DAIRY-WORKERS AND ARBITRATION AWARD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3151, 31 March 1909, Page 7

DAIRY-WORKERS AND ARBITRATION AWARD.

INTERESTING EVIDENCE. In connection with the demand by the dairy work era fur an awar; 1 of the Arbitration Court, voluminous evidence was given at Paimerston North by employees and farmers, and very interesting statements were made by the latter as to dairyman's profits and losses. Walter Elliott, dairy farmer, Rongokokako (Eketahuu •), al-o produced balance sheets for the same Sears as previous witnesses had. He had had a farm for thirteen years, and it comprised 145 acres. The receipts for 1906 7 were £386, and the : expenditure £lB6, showing a giops profit of £2OO. From this he deducted 5 per cent, on the capita! value (£142 3s) and a personal allowance of £2 2s a week for fifty-two weeks, together with the loss of £4, showing a loss of £52. The receipts for 1907-8 were £287 3s 9d, the outgoings £2OO 2s, leaving a balance of £B7 Is 9d. Interest at 5 per cent, on capital value, wages for himself and wife, and loss of stock amounted to £263, showing a net loss on the year of £176 Is Bd. If any higher awards were made it would mean his going out of the farm, because ihe would not get so much for his | milk. A farmer on tither side of him had just given up dairying for sheepfarming for a similar reason. To Mr Reardou: He had paid £5 15s per acre for the land, acd it was now worth £l7 10;=. His labour had produced the difference. He had worked on the road for a long time. During the time there was no unearned increment. His Honour: Oh, yes, there was. James Elliott, Mauriceville, farmer, also gave his receipts and expenditure for 1906-1907, which left a balance of £3l 9s Id, which was all he got out of the farm that year. Jn 1907-8 his balance was £54 14s Ba, but when interest was taken off there was a debit balance of £20.Mr Brown: You'd have made mere money if you'd been a creamery manager. Witness, amid laughter, said he wished he had been. Samuel Rooker Mason, farmer, Nireaha, and a suppliei to the factory, produced his balance sheet, which, after deducting interest and ' allowance for a partner's share, showed a balance of £3 lis for 1906-7. If the award was made any higher he would have to clear out of Cue country. "In fact," said witness, amid laughter, "if I got the price I wanted' I'd clear out now. Peter Mortenson, dairy farmer, Mauriceville West, also produced a balance sheet, which showed a loss of £2l 2s 4d for 1906-7, and for 1907-8 a net loss of £96 12a 3d. He was absolutely dependent on the dairy factory for his living.