i. i 7.

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[s. A. PEftftUSON

to have some grain food for finishing off pigs, but what difference would the duty of £1 per ton make to a pig of 1401b. or 1501b.? What difference would the £1 per ton make on the grain-offal from Australia ? —I do not know. There is also another product. which would be useful to us —that is, tapioca. Tapioca is used in other countries for pig-food ; but the cost of that is also prohibitive. Mr. Judd will be able to give you particulars of that. You do not suggest that the duty on wheat-offal, which is only £1 a ton, is prohibitive for pigfood ? —Well, I should not think that should be prohibitive ; but 1 do not know how the duty on the grain works out. Mr. Jones.] You buy a good deal of pig-food through the manufacturer, who makes a pig-meal at a profit ? —Yes. Do you purchase your pig-food at as low a price as possible ?—Yes. We have an organization in the Waikato through which we purchase pig-food and calf-food at the lowest possible prices. Cannot maize be grown in the Auckland Province ?—Not in the Waikato. Could it not be imported from, the Poverty Bay side ? —Some comes from there. Is not that good pig-food ? —lt is not as cheap as some foods. is there much pollard used ?—There is not much pollard used in the district we are in. Are wheat products in use in the North of Auckland ? —They do not go in much for pollard. Different mills put up special pig-meals—wheatmeal, pea-meal, and oatmeal all mixed up together. Is that general in all the factories ?—I think it is. Hon. Mr. Cobbe.] When you were referring to some wheat-offal which was imported from Australia I presume you were referring to pollard ?—I do not know what it was. It was probably pollard. Well, the lowest prices at which pollard could be placed on board in Australia during April and May was £7, and in June, July, and August £7 10s. ; so the mixture must have been a very inferior one ?—I do not know that it was pollard. It may have been some other grain food. The Chairman.'] Mr. Judd, the chairman of the Pig-marketing Association, will come later on and give us the details ? —Yes. Mr. McCombs.] Have you any figures to prove that offal is available in Australia at £2 10s. ?— No. I may not be right in that statement: it came to me second-hand. Mr. Waite.] Have you any knowledge of the wheat-growers' terms in the South ? —No. We buy through the merchants. You buy through the merchants ? —Yes. Rev. Mr. Carr.] Is there much wheat-offal used in Taranaki for pig-food ? —I think there is a fair amount of offal used there. Mr. Macpherson.] You said something about wheatmeal and pea-meal and oatmeal. Is that mixture based on wheat, peas, or oats ? —The different factories put out their own brands of pig-foods. Do they give you the proportions ? —No. Have you any reason to believe that wheatmeal is a constituent'? —It is one of the main constituents. But it might be quite the lowest, as a matter of fact ? —Yes. You have no knowledge on that point ?—No. The Chairman.'] Did I understand you to say that you would prefer the duty to be taken off the pig-food rather than receive the pork bonus of fd. per pound on export pork ?—Yes. Can you tell us whether you actually get the bonus ? —No. The pork is sold straight out. We do not know whether it is for export or for the local market. If it is for the local market we get no bonus on that. But when you sell your pork do you not get a certificate from the buyer saying it is for export, and the bonus is handed over on the production of that certificate I—l1 —I have never seen that. Hon. Mr. Forbes.] Do you fatten pigs yourself ?—No. I used to do so. Do you know what other foods besides grain are used for fattening pigs ? What other foods are purchased for fattening pigs in the Waikato ?—Whale-oil is also used. Do you think that the complaint in England regarding the pork exported being of a fishy flavour is due to that ? —Yes. You think there is some connection between the whale-oil and the complaint in England I—Yes1 —Yes ; and it is more inclined to make a softer pig. In regard to the bonus given to the pork industry, is there a feeling amongst farmers that the farmer does not get any benefit from that bonus ? —Yes, that is the general feeling. So that to remove the bonus would not affect him at all ? —lf that were removed and the tariff on the grain were removed the farmer would be quite satisfied that he is getting a fair deal. What about the pea-meal ?—Of course, if the tariff was removed on grain that would alter the position as regards the pea-meal. Do you grow any pig-food in the Waikato ? —No, they do not go in for that sort of thing. It would not pay them to grow pig-food ? —No ; it does not pay on grassland to grow any other crop. At that rate it would not pay to grow wheat ? —No. It is a special thing to grow wheat I—l know ; I used to grow wheat myself years ago. The Chairman.] You said that you are not certain that the farmer actually gets the $d. per pound bonus ? —Yes. You do not say he does not ? —No. You are not sure about it ? —I am not sure about it. Hon. Mr. Forbes.] Can you suggest any better method ? —Take off the tariff on grain. The only remedy you suggest is that the duty should be taken off the grain and grain-offal for pig-food ?—Yes.