FARMER COULDN’T BEAT RED TAPE.

WHILE a Downs farmer was chasing seven Government departments to obtain a tractor, 10 tractors were lying idle at Rocklea, said Country Party Leader (Mr. Fadden) last night.

He instanced the case or a Downs farmer who tried to secure a tractor to replace one which had broken down.

“In an endeavour to find a re placement, no fewer than seven Government departments were contacted, and seven urgent wires were sent from Brisbane by me with negligible results. I found that an application had to go before the local Director of War Agricultural Committees, which for wards it to the State Department of Agriculture and Stock, which in turn sends it to the Director General of Agriculture in Melbourne.

“He sponsors the application to the Allied Works Council, which must go to the Department of the Army for the required release through the Disposals Commission.

WHEAT RUINED

“The Director of Mechanical Equipment in Melbourne and the Director of Agricultural Machinery in Sydney also have a finger in the pie, as well as the Department of Import Procurement, which makes the actual allocations for new tractors.

“By the time the full rigmarole is completed, of course, the applicant is discouraged, his wheat is ruined and Army won’t release the tractor, anyway.”

Mr. Fadden said that the applicant a few days ago inspected 10 crawler tractors of the type he required at an Army depot at Rocklea, and they apparently had been there for some months.

At a Cannon Hill depot 20 rubber-tyred tractors had been parked up against a fence for months.

“All my efforts with the Army Minister (Mr. Forde), the Allied Works Council and the Director General of Agriculture and the others to have the red-tape cut out have so far been unavailing,’ added Mr. Fadden.

From The Courier Mail, Monday 21 January 1946, page 3.

1940 1949 McCormick Deering Standard Tractor Slq 99183512886602061

Image: A McCormick Deering Standard pneumatic tyred tractor towing a shell agent’s truck loaded with possibly bags of grain, date unknown, SLQ 99183512886602061. State Library of Queensland.