FARMING COSTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1939, Page 7

FARMING COSTS

FALL IN CARTAGE CHARGES OBSERVATIONS BY MEMBER FOR MASTERTON. SLUMP & PRESENT DAY FIGURES. Speaking in the Finance Debate in the House of Representatives, the member of Masterton, Mr J. Robertson, said he had investigated farm cartage costs in the Wairarapa. “I find,” he said, "that in the year 1924-25, and up to 1931. the cost of carting fat lambs up to twenty miles was Is per head; that during the slump years the charge was brought down to 7Ad, and that today it is 7?,d. For the cartage of lambs up to a distance of thirty miles, in the first-mentioned period, the charge was Is 5d per head; the charge during the slump period was llfd; the charge today is lOd. For a distance up to forty miles, the charge in the first-mentioned period was Is lid; the charge during the slump was is 2d: the charge today is Is. "In regard to the cartage of wool, up to twenty miles, the charge just prior to the slump was 6s 3d per bale; while during the slump it was reduced to 4s 3d, and today it is 3s 4d. For the cartage of wool up to thirty miles, the charges for the three periods have been respectively 7s 6d, 6s and 4s 7d. while for distances up to forty miles, the charge prior to the slump was 10s per bale, and during the slump 7s per bale, while today it is only 6s. "Passing on to general goods, we find that the charge for cartage up to twenty miles before the slump was £1 10s per ton, and during the slump £1 ss, while today it is 16s Bd. The charge for the cartage of such goods up to thirty miles in the earliest period I have mentioned, was £2 5s per ton, while it was reduced to £1 10s per ton during the slump and is today £1 2s 6d. The cartage of general goods up to forty miles prior to the slump was £3 per ton, and during the slump £2 per ton. while today it is only £1 5s per ton. Those figures do not seem to indicate great increases in costs.

"Turning to the dairy industry." said Mr Roberton, "we find a similar situation in regard to costs. Why do not hon members opposite take both sides of the ledger and present them to the House, telling us not only what it cost during the slump—and they very often do tell us that—and the cost now. but also the price of butterfat during the slump and the price now" They will then be presenting a fairer picture and lefting the people know just where the dairy industry stands in the matter of these alleged high costs.”