W. W. MULHOLLAND. j

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I—l 7.

I want to put on record officially the attitude you take up ? —I do not see any attitude in it. Mr. Wright.] Are you prepared to put the matter before your organization, and let the Committee have a considered reply ?—I am quite prepared to do that. The Chairman.'] We are inquiring into the case from your point of view as well as theirs ? — I quite agree with you ; but I really cannot see that it is a fair proposal. If there are any further comments you think would be of value let us have them, but I do not want you to commit yourself any more than you have done ? —We are always prepared to discuss the question with anybody. I feel sure that by organization the price would be reduced from perhaps ss. lid. There are the storage charges, which perhaps could be avoided with proper organization. Mr. McCombs.] The price is down to ss. lid. to-day. You mean future harvests ? —But there are storage charges that have gone on to that since harvest. I think that ss. 7d. f.o.b. was about the price when we were asked to meet them. Mr. Wright.] What would be the most advantageous time for them to buy ?—March or April, before the storage charges go on. They pay storage charges. Mr. McCombs.'] What would they get it at in Auckland if they dealt with you in sufficient quantity ?—6s. lid., or Is. more. But it would be less than that if they dealt with us at the time referred to. It would then be 6s. 6d. to 6s. Bd. I think we had evidence from the poultry-farmers that they are paying Bs. 6d. and 10s., and even in Christchurch we are paying as much as 10s. 6d. ? —Those costs have gone on to the price through the handling. In the cases I have quoted there have been no profits. If they dealt direct with you, could they get it for 6s. 6d. and 6s. 7d. in Auckland in March and April ?—Yes ; but the trouble is they usually ask us to spread delivery, which means once a month for a long time, which in turn means carrying the whole of the stuff in store, and that puts the price up. It is not an economical way of working. You could not put it at an average cost of 6s. lid. in Auckland ? —Not if the market was the basis of the deal. They only have to pay ss. or ss. 4d. in Melbourne ? —The average price of wheat for the past five years has been something over ss. 6d. in Melbourne. You are chairman of directors ? —Yes. I think you said in your evidence that of course you had to take cognizance of public opinion and behave in a reasonable manner. It is possible that you might on reconsideration realize that there is another big industry as big as your own being affected, I think you said that the Board would consider that aspect ? —I will bring it before them, but I cannot at the moment see how we can do it. Rather than risk your own protection you might make some concession ? —I am quite willing to investigate. It is not a matter of making a concession so much as a matter of how it can be done, and at present I cannot see how it is workable. Mr. Jenkins.] The egg-producers contend that if they could get wheat at Australian prices they would not require the Government subsidy they are receiving at present, and they could continue in business, whereas without a reduction in the price of wheat they will have to give up. You have put a very good case for the small farmer and the small wheat-grower, but the egg-producers are mortal also. Is that not so ? —We realize that they cannot get wheat at Australian prices ; they have to pay the cost of transport. They ask for your help and guidance in this matter, that is all ? —Thank you, Mr. Jenkins ; and we would be very glad if the poultry people would put up an organization with which we could deal, as it would be to our mutual advantage, I am sure. Mr. Wright: I have here the statement of Mr. Sofus Larsen, farmer, of Swannanoa, who is unable to attend. I understand that it was the ruling of the Committee that the witnesses had to attend. The importance of this statement is that Mr. Larsen has farmed both in New South Wales and in New Zealand, and he has instituted comparisons between the systems of farming in both countries. The Chairman: You may put the statement in. Statement of Sofus Lahsen, of Swannanoa, Farmer. (No. 28.) I have been on my farm at Swannanoa, North Canterbury, for the last seven years. I grow wheat, and have been growing wheat all my life—in New Zealand and in Australia. For fifteen years —from 1908 to 1923 —I had a farm at Cowra, New South Wales, in the wheat-growing area. On my present farm at Swannanoa I grow from 300 to 350 acres of wheat a year, on the average. Taking it year in and year out, my land yields about 34 bushels to the acre, and is worth £34 an acre. I employ three permanent men, besides casual labour. With regard to casual labour, I employ on the average equal to one casual man all the year round, and twelve to sixteen men at harvest-time. My farm comprises about 834 acres, and in addition to the wheat I carry about 850 ewes, and generally grow 40 to 50 acres of turnips and about 50 acres of rape. I grow wheat in rotation in connection with my sheep-farming. My farm when I got it had been let for years and years, and was infested with wild oats, so that I have to stick to one crop of wheat, not two in succession, as most farmers are able to do. With my wheat I also sow down for pasture, and leave it in pasture for two seasons, then break it up and put in wheat again—or possibly take a crop of green feed off first. This process applies to the whole 834 acres in rotation. Ido not always sow in green feed first: sometimes I grow turnips and other root crops. The land is not suitable for dairying. To say that the Canterbury wheat