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which you have made, a series of analyses of soils from any one district?—I can get you some. 1009. There is another matter which the Commission wish to be enlightened upon. Opinions which you have expressed as to the agricultural value of the mallee lands have apparently been based solely on analyses of soil samples?—I do not think I have expressed an opinion on mallee lands. 1010. But you read that in your report?—Not on mallee lands. 1011. Then what did you report on?—On the Esperance soils, not on mallee lands generally. I do not think you will find the word "mallee" mentioned in my report. I have never reported on mallee lands as mallee lands generally. 1012. Then you can take it as Esperance lands where I mention mallee land?—I reported on the samples of soil sent to me. I have never written a report condemning mallee lands. 1013. Then we will say Esperance lands in lieu of mallee lands in that question?—My answer to that question is yes. 1014. By Mr. McDONALD: Did you take it for granted that all the samples which you examined came from cultivable lands?—What do you mean by cultivable land? 1015. Suitable for cultivation?—It was to determine that that I was asked to make the analysis. 1016. If some of the samples came from say, salt lakes, salt pans, and other parts where farming would be impossible, the value of a report as to the agricultural worth of a district would be discounted if the origin of those samples were not taken into account?—Certainly, but it was reasonable to suppose that the officer who was testing the land for wheat growing would take samples with that object. In making a survey of the land for wheat-growing it is reasonable to suppose that the samples would not be taken from salt lakes or salt pans. It was to be inferred that the samples would be taken from soils that it was reasonable to expect would grow wheat from the appearance of those soils. That is all I can say. 1017. In other words, before a sound report could be made by an expert he would require to know the complete history of the samples, and not merely the analytical results?—It would never do for a man to take samples from the middle of a salt lake, and say that that was a sample of wheat-growing soil. The general nature of the soil should be known. In the agricultural work we would issue a form containing a large number of details as to the nature of the land, and we require information on a great many points that are necessary to form a complete judgement. It seems to me that I am put in a very peculiar position. If, on the one hand, soils are submitted to me for analysis, and I am asked to report on them, and when I do report on them I am told that I have not sufficient data on which to base a report. 1018. We are not asking you to report on the samples taken by Mr. Paterson?—There are two parts in the examination of soil that must be given attention to—the actual chemical analysis, and the interpretation of the results so obtained. 1019. By Mr. PADBURY: What position are you in if you do not know where the samples come from?—I can only report on the samples which are submitted to me. 1020. Unless you know the samples have been obtained in a proper manner, you are not in a position to report as to the quality of the soil for wheat-growing?—The analyses are carried out in a proper manner. 1021. But if you do not know where they are taken from you cannot express an opinion on the quality of the land for wheat-growing. The samples may be taken from the centre of salt lakes?—As far as that is concerned, of course the samples may be taken from salt lakes, but the interpretation of the analysis is a matter which should not be removed from my hands, because those very analyses which I have submitted to you by the way they were carried out present certain interpretations which are wrong. The analyses as conducted at the request of Professor Paterson show that all the soils contain carbonate of soda, but the analysis was not made for the identification of carbonate of soda. It makes it appear, on the face of it, as if I reported to the Commission that those soils contained carbonate of soda, and it is quoted on my authority, because it is based on that. But that is not the way to test for carbonate of soda, and that is why I dissociate myself from the results, and ask you to note that I could not be responsible for any inference that there is carbonate of soda in the soils. 1022. By the CHAIRMAN: You said in your synopsis that of the samples submitted by Professor Paterson, 93 per cent. contain .05, and that 60 per cent. .2 per cent or over. In paragraph 7 you say, "In view of the above facts I submit to the Commission that I could not, with a proper sense of duty, do other than make my original recommendation as contained in the concluding paragraph of my report, which says, "I can only express the opinion that in the light of the facts above disclosed ...settlement on this land must be considered as hazardous unless its adaptability for wheat has been fully tested by means of fairly extensive experimental plots grown on various parts of the territory." With regard to the concluding paragraph of your report, you have no details or data of the soils analysed?—Except that they were taken from the land which was proposed to be thrown open at Esperance for wheat-growing. 1023. As a matter of fact, some of the samples were taken from salt lakes. That is not an indication of land suitable for agricultural purposes?—The original samples. 1024. The samples submitted to you?—My report only deals with the samples mentioned in that report. 1025. By Mr. McDONALD: Some of the original samples were taken from near salt lakes and salt pans?—That is not stated in Mr. O'Brien's report, there is no statement to indicate that any of the samples were taken from salt lakes. 1026. I do not think Mr. O'Brien was aware of that?—If that is so, at the time he was combating he standard I adapted, and presenting a case on behalf of the soils, he would surely have referred to such a damning fact. 1027. He naturally would have concluded that Mr. Middleton took the samples from the country as a fair indication?—But he does not state in his report that samples were taken from salt lakes. 1028. The settlers showed us places in salt pans where samples have been taken from?—I do not know what you mean by salt pans, but the samples of soil
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