continued her work. Then we got a young lady teacher, but she got married. Meantime the parents erected a school themselves and we have 12 children attending it, and there are four or five more waiting for it to reopen; but the department say they have no teachers, and this is not to be wondered at as so many have gone to the Front. We are 10 miles away from the next nearest school. I boarded the teacher myself free of expense to her for three years so that she would be able to live, as her salary was only £60 a year from the department, but they are prepared to pay £2 10s. a week now. Previously it was £7 per head and the parents had to make up £18 of her salary.

6242. I think you should place the matter before the responsible Minister?—When I started I had only my own six children, so that I was in the position practically of keeping a governess for myself. Mr. Cecil Andrews told me that he would be please to appoint any friend of mine capable of taking up the work, but we are hoping for classified teacher after Christmas. We cannot get fruit and vegetables in plenty on account of the freight, which should be more reasonable, and thus enable us to obtain these necessaries. We certainly can grow vegetables in winter, but in summer we cannot on account of the scarcity of water. Our nearest doctor is at Goomalling, but fortunately we rarely want him. I think the Progress Association applied for a telephone and the Hon. Mr. Gregory battled hard for it. Some of the children have been here for five years and have never seen either the city or the sea, and I really do think the Railway Department might institute a system of excursion fares for the benefit of the wives and children of the farmers.

6243. By Mr. VENN: It has been suggest that the 1st February to the 31st March would be the best time for excursions?—That would be the school holidays and the busiest time of the year. The school holidays should be altered to begin about the end of February. The young lady we had teaching here was flatted out with the heat by the time the holidays arrived. In summer, on the whole, our food is very trying.

(The witness retired)

RICHARD WALLIS, Farmer, Ballidu, sworn and examined:

6244. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been farming here for seven years, and previously carried on farming in Victoria at Benalla and Colac. When I started here I took up 640 acres and since then have increased it to 1,300 acres with the boys' homestead. Eight hundred acres of this is forest while the balance is good wheat growing country. They charged 9s. 5d. an acre for it and 10s. for the forest. I inspected it before I took it up and was quite satisfied with it. I had been for 25 years in Fremantle working as foreman on the council. My property is four miles west of the railway station. I have cleared 600 acres and have about two miles of fencing altogether with three wires. My water supply is not too good. We have a Government dam 2,000 cubic yards just outside my block, but I shall be out of water for the rest of the summer. We are going to put a dam down directly. At about nine feet you can strike ironstone gravel. For the present I have enough farming implements and six working horses, two cows, and a couple of the horses to knock about with. I had no capital when I came here. The Agricultural Bank advanced me £300 including £100 for horses. I am on the I.A.B. although I do not know what I owe them. Last June my statement showed I paid them up and £30 over, excepting the liabilities out. They paid £30 off them. I think I might owe the board £150. The outside creditors amount to about £300.

6245. To. Mr. CLARKSON: I have 500 acres in crop; none is fallow. I have fallow now and I believe in it every time. I prefer a mixture of early and late wheats, although I think early wheats are preferable. The highest yield I have had is 15 bushels right through the crop and I consider that to be the average of the district. I believe they would have an average of 30 bushels per acre if they all went in for fallow, and I reckon that if a man obtained anything from 12 to 15 bushels per acre he would make a good thing of it. Nine bushels ought to pay actual costs of putting in and taking off. I use to the State harvester; it takes eight horses and does five to six acres a day. I plough about three inches or four inches for fallow; a 17-tine cultivator which does 10 acres a day, a 13-drill which will do about 10 acres, and a Union harvester which would average about 10 acres.

6246.To Mr. PAYNTER: Last year we had a sort of blight and also slight rust. The crop did not average 1 1/2 bags and we expected five bags. I pickle, but do not grade the wheat. I only grow wheat and never tried fodder crops or artificial grasses. I grow my own vegetables and keep pigs for my own use. I have a lot of poultry and intend to try the market as I think there is money in it. I pay for labour 9s. a day and they find themselves. You cannot get more than eight hours a day out of them. Personally I am never done with my work, although I begin at 4 a.m. Every man should have at least 1,000 acres if he is going in for farming, and he cannot crop more single-handed than 350 acres; that is, with a little assistance at harvest time.

6247. Would it be an advantage for you farmers to co-operate for the purpose of marketing your produce and obtaining your supplies?—That is a rather hard question, as you cannot ever get two farmers of one mind. I consider that the price of the land and the regulations are both easy and reasonable.

6248. To Mr. VENN: I do not carry any sheep, but this will be a good grass country when it is opened up, cropped and cleared, and therefore, I intend to go in for them later, as one must have sheep out here. But first of all I intend to have a plentiful supply of water. I have two cows and have been making seven lbs. of butter from one of them on the bare grass before the feed dried up. But, on the whole, I think the district is too dry for dairying.

6249. To the CHAIRMAN: Originally when I was a single man I sold out my farm at a small price in order to start in business in Melbourne. Some of the land that I sold at 50s. is now worth £20 per acre.

6250. What made you return to the land; is it a better life than that of the city?—Every time give me up here before Perth, and then my wife and family