What is your opinion about that?— A determination of sulphuric acid was asked for. It was requested as a matter of convenience that the results should be stated in their equivalent of sulphate of soda. It is immaterial really in what form the sulphuric acid is stated. In ordinary soil analyses it is usual to state sulphuric acid a such, and this has been my own practice. But for the investigation of salt problems it is convenient to state as sulphate of soda. This is the usual practice, and I produce a report received last week showing that this is so (copy of latest American bulletin produced). One knows that the sulphuric acid is not all combined with soda, just as with common salt in these analyses, one knows that the chlorine found is not all sodium chloride. It is merely the manner of stating how much sulphuric acid is found.Mr. Mann disclaims responsibility for the figures relating to sulphuric acid which he has found. If he cannot guarantee the figures I very much regret it will be necessary to have those particular analyses made elsewhere.

1070. Have you had previous experience of alkali trouble with soils?— Yes. Such problems occasionally cropped up in Victoria. The last occasion was with an important rise of salt at Cohuna, which occupied me for several months. The Government subsequently acted on the recommendations made, and carried out and extensive system of drainage.

1071. Did you ask for a determination of carbonate of soda in these soils?— No. I asked for carbonic acid as carbonates. Carbonic acid might be present in other forms, and it was necessary to specify as carbonates. Sulphuric acid could only exist as sulphates,and it was not necessary to ask for sulphuric acid as sulphates. There was that difference which is generally known to chemists. For the carbonic acid existing as carbonates, I asked as a matter of convenience that it should be stated in terms of the normal carbonate of soda just as the chlorine and sulphuric acid were asked to be stated as the normal sodium salts; this is the usual practice. 1072. Were you aware that percentages appearing in the tables under the column of carbonic carbonate of claim to know how the results obtained from the analyst should be interpreted. 1073. Would a high percentage of lime and magnesia mitigate the effect of the salts stated as salts of sodium?— It would, and especially if much lime appeared in the waster extracts. With a mixture of the basic radicels as existing in lime, magnesia, potash, and soda, given an amount of the salts would be less harmful than if all existed as sodium salts. This would naturally be considered in drafting any report. At the same time there is no doubt that the harmfulness if the salts is determined chiefly by the character of the acid radicel or anion. It is partly for that reason that it has become customary to talk of the effects of chlorides, sulphates, and carbonates stated as sodium salts, without specifying particularly the kind of base with which the acids are combined. Some of the recent workers indeed claim that the toxicity of salts is determined by the acid radicel, and not by the basic radicel at all. I do not fully agree with this. 1074. Did you get the percentage of lime and magnesia in the extracts of all the soils determined?— No. in four only. 1075. Why were these not determined in all of these samples?— In view of the lesser importance of these determinations, and in order to save time. Lime and magnesia are chiefly important in connection with the occurrence of bi-carbonate. 1076. What opinion did you form as to the amount of lime and magnesia in those soils?— I concluded that the figures in another column of Mr. Mann's tables, giving the amounts of carbonic acid as carbonates, must have included bi-carbonates, because the occurrence of soluble salts of lime and magnesia is not compatible with the presence of the normal sodium carbonate stated. If the analyses show lime and magnesia, there could be no important amount of carbonate of said in the water extract of that soil. 1077. Would extraction with water stated take practically all the salts out of the soil?— No. This is particularly the case with the sulphates, and carbonates. Chlorides can be more fully recovered by water extraction. The character of the soil affects the issue. The analyses for salts cannot disclose all the soluble salts in the soil, and for that reason it is necessary to work on conventional methods in order to get comparable results. 1078. Have you found any opinion as to whether the Esperance lands contain too much salt for cropping?— No. The analytical results given in for sulphuric acid have since been disclaimed, and those for carbonic acid are not what we asked for. I beg to suggest, therefore, that those determinations should be revised, and as special attention is directed to this matter, that analytical data may be obtained in somewhat greater deal than appeared necessary where the matter was to be treated as one of urgency. The subject bristles with technical detail, but questions of elementary chemistry should not be allowed to obscure one's judgement nor distract from the main issue. Meantime, from such information as I have collected, and from a visit to the district, it appears probable that soil salts occur in Esperance lands as in other districts: that at some parts there is little salt, at others too much; and that, as in other parts of the State, the Esperance district is certainly not salty. More cannot be said pending the results of soil alysis. 1079. When will you be able to report on this matter to the Commission?—Probably in about three months. 1080. By Mr. PADBURY: Do you think Mr Mann has any reason for complaining about some columns of figures more than others?— No, I do not think so. I cannot see any reason why certain columns should be singled out for complaint more than once. The Analyst seems to assure that I am unable to interpret the information which was asked for. That is the whole point. 1081. My reason for asking that is because Mr. Mann said it is unusual practice, but you say it is not usual?— Precisely, and I produce this bulletin in support. This bulletin is by one of the authorities, Mr. S. F. Harris, whom Mr. Mann has quoted in his evidence. He referred to an earlier bulletin on the salt problem by the same author. 1082. By The CHAIRMAN: Is there any other matter you would like to make a statement upon?— I think not. It is necessary to obtain accurate analytical data before arriving at a final decision upon the area and significant of salt in the Esperance district. 1083. By Mr. PADBURY: Mr. Mann in his evidence mentioned the analysis of the soils he has recently analysed, and that helps top confirm his pre-