Part 5

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This transcription is complete

Thursday , NOVEMBER 9, 1916 ( At Goomalling. )

Present: J. O. Giles., Chairman. B. L. Clarkson, Esq ., H .H. Paynter , Esq ., F. E. Venn , Esq .

GEORGE ALLANSON , Storekeeper , Dowerin , sworn and examined:

6060. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in the district ? —I have been living in Dowerin since January , 1911. It is hard to say whether the position of the settlers has improved since them, but I should think so. There has not been much settlement since I came to the district, but there was a rush of settlement before then. The settlers on the forest land do better than those on light ground .

6061. What do you consider in the reason for the dropping off in settlement ? —The principal drawback to settlement in Dowerin during my residence there is that there has been no land opened for selection, although there are any amount of blocks untenanted at the present time.

6002. What have been the principal disabilities under which the settlers languished ? —The 1911 partial failure was God-send to creditors as it steadied the farmer up, but the 1914 was a terrible blow to the settler. In the good times the settler went into debt too readily, and some of then men are being almost killed by interest.

6063. What is your opinion of the industries Assistance Board? — Should be very sorry to see the Industries Assistance Board go out of existence after having assisted themselves so generously during the past thee years. I think the Industries Assistance Board was a State scheme of the benefit of State departments. The country storekeeper's position is very bad owing to the Act of parliament, and it is doubly bad owing to the administration of Act. I should like to make a suggestion that an amendment be made to the Industries Assistance Act, so that provision shall be made for interest on liabilities at a fixed rate, to be computed by the Board's staff before payment. No provision is made at present. Section 21 at present states that the Board shall pay to the creditor the surplus that comes to their land before giving settlers their clearance. I would like to see the Board issue orders on storekeepers instead of cash. The settlers order from Perth, seeing that they can now pay cash, and it means that the country storekeeper will have to go out of existence. I would suggest that the settlers' present liabilities to the Board be repaid to the colonial secretary after other debts are paid. I think the Government should fund its claim and accept payment when the settlers the settlers produce it. I consider that the Government have collected under clause C illegally . The Board held that stores were not necessaries to take off the crop. We have had no money so far, and as things are going we shall never have any. After the outbreak of war, and after the drought was apparent, we went on giving credit, thinking the Government would recognise us, but that assistance has never been recognised by the Government by the payment to us of a single penny.

(The witness retired.)

ARTHUR MILLER, Manager Union Bank , Goomalling , examined:

( Witness read a statement to the commission and promises to send a copy to Perth addressed to the secretary.)

Our average for the last five years has been from 12.56 bushels. That is up to 1914. I would not like to give an estimate of cost of putting in and taking off a crop. Our clients are holding their own, and we have no account out of order. I have always endeavoured to get my clients to go in for stock, and practically all of them have sheep. We make advances to settlers for sheep if they can carry them. We should favourably consider any application from a settler for sheep, provided of course that he could carry them. Cows are also worth considering in this district. This is a rattling good district. If a butter factory was established at Northam it would encourage the farmer to go in for more dairying.

( The witness retired. )

IVAN H. ROYAL, Storekeeper, Goomalling sworn and examined :

6064. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district? —I have been here for 12 years .

6065. Have you had any farming experience ? —I was brought up on a farm. I am an agent as well as a storekeeper. We have, generally speaking ,a good class of settler two or three who cannot read or write. In the immediate vicinity of Goomalling not many settlers have come in since I have been here, but out in the neighbourhood of Wongan a good few have