only had 30 acres, but we always had enough to eat and drink out of that, and in those days there were big families, too.

6814. You have had bad luck in the way of seasons?—Yes, and in rust, and 1911 was a drought and so was 1914.

6814A. Is that abnormal in your experience?—No, I have seen some dry years for 40 years past.

6815. By. Mr. CLARKSON: Has the rust been bad?—Two years ago we had it, and we also had it 45 years ago when it wiped out the industry, and we had to import seed. I have seen a little rust, mostly every year, but it did not seem to do very much harm. The tropical rains seemed to start it.

6816. From your knowledge of the district and its people, would you say that those who are being assisted by the Government are a good class of men for the land. Are they the right stamp?—Not altogether; some of them are not practical, although they work hard. The bulk of the old settlers came from the old country under different conditions to those that obtain here now.

6817. Do you think that the Agricultural Department experts have done as much as they might have to assist settlers financed by the Government institutions with advice as to the best methods of growing wheat?—Some have been experts and some not.

6818. I mean some men like Mr. Sutton?—He is a very hard worked man, and in some things is very practical, but he has too much to do. If he had more time available to travel round the country he would show much better results. When he comes here the whole of his time is fully occupied.

6819. By the CHAIRMAN: One witness here only has 220 acres cleared in 11 years. Would there be any reason for that?—That particular witness was a navvy on the railway and out near his camp he took up his land.

6820. I do not think we have come across another man who was so long on the land and had done so little?—This particular man's land is very patchy, and there is only his wife and himself.

6821. By Mr. CLARKSON: Have you given the question of bulk handling consideration as a means towards the reduction of the farmer's costs?—Yes, I have studied it. The idea that I had was that a hopper should be put in to receive the wheat coming from the farms and bags should be tipped into the hopper. There would be a saving of labour and also of bags which would be returned to the farmer. We might be able to make more profits and let the farmer have something more for his wheat. The wheat buyers have tried to keep me off the market. The wheat merchants are here to make as much profit as they can. My idea was to keep up the price. The question of bulk handling has been gone into by most of the farmers and I believe the Government has a scheme afoot. There would be the great advantage of having the bags returned and we could get a better class of bags while the farmer could work the whole of his wheat with a few hundred bags, and good bags should last four or five years.

6822. What do you think of the general conditions under which the settlers live, the housing, the schooling and the medical facilities?—Under the present conditions they are going into too much expense I think. The farmer does not get much profit out of a house.

6823. But are the conditions such as to make his wife and family contented?—There are some of them I know upon whom the conditions had a bad effect.

(The witness retired.)

FRANCIS JAMES TETLOW, Storekeeper, Geraldton, sworn and examined:

6824. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been resident here since February, 1911, and I have been dealing with farmers since I have been in Geraldton.

6825. Generally speaking, what is your opinion of the condition of the settlers in the Mullewa district?—The conditions vary, but there is no question that all of them would do better if they had sheep. There are Mr. Fry, Mr. J. J. Keefe, who has been there a long time, and others. Some of them who went there with capital are fairly well off.

6826. By Mr. CLARKSON: When you say those who went with capital are fairly well off, are they making a fair profit only, or are they simply existing on their capital and making an annual loss which will eat up their capital?—I think that what they lose on wheat growing they make up with sheep. Mr. P. Maloney, of Walkaway, is there another settler who is doing very well. He has been very fortunate and during the rusty year he had a good and clean crop.

6827. What do you think is the main contributing cause of the unsatisfactory position of the settlers?—Two things, one was drought and the other insufficient capital to start with.

6828. Does your business take you any further than south of Mullewa?—No, and I am not a great deal about there. My district extends to within 30 or 40 miles of Geraldton.

6829. What is your view of the future of the settlers within 30 or 40 miles of Geraldton?—I think they are the best in the State, and that they have a splendid future before them. They have good land and they are within easy distance of the port. The only thing is that some of them have not sufficient stock and there is no dairying done.

6830. By the CHAIRMAN: Where do you think the danger line begins?—I think the men at Ajana have a better proposition in front of them than the men at Yuba because they have better land. At Yuna they have better land than there is at Yuba.

6831. Then you have a good opinion of all three?—Yes, I have, except that some parts were suffering from being unable to conserve water.

6832. The Ajana rain record shows 11.17 points?—For the last five years there have been over 20 points in the district, and in Geraldton there have been 18 inches for 38 years past.

6833. Do you think there is sufficient rainfall at Ajana and Yuba to grow wheat with?—I think so. In 1914 a lot of people within a reasonable distance of the coast grew sufficient seed for their own requirements, and a few of them had some for sale; but in 1915 those who were fortunate in 1914 got hit very hard on account of the rust.

6834. The condition of the new settlers is this, therefore, that for two years they have not had a fair chance?—That is so, but the people at Adjana did not have much rust. At Yuba they had rust.