THRESHING-MACHINE CHARGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8356, 17 February 1913, Page 2

THRESHING-MACHINE CHARGES

SOUTHERN FARMERS COMPLAIN. Southern grain growers are again experiencing some trouble with owners of threshing plants as to what constitutes a proper basis of threshing charges. Mill owners are standing out for payment by the hour, while the farmers are agreed that a fixed rate per bushel put through the machine ia the fairest way to assess the value of the work. A southern contributor to the Fanners’ Union “Advocate,” referring to the action of the Mill Owners’ Union in deciding to charge by the hour for threshing instead of by the bushel, says the latter system has been in vogue practically ever since steam threshers were introduced into the province, and farmers have no fancy for the change. That the mill owners themselves are by no means unanimous in the matter is evidenced by the fact that the change was inaugurated on the casting vote of the chairman of the Mill Owners’ Union. The charges decided upon are 32s Od an hour for stook threshing and 30s an hour for threshing from the stack. This, it will be seen, is good payment even :or a good mill. An indifferent mill may make threshing very expensive to the farmer at those rates. In fact, some farmers have found that it costs them fully sixpence a bushel to thresh, and, in some instances, mills that have not been making good tallies have heen ordered off the ground by the disgusted farmer. The farmers were never consulted in the matter. If they, had been they would have expressed a very decided opinion against the hour system. A week ago the executive of tho Farmers’ Union met to discuss the matter, and the members exhibited much wrath. Not much could he done, however. Time alone will work a cure. Some farmers are talking of going in for the small mills now being manufactured in Christchurch, which can be managed by half a dozen men. Under the hour system the indifferent mill will be weeded out. There can be no doubt that the contract system, causes less friction. If payment by the hour is insisted upon, the farmers should have some say in tho management and efficiency of the mills that uorae on their ground. This is, of course, impossible. But a mill that is constantly having to stop to effect slight repairs, the result of being out of order, may run up a big threshing bill in a short time for very little work.