5957. By Mr. HARRISON: Do you take out a bag in sampling?—Yes.

5958. Do you think it is possible for sub-agents to have a running bulk sample from a farmer?—I do not think so. Each bag I think should be sampled on its merits.

5959. I asked you that question on account of your having been receiving agents for a mercantile firm. Do you think under that system the number of samples that would have to be taken of the various qualities would make it impracticable?—I think every bag should be sampled and judged on its merits.

5960. Do you think you received any old season's wheat this season?—Not to my knowledge. I found one bag.

5961. You have not had sufficient at this centre to know whether it would be advisable to keep Gnowangerup to Ongerup separate from other wheats?—The wheat has been here only a few months.

5962. Was it put in a separate bag?—It is mixed right throughout, although the greater part of that stuff would be in the first 20 bags of the big shed.

5963. If it is a fact that that wheat is more liable to weevil, would you be able to detect it?—I could say from my books whether I put that wheat into my sheds or not.

5964. If your stack showed weevil in certain places more than in others, could you prove whether it came from the two centres you mentioned?—I would have a pretty fair idea.

5965. By Mr. BROWN: If it should come here by next season, you would know whether that particular bag was infected?—Yes.

5966. By Mr. HARRISON: You would recommend that the wheat from those centres be kept separate from other wheats?—Yes.

5967. Has there been any trouble with regard to dockages from your depot here?—I have not had a single complaint.

5968. Have you found that a mixture of oats with the wheat encourages the mice?—I should say so, and the chaffy wheat also.

5969. Do the farmers realise that the stack is endangered by having oaty wheat?—I do not think so. They should endeavour to send in a clean sample, if they have to winnow twice.

5970. By Mr. BROWN: Did you have any difficulty with lumpers?—No trouble at all. They were mostly local men who were employed.

5971. During the time the men were idle, did you have to pay them?—I put them on hanging curtains and any other work I could find. They are paid by the hour and they have averaged 40 hours a week.

5972. By the CHAIRMAN: Have you met many of the sub-agents acquiring wheat in this district?—I have met four.

5973. Have you ever heard any complaint that the Scheme is biased against them?—None at all.

5974. By Mr. HARRISON: Have you any knowledge of the former stack which was built at this centre on the sandy soil?—I know that one was built, but I do not know the conditions under which it was built.

5975. By the CHAIRMAN: How many bags have you stacked here?—I have stacked 174,873. (The witness retired.)

SUNDAY, 18th AUGUST, 1918. (At Albany.)

Present: Hon. W. C. Angwin, M.L.A. (Chairman). Hon. J. F. Allen, M.L.C. | S. McC. Brown, Esq., M.L.A. T. H. Harrison, Esq., M.L.A.

WILLIAM REDDIN, Officer in charge of the Wheat Stacks, Albany, sworn and examined:

5976. By the CHAIRMAN: You have received no wheat this year?—No. Albany has not been used as a stacking place for the 1917-18 harvest.

5977. In regard to the stacks, what condition were they in when you assumed control?—Not good, they were bad with weevil, No. 19 was badly covered; that was the Westralian Farmers' stack.

5978. Do you consider that a certain amount of damage was done by rain?—Yes, through holes in the roof.. The stack was not in good order for want of attention prior to being taken over. I took over on the 28th January. 1918.

5979. We noticed that the weevil was very bad in all the closed sheds. Was the weevil here when you took it over?—Yes.

5980. How did you find it when breaking down the stacks?—They get cleaner.

5981. How far in is the weevil?—I should think it has gone in four or five bags, that is all round.

5982. We notice that the bottom layer of bags is destroyed. Is that owing to having no air space under the floor?—I think it due to the moisture in the ground.

5983. The large stack, No. 10, has been removed since it was placed there in the first instance?—The wheat was taken out of the shed and re-stacked outside.

5984. The stack was covered with weevil when it was re-erected?—It was not so bad as it is now.

5985. You think that the weevily wheat which came out in the re-building of the stack was put right through it?—I think so.

5986.