COSTLY FARMING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17186, 9 November 1926, Page 5

COSTLY FARMING

AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE DROUGHTS AND FREIGHTS (Received November 9, 12 noon.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 9. Giving evidenco in the 44-hour ca.so before the Full Court and 1 the Arbitration Court, Mr J. \V. Allen, representing various pastoral and graziers' associations throughout Australia, said the loss of sheep from drought, in 1902 totalled 13,000,000: in 1911. 6.2G0.CC0: in .1919, 7.900.00; in 1926 the loss in Queensland alone s;» far amounted to 6,000X00. He produced tables to show that since 1905 there had been tin increase in the number of llock.s below 10,000 sheep, and a, decrease in the number above 10.000 due to the progress of closer settlement. -Since 1914 rail freights in New South Wales upon wool, sheepskins, groceries, and other things used by .stations had increased from 42 to 163 per cent. In Victoria, the increase in these commodities was 15 to 56 per cent.: in South Australia, 10 (o 19 per cent. : in Tasmania, 20 to 124 per cent. Queensland also had shown an increase. WORKERS OFFERED FARM THE FARMER'S LOSSES |* "Mr. McLcod has thrown down v challenge; I'll throw down another,'' said Mr. J. IT. .Toll at the conference of farmers and freezing workers at Hastings. "I'll let any of you have my farm and all I possess if you will pay »4 per cent, interest on it and let me take over your job. lam going to show you the utter futility oi' trying to get the fanner—rrust, or no trust —to allow any increase to be made in his operating costs." Air. Joll proceeded to show that, in si typical case of land costing £25 per acre, currying two sheep to the acre, with a hundred per cent, of lambs, ewes and lambs fattened, ami with an incidental profit (which he claimed as a most liberal estimate) of £2 per aire, a farmer was al the present ratio of outgoings losing £1 Is _.l per aero. The crisis was of the workers' own making, said Mr. .Toll, and no farmer wts pleased to sec it. Every ..farmer was as hard up as he could be, and the Empire was facing the worst time in its history. The workers' claims were equivalent, to trying to get: a quart out of a pint bottle.