Summary

One page, type-written letter from H.V McKay to his company's agents. "Australian made Agricultural Implements are the cheapest commodities on the farm" says H.V. McKay in a letter to his Sunshine agents.The letter focuses on the rising costs of goods in the post World War I era and presents an argument for agents to use with customers. McKay's point is that the increase in farming machinery prices , despite farmer perception, has not risen out of line with other farm commodities and household goods. An inference is made that imported farm machinery companies have been spreading this propaganda as the Australian machinery takes the market. McKay advises the agents to compare the prices of the machinery to other current goods, not to pre war prices. Included is a table of cost/lb of his machinery as compared to cost/lb of other farm equipment, e.g., shearing and milking machines. Reference is also made to duty and protectionist tariffs at the time.

Part of a collection of photographs, negatives, moving film, artefacts, documents and trade literature belonging to the H. V. McKay Sunshine Collection. The McKay collection is regarded as one of the most significant industrial heritage collections in Australia. The collection relates to the agricultural manufacturing firm, the Sunshine Harvester Works. The Australian operations of this company were originally founded by Hugh V. McKay in the 1890s in Ballarat. Between 1906 and 1907, McKay moved production to Sunshine where the firm became one of the largest industrial businesses in Australia. Change in ownership is a recurring theme in the company's history. In 1930, it merged with Massey-Harris to become H.V McKay Massey Harris. In the mid-1950s, the company was absorbed by Canadian agricultural firm Massey-Ferguson. Production in Sunshine ceased in the mid-1980s, following almost 100 years of manufacturing agricultural equipment.

Title

'TO SUNSHINE AGENTS. ... 12/4/24 ... THE PRICE OF FARM IMPLEMENTS.'

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