DAIRYWORKERS WANT AN AWARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1909, Page 6

DAIRYWORKERS WANT AN AWARD.

'ARBITRATION COURT SITTING. INTERESTING EVIDENCE. [Bx TsLBOEArH. — Special to Thb Post.) PALMERSTON N., This Day. Much interest is boing taken in the hearing of a demand by the dairyworkers for an award of the Arbitration Court. Voluminous evidence was given yesterday by employees and farmers, and \ery interesting statements wore made by ' the latter as to dairymen's profits and losses. Walter Elliott, dairy farmer, Rongokokako (Ekctahuna), also" produced bal-ance-sheets for the same years as previous witnesses had. He had had a farm for thirteen years, and it comprised 145 acres. The receipts for 1906-7 were £386 and the expenditure £186, showing a gross profit of £200. From this he deducted 5 per cent, on the capital value (£IA2 3s) and a personal allowance of £2 2s a week for fifty-two weeks, together with the loss of £4, showing a loss of £52. The receipts for 1907-8 were £287 3s 9d, the out-goings £200 2s, leaving a balance of £87 Is 9d. Interest at 5 per cent, on capital value, wages for himself and wife, and loes of stock amounted to £263, showing a net loss on the year o£ £176 Is Bd. If any higher awards were made it would mean his going out of the farm, because he would net {jet so much for hio milk. A farmer on cither side of him had just given, up dairying for sheep-farming for a similar reason. To Mr. Reardon: He had paid £5 15s per acre for the land, and it was now worth £17 10s His labour had produced the difference. He had worked on the road for a long time. During tho timo there was no unearned increment. " ' His Honour: Oh, yes, there was. James Elliott, Mauriceville, farmer, also gave his receipts and expenditure for 19Q61907, which left a balance of £31 9s Id, which was all he got out of the farm that year. In 1907-8 his balance was £54 14s Bd, but when interest was taken off there was a debit balance of £20. Mr. Brown: You'd have made more money if you'd been a creamery manager. Witftcss, amid laughter, said he wished he had been. Samuel Roober Mason, farmer, Nireaha, and a supplier to the factory, produced his balance-sheet, which, after deducting interest and allowance for a partner's share, showed a balance of £3 11s for 1906-7. If the "award was made any higher ho would have to clear out of the country. "In fact," said witness, amid laughter, "if I got tho price I wanted I'd clear out now." Peter Mortenson, dairy farmer, Mauricoville West, also produced a balance-shcec, which showed a loss of £21 - i2s 4d for 1906-7, and for 1907-8 a net loss of T96 12s 3d. He was absolutely dependent on the dairy "factory for his living.