T. PABSONS.]

37

1.—13.

21 Have not the increased prices increased the production of butter and cheese?— There has been a considerable increase in cheese. 22. Mr. J. R. Hamilton,} You heard Mr. Jantieson giving his evidence?— Yes. 32. Do you think that is a typical case of a dairy-farmer?— Yes, there are thousands of such cases. 24. And if a dairy-farmer is worth any money to-day it is only because he has exercised a tremendous amount of hard work, energy, and thrift?— Yes, that is so. Of course, working on a farm is not all hard work. There is a great deal of pleasure on a farm. 25. And is it not a fact that the ordinary dairy-farmer tloes not really know what he is making?— There is no doubt about that. Samuel Knk;ht examined. (No. 14.) 1. Tlie Chairman] What are you ?—A farmer at Ongarue. 2. You have (not sent any statement to the Committee in regard to Ihe cost of production of butterfat? —No, but I have a written statement in regard to my receipts and expenditure, as follows: — Butterfat returns, average 290 Ib., twenty cows, at £ s. d. £ s. d, Is. 7d. ... ... ... ... ... 459 3 4 Pigs and calves ... ... ... .. 460 0 0 919 3 4 319 acres, at £2 ss. purchase, balance mortgage £500: interest ... ... 35 0 0 General store account, clothing, groceries, boots, cheese ... ... ... ... ... 320 1.0 2 Calls on shares ... ... ... ... 10 0 0 Cow-covers, separator-oil (proportion) ... ... 17 18 0 Insurance and. rates ... ... ... ... 26 4 4 Hay, salt, bran, ami pollard ... ... ... 124 1 6 Interest on cow-shed ... ... .. ... 9 16 0 Manure and harrowing 60 acres ... ... 53 5 (i Working and grassing turnip land, 25 acres ... 78 7 8 Winter feed, roots, carrots, and turnips ... 91 14 3 Butter purchased ... ... ... ... 20 (I 0 (Labour of four hands not charged). 786 17 5 Balance ... ... ... ... ... £132 5 11 3. You are not farming land worth from £100 to £150?— No, I ant not. lam unaffected by ihe inflated prices. I have been a farmer all my life, and when the bank pinches me I shift on to another farm. When I feel I hat lam going bankrupt 1 go lo another farm. When I have been squeezed and found it difficult to make both ends meet I move on. 4. Mr. Kellett.] You move on and leave the worry to some one else?— Yes, it seems so, and they appear to get on. I started in the Hutt Valley and then went to Ilongotea, then to Auckland, and now 1 ant in the King-country farming there. I work as long as any farmer in the room. I have tried to work eighteen hours a day. 5. You have not thought of retiring?—l thought of doing so two years ago, but I found il did not suit so well, so 1 returned to the farm. My two sons are crying to get out amongst the workers. The}' receive nothing in the shape of wages, and have never done so. I think the time has come when the farmers should raise their voice. 1 can remember when we used to get 2s. (id. for our butter in the Hutt Valley some years ago, and £100 an acre was given for the land fortylive years ago, but it is now used for bullocks. There is more money in pasturing on some of the first-class land, and the land is not going back. It will never go back in New Zealand. I am a pedigree breeder of cattle now. 6. The Chairman.] According to your statement you have 319 acres?— Yes. 7. Is it all clear?—ft is open country, but not all cleared. It is in process of being cleared. It cost me £2 ss. per acre unimproved. 1 have a mortgage on it of £500, and have to pay interest to the extent of £35, which is 7 per cent. On the working of Ihe farm for the year I find we are £132 ss. lid. to the good. 8. How many has that £132 to keep?— There are eight of us. There is one sou twentyseven and another twenty-three, and then there is my wife, who works as hard as I do. 9. Do you mean to say that you have all to exist on that £132?— Yes, so far as concerns the statement. 10. Do you think you would be better off working down in Wellington?— That is what my boys want to do, but I wanted to keep the place together. We go out to any other work we can get in the district. We cart anything we can get, and the boj's earn a few shillings in that way for pocket-money. 11. Are you in a position to retire to-day? —Yes, I am, but the boys would not be in a position to carry on. f have taken a very deep interest in the development of the industry, having gone info the various companies, such as dairy, bacon, co-operative, saleyards, and freezing shares, and bought pretty heavily so that we might have cool storage. 12. Mr. Kellett,] How can you afford to do that?— Simply by working. 13. You told the Committee you only made £132 a year profit and that had to keep the family?— That is for the last year. I start work at 5 o'clock in the morning and do not knock off till 11 o'clock at night. 14. Mr. Powdrell.] How many hours do you and your sons average in the business a day ?— I reckon twelve hours. We do not rest at meal-times. We take on as light work as possible in the daytime or we would break down. 15. The Chairman.] You do not confine your efforts to the farm alone? —Two of us do.