put into clearing and it would also be more profitable to the State.

6570. To Mr. VENN: The scrub country is fair and the other land is good when rung. I hope myself to make a start with sheep soon when I have procured water, but the dingoes have been pretty bad, still I do not anticipate much trouble in that direction. There are a few rabbits too. There is no kite leaf poison here although several settlers have found plants that they think are poison. That was after the drought and following upon the thunderstorms. I do not know whether there is any euphorbia here.

6571. By Mr. CLARKSON: When you refer to deferred payments for rent do you mean that there should be no rent paid for the first five years?—The first five years should be exempted and spread of the balance of the term. We have had a rainfall of seven inches this year, during winter, and three inches since then. That is proved to be sufficient to grow wheat on. I speak as a representative of a meeting of local settlers which was held a few nights ago, and the suggestion was made that the land should be held free for the first five years, and it should be made retrospective so as to put us on the same footing as the new settlers. Another matter discussed was that in many cases before a man can obtain an advance he must secure two blocks of land, and for taxation purposes the exemption should be made to cover five years. The position has pressed hardly upon those who have had more than 1,000 acres. The amount of bank advances should be increases to enable the settler to clear more land and get into a proper system of farming. The inspectors could see that the clearing was carried out effectively. In this district men have gone on to land that is not very good quality and have cleared it at a cost of £1 an acre, and they have the better land idle because it cost 30s. or £2 to clear it. If the heaviest land was first rung it could be cleared at about 23s., but if it has gone into green, as has been the case here mostly, it would cost 35s. to 40s. Ring-barking costs 1s. 3d. an acre. This land that you see around you will cost 27s. 6d. to clear. I took on contract work here and lost money over it. The timber is bad burning stuff. Salmon gum country use to pay me at 25s. an acre elsewhere, but in this district it is worth 35s. When ring-barked the land does not sucker. Sap-ringing does sucker. The Agricultural Bank use to advance the nominal amount of £35 to put up a house, and that system should be renewed, as no advance has been made for the purpose for some time past.

6572. To the CHAIRMAN: The Agricultural Bank has treated me generously, and so has the Industries Assistance Board, but with regard to the Department of Agriculture and its staff of experts, I have only seen Mr. Sutton since I have been here, and I think if he was left at his own work and would advise the farmer and travel round the country, his services would be of great value to us.

(The witness retired.)

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MICHAEL NAGEL, Farmer, Merkanooka, sworn and examined:

6573. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been on my land for the last six years. It is 12 miles west from Morawa. I had previous experience in farming at Mt. Barker, South Australia, where I was brought up. I took up 1,000 acres, about half of which is first class. I did not inspect it before I took it up. I came down from the goldfields and took it up on the land, which was not accurate or satisfactory. It looked all right on the plan, but the centre of the land is sandplain and is shown as first class land. My land cost 25s., and I have so far heard nothing about the price being reduced, although my neighbours had theirs cut down to 12s. 6d. I have 200 acres cleared. It is all fenced and divided into four paddocks. There is a good water supply in a well 100ft. deep, which holds sufficient water, but it took a lot of finding. I am a married man with two children; one of them goes to school, which is three miles away. The nearest doctor is at Dongara, 70 miles away. I erected a bough shed for the horses and plant, and my house contains three rooms of iron and jarrah. I have farming implements, but could do with more. I have four working horses and 200 sheep. When I came here I had between £400 and £500. The Agricultural Bank advanced me £100 on the sheep and £365 on the land. I do not think I owe the Industries Assistance Board anything.

6574. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have 162 acres under crop, but no fallow. I never have had fallow here. The highest yield I have had was seven bags. That was last year over 136 acres. This year I estimate it will go over five bags. I only crop the good land. I sow one bushel to the acre on forest land and 35lbs. of super. It would take about eight bushels to put in and take off a crop, and that would include the living costs. I do not employ labour, so there would only be the super. and bags in addition. I use a cultivator, but have never ploughed. It is a spring-tooth, 13-tyne, and I did 10 acres a day with it. With a 13-disc drill I do about 10 acres, and with a 6ft harvester about seven acres a day. Bulk handling would be an excellent way of disposing of the crop, which could be bagged and carted to the siding, but the bags would only stand one trip. They are pressed too hard and I have had to patch them before I could use them. They were bags supplied by the Government. Some that were supplied last year by Elder, Shenton, & Co., were just as bad. I consider that the farmer's machinery should come in free of duty. It is a burden that the industry should not be called on to pay.

6375. To Mr. PAYNTER: Last year I had a little rust, but it did not affect me greatly. I pickle but do not grade my wheat, and I have not grown any fodder crops or artificial grasses. In winter I have grown a few potatoes and cabbages and I keep a few pigs and poultry for my own use. The working hours are just as long as a man can work. I have to pull water for my sheep from a 100ft. well when I knock off my ordinary work. I have applied for a windmill from the Industries Assistance Board. Every man should hold at least 1,000 acres of land in this locality, and if cleared he should be able to account for 300 acres every year single-handed, but he could not keep working 200 acres and then clear as well. I think co-operation among farmers would be a good thing,