I—l 7.

4

Wednesday, 4th Septembee, 1929. Present: Mr. Bitchener, Rev. Mr. Carr, Hon. Mr. Cobbe, Hon. Mr. Forbes, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. McCombs, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Waite, Mr. Wilkinson (Chairman). The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. In attendance were Dr. Reakes and Mr. Fawcett (Department of Agriculture), Messrs. Collins and Colquhoun (Department of Industries and Commerce), and Mr. Good (Customs Department). Evidence : The following witnesses attended and gave evidence and were examined by members of the Committee : Mr. W. G. McDonald, formerly Chairman of the Board of Trade ; Mr. J. G. Ruddenklau, of Waimate, wheat-grower ; Mr. G. S. Bates, president of the New Zealand Poultry Association ; Mr. P. Jennens, of Levin, poultry-farmer ; Dr. E. P. Neale, secretary of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce ; Mr. T. J. Fleming, representing the poultry associations of the Auckland Province ; Mr. F. C. Raikes, of Foxton, poultry-farmer and member of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce ; Mr. B. Raskin, of Levin, poultry-farmer. The Clerk was instructed to obtain from the Trades and Labour Council information relative to variations in wages between 1918 and 1929. The Committee then adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 10th September. Tuesday, 10th September, 1929. Present: Mr. Bitchener, Rev. Mr. Carr, Hon. Mr. Cobbe, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jones, Mr. McCombs, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Wilkinson (Chairman). The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence : The Clerk read a letter from Dr. E. P. Neale, secretary to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, stating, in reply to a question asked when he gave evidence at the previous meeting, that " bread constitutes just under 4 per cent, of the total expenditure of the average household." Evidence : Mr. A. F. Wright appeared on behalf of New Zealand wheat-growers and led the following evidence : Mr. C. H. Hewlett, managing director of the Canterbury Seed Co., Ltd., of Christchurch ; Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, of the Biological Branch of the Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln ; Mr. John Brown, of Lowcliffe, Ashburton, farmer ; Mr. M. J. Scott, of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln. The witnesses were examined by members of the Committee. Mr. Wright's case was not completed when the Committee adjourned, at 1.30 p.m., until 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 11th September. Wednesday, 11th September, 1929. Present: Mr. Bitchener, Rev. Mr. Carr, Hon. Mr. Cobbe, Hon. Mr. Forbes, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jones, Mr. McCombs, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Waite, Mr. Wilkinson (Chairman). Messrs. Collins and Colquhoun (Department of Industries and Commerce), Dr. Reakes and Mr. Fawcett (Department of Agriculture), and Mr. Good (Customs Department) were in attendance. Evidence : Continuing the case for the wheat-growers, Mr. A. F. Wright called as witnesses Mr. W. W. Mulholland, of Darfield, farmer, and chairman of directors of the Wheat-growers' Association ; Dr. R. E. Alexander, Director of the Agricultural College, Lincoln ; Mr. A. W. Smith, chief grader to the New Zealand Wheat Pool, of Christchurch, New Zealand. On the motion of Mr. Jones, it was agreed that the Chairman should ask leave of the House for the Committee to sit this day during the sitting of the House. The Committee adjourned until 3 p.m. On resuming at 3 p.m. the order of reference conveying the leave of the House for the Committee to sit during the sitting of the House was read by the Clerk. Mr. Wright then called as a witness Mr. W. H. Nicholls, public accountant, of Christchurch ; and put in the evidence of Mr. Sophus Larsen, of Swannanoa, farmer ; Mr. Alexander F. Campbell, of Fairlie, farmer, member of the Mackenzie County Council and of the Timaru Harbour Board ; Mr. Colin Mcintosh, of West Eyreton, farmer ; Mr. James Carr, of Methven, Chairman of the Ashburton County Council; and Mr. Alan Grant, of Waimate, farmer. The Chairman thanked Mr. Wright and the witnesses for their evidence, and the Committee adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 17th September. Tuesday, 17th September, 1929. Present: Mr. Bitchener, Rev. Mr. Carr, Hon. Mr. Cobbe, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jones, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Waite, Mr. Wilkinson (Chairman). The minutes of the meeting of the 10th September and of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Dr. Reakes and Mr. Fawcett (Department of Agriculture), Messrs. Collins and Colquhoun (Department of Industries and Commerce), and Mr. Good (Customs Department) were in attendance. Evidence : The following witnesses gave evidence and were examined by members of the Committee : Mr. W. Nash, Secretary to the National Labour Legislative Committee ; Mr. James Mitchell, of Oamaru, journalist; Captain F. Colbeck, of Morrinsville ; Mr. S. H. Judd, of Hamilton, president of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig-marketing Association. The Committee then adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 18th September.