about poisons, although it is said that there is York Road with a yellowy green leaf and heartleaf here. It certainly is a poison, thought it may not be heartleaf, and it comes up after fire. However, in the forest country there is no poison.

6324. Mr CLARKSON: The plant you call York Road possibly will poison stock at some periods this year, and when it is in flower no risk should be taken. Witness: One one occasion I sent the department what I thought was a poison plant and got a reply telling me that it was not poison, but to treat it as it were. There is another matter I would like to mention. There are a number farmers about here on the Industries Assistance Board who have neither a dray nor wagon, and the board will not grant them one. they have to pay 1s. 6d. per ton per mile for carting, which would soon make up the cost of a dray, and it all comes out of their wheat. It has cost in one case £20 more than the cost of the wagon; it would be more economical to let the farmer have it for nothing and give him a few pounds besides. The wagon would always be there as an asset for the board, and by the end of the first year it would be one's own property. I think all the farmers in this district would be gratified if their liabilities were all funded and repayment over a period of five to 10 years arranged. One half of them, as a matter of fact, will get off the board next year because they are not satisfied with the board and the conditions. For instance, I understand this year they will put in one half and fallow the other half. They will be on board all their lives if they do that. One hundred acres of crop will not get them off the board. They must grow more. They are just as likely to get a good crop off 300 acres partly fallow if there is a good season. The only way to get them off the board is to give them a change to get off a fair sized crop. Fallow is not necessarily best here.

6325. Some farmers affirm that fallow would double their yield?—I do not know of any such example. As a matter of fact we have done more farming than anybody in the district. We use to fallow one half. We had 500 acres all on our own and 1,500 acres on the share system. We fallowed every year. With fallow you can put your crop in.

6326. To Mr. VENN: In this new heavy land, after it is fallowed the plant grows so luxuriantly that there is not moisture enough to support the growth it has forced up. Again, one week's dry weather at the end of August and it goes right off.

(The witness retired.)

MAURICE FLYNN I.A.B. Inspector, Pithara Buntine, called and examined:

6327. To the CHAIRMAN: There are about 100 settlers in my district altogether, including the Industries Assistance board settlers.

6328. What is your opinion do you think they will get through successfully?—I think so, with a little assistance from the bank and the Industries Assistance Board, assistance principally in the direction of clearing. They are being supplied with stores at the present time. Each settler should have 600 acres cleared to work his land properly.

6329. By Mr. CLARKSON: If they had a larger plants they would be able to get the largest possible area under cultivation?—Yes; but without assistance in that respect they cannot fallow or cart their wheat.

6330. By the CHAIRMAN: What other assistance do they stand in need of?—The majority of the houses are unfit for people to live in. They should be assisted to build a house, particularly so the married people.

6331. By Mr. CLARKSON: What proportion of settlers, if their liabilities were funded and repayments extended over a period of 10 years, could make good?—Undoubtedly such a scheme is an excellent one, and a big proportion of them would pull through.

6332. It would have the tendency of making them more self-reliant and also of weeding out the unsuitables?—Yes.

6333. By the CHAIRMAN: What has your own experience of farming been?—I was seven years farming in the Dalwallinu area. As for this district it is as good as any in the State.

6334. Are any of them making money?—I doubt it at the present time, but there are several causes operating. One is the price of wheat which was so low in the best seasons, and unless the Government fix the price the outlook would be a gloomy one. Then they have had dry seasons to contend with. While the interest of 10 per cent. which the merchants charge is a big drawback.

6335. By Mr. VENN: When they have secured sufficient water the first thing they should do should be to run sheep?—Quite so, although there is a fair amount of poison, but with water and fencing the proposition would be a sound one.

6336, By Mr. CLARKSON: Do the applications from the settlers for machinery and plant go through you?—Yes.

6337. Supposing a settler wanted a wagon to cart his crop in, would it be favourably considered?—The board at the present time will not permit of contracting. Last Friday I received word that they are going to supply carts and horses to cart the wheat. I had myself to get my wheat carted last year, and it cost me £45, although I had my own boys to help me.

6338. By the CHAIRMAN: The main reason for the non-success of the settlers is attributable, in your opinion, to the drought?—Yes.

6339. If there had been no drought they would not feel the reduce price of wheat?—No. when water has been scarce some of the settlers have to cart 10 or 14 miles. There were 13 settlers carting water from my own well, which is 40 feet deep. I was the first to possess a well and put it down on the outcrop between the forest and the sandplain, securing good stock water. In fact, my family lived on it for eight months, as we could get no other. There is another matter I would mention, viz., the need of a competent maternity nurse. Two or three ladies in this district on the road from here to Wongan Hills have been seriously situated, and something ought to be done by way of providing a district nurse.

6340. By Mr. VENN: In the South-West we have these districts nurses in places 15 or 20 miles apart?—Then there is the matter of education. It took us two and a-half years before we got a school established at North-East Dalwallinu. At Wubin a school is wanted badly, as there are a lot of young children there, 14 of them.

(The witness retired)