bosses, it has not always worked out with the same degree of satisfaction to the ordinary shareholder.The system of dockage that we had in force this year was very unfair and unjust. It was even worse at sidings — I refer to unattended sidings. 1104. That is not attended by a railway official?— Where there is no station master. One man is placed in charge there by a local co-operative company at a fixed wage , and he in turn had to judge the weight to the best of his ability and practically used his own discretion. In many cases the feeling of dissatisfaction ran very high. While the local co-operative companies claimed to have saved us a fair bit in the handling of wheat , none have paid a dividend to my knowledge , and while they claimed to have saved us 2d. a bushel they cannot tell us why that has not been added to our advance. We still have the advance of 3s. I am not wishing to decry the benefits to be derived from co-operation , but I think when it is given a monopoly it is liable to be abused. A little bit of competition is better than co-operation. 1105. Your first complaint was the lateness in the start; that would not be altogether due to those handling the wheat — the company ? — I spoke to Mr. Baxter this morning and we discussed the matter and he said it was not. I can only give the case as it affects myself. I had a paddock with 100 acres of fallow in the middle of it. Off the 500 acres I had to strip I had nearly 1,000 bags and i had to get it off early. On the 29th November I had finished harvesting that wheat and I wanted to land it at the siding. I went to the local co-operative company and I found they had instructions not to take delivery. I went to the station-master because I saw a lot of sleepers lying in the yard and there was plenty of room , and I asked to be given permission to stack the wheat at the siding at my own expense. Several farmers were in the same boat as myself , but I was absolutely refused . I approached them later on, after the wheat had been in the paddock a fortnight , and the white ants had started at the bottom . I said ," the wheat has to be removed." We had a meeting and wired to the Minister , but nothing came of it. The station-master persisted in keeping the gate locked. I rented a shed in the town and put a portion of the wheat in it. On the 25th February I carted the wheat from that shed and stacked it in the station yard. I stacked the whole of the 700 bags there. which was left there until a few weeks ago. At Ejanding one man started carting and got 500 bags at the siding before the station-master noticed it, and he was told to remove it. 1106. What you intend us to draw from that is that from the 30th November to the 25th February the acquiring agents were not in a position to take your wheat? — They were in a position to take it on the 4th January , but I had finished that paddock then. I was not in a position to deliver it to that date. 1107. They do not start early enough? — The first year I could not deliver a lot of wheat when I wanted to. 1108. What is the first date you want to deliver at? — The first week in December. 1109. You said when there was competition there was no difficulty . They catered for your requirements ,in what way? — They always had a staff of lumpers there and everything was ready to take delivery of the wheat. 1110. There was no provision made for it on this occasion? — Not until after the 4th January . Not only did they refuse to carter for us , but they would not let us put it there at our own expense. 1111. By Mr. HARRISON: Who raised that objection ; the receiving agents or the railways? — The railways , under instructions from the heads in Perth. 1112. It was really the railways ? — Yes , from inquiries I made they were instructed by the managers of the Wheat Pool. The same thing applies to the harvest. 1113. By the CHAIRMAN: You referred to a monopoly . The words you used were , " co-operation is all right , so long as it did not get a monopoly." From your experience gathered in connection with the Pool the handling is all right, but it is detrimental to the farmers? What is your reason for that ? — It is only one man to take the wheat. He will take it in his time. If there are several to take it , they will take it when ever they can get it. 1114.There is more expense to the farmers if they have to pay two men when one man can do the work?— I do not think so. 1115. The whole expense comes from the Pool? — I am alive to that. They claim to have handled the wheat at 2d. a bushel cheaper this year . Where is the 2d.? 1116. They have handled it cheaper; they have not paid the 2d. The 2d goes to the farmers when they settle?— We have not had it yet ; why should we not get it now, it is saved? 1117. But your wheat is not sold? — But we have got the 3s as an advance on it. 1118. But that 3s is advanced by the Government ?— They have allowed 9d a bushel for handling it. 1119. You cannot get the money until the wheat is sold? — I cannot comprehended your meaning at all. 1120. Put it this way; you said they have claimed to have saved 2d a bushel in handling than previously. Suppose they got 4d and now they get 2d they have only got the 2d you realize that ? — Yes. 1121. That is a saving as far as the farmers are concerned. It would only come with the final payment?— Why with the final payment? the 2d is there now. 1121a. It is not there ,you have got the 3s? — Yes, but what about the 2d handling charges. 1122. That has not been paid then? — The 2d they have not saved has been paid then. 1123. Only the amount they had for handling has been paid them ? — Suppose they were paid 1d. 1124. If they paid the 2d the other penny would be saved?— Why not the other penny go to the farmers? 1125. It will if they handle it for a penny? — In Mr.Johnson's time they practically offered to do what the co-operative companies ate doing now, refund to the farmers any profits , and they estimated the profits at one penny , and immediately got out of it. The westralian Farmers came along and it is tolerated. 1126. I think you will find the Mercantile Union got out because they would not enter into an agreement to guarantee the one penny? — It may not have worked out quite a penny , or it may have worked out more. 1127. You are not a member of the Westralian Farmers , Ltd? — No , I am a member of two co-operative societies which are working under the Westralian Farmers , Ltd. 1128. Do you look upon the Westralian Farmers, Ltd., as the parent body so far as the co-operative societies are concerned ? — yes. 1129. Is your co-operative society handling this wheat assisted by the Westralian Framers , Ltd ., or is it working entirely on its own capital ? — I cannot say whether they are assisted ; they are assisted only in the way of having a monopoly granted to them to handle the wheat . The Westralian Farmers , Ltd ., refuse to entertain the claim of any other agents but the co-operative societies. 1130. The position is , then that the co-operative societies are paid a certain amount for handling the wheat , and if there is any loss the societies have to pay ? — Yes. My contention is that the Westralian Framers , Ltd., treat the co-operative societies unfairly. 1131. The system which they have adopted in regard to the societies is such that they have not been able to cater for the requirements of the farmers as was done previously ? — That is it. 1132. You referred. to the dockage as being unfair and unjust. In what manner was it unfair? — In the first instance a man with wheat going 31lbs under f.a.q standard was docked , while the man with wheat 3lbs over received no premium and the man by mixing the two got through without any dockage. 1133. — You know that the f.a.q standard was fixed by an independent board ? — I am not complaining about the standard. 1134. You do not think it is fair that a persons's wheat which does not come up to the standard should be docked ? — Yes, if he gets a premium for the wheat which os over the standard . By taking the two qualities away and mixing them the farmer can bring the wheat up to the standard. 1135. Would it not be advisable for the farmer to do that in the first instance? — The farmer does not control the weather. That is really the cause of the trouble.