdraft). In this last case, it was stated ./that if the man deducted his own'wages, his-profit would be £64. A balance-shoot compiled .on this year's rate of 4Jd., showed a profit of £1 per 1000 bushels. Mr. J. W. Olliver stated that ono of tho principal objects, of the thresh-ing-machine owners was to prevent their men being paid by the hour.; In Timaru,'where the men were being p!iid by the, hour, the owners were charging a farthing more than at Ashbtirton. Mr. Olliver pointed to the rise in the price of. things, required -by tho mill-owners, especially coal. '. . . 'The. chairman stated that , 3d. petbushel represented £3 2s. 6d. per 1000. The owners proposed to give their 1 men £1 per 1000, leaving an extra £2 2s. 6d. per 1000. Yet a threshing machine owner had informed him that;he could easily make a' profit on an extra halfpenny. Members of the Farmers' Union considered that some of the £2 2s. Gd. should bo given to- the men,: considering the rise in! the cost of living, etc. Mr.- Olliver said:that probably tlio owners would have to-give more to the men. In. any case, the extra cost of coal absorbed £1, and running expenses another. £1. Then there was the cost of repairs. Mr. T. B. Jones said threshing machino owners,had realised that after working half a lifetime' they had been making nothing out -of their Business. If they did not i\ow make an attempt to improve their position there would soon be'no machines left in the country. "We want you to grow the grain, and we will thresh ,it for .you," said Mr. .Tones, "but if-you don' t grow the grain, I am afraid wo shall have to go out of it." Mr. 6. W..' Leadley said tho. farmers recognised the 1 mill-ownprs' difficulties, which wero very large and perplexing, but the mill-owners must also.recognise the farmers' difficulties, which wero insistent. .. ."

• Tho chairman said Mr. Olliver had proved quite clearly that at the present rate the mill-owners could not give a higher wag© to their men. Lambs are fetching high' prices in tho Mackenzie Country, as .well as on the farm lands of South Canterbury. On one, station tho lambs have been sold at 17s. Gd., with a 5 per cent, rejection, for delivery in February, and on another station all tho owe lambs have been sold at 205., with a 10 per cent, rejection. These are all tussock lambs on. high country. Several farmers in the Ashburton County who sowed Cape barley early for seed purposes,- are now, cutting it for hay, and. (says the Christchurch "Press") some really good crops aro to be seen. It is anticipated that the strawberry crop in the Hawke's Bay district will bo very poor this year, the grub having attacked ma"ny-of the plants. The grub is also attacking strawberry plants in Masterton, causing considerable loss. • EVERY STUMP REPRESENTS A LOSS. . Most farmers realise that stumfls cost money—many farmers fail to realise just how much they lose each year tliey allow their paddocks to remain partially stumped. First there's the breakage of harness and shares, then there's loss of time, while finally there's loss in carrying capacity. Measure up the area those stamps occupy in your paddock, «nd it will surprise you. Yet they can be removed—Atlas Blasting Powder vill remove them cheaply, quickly, effectively, r ii - OWO yourself to investigate, tall information from Goldinghani and Beckett, Ltd., Distributing Agents ' for Wellington, Taranaki, and Wairarapa, or Atlas Powder Co., Jervois Quav, Wellington—Advt. • \ ictor Cheese Vats are becoming more :uul nKifft popular-—GO have been delivered since July last, and factory managera are reminded that orders are bein» executed in rotation. Victor Cheese Vats have middle drainage, and a sloping bottom and the whey drains away more rfp/o 3 ? "a .i-horoughly. Why not get Plu'™l°f to , i on ' Sheet Metal an d r ' m,,rol " Stet - c «-