7110. To Mr CLARKSON: I have 370 acres stripped and about 30 acres to feed off. I sow 1¼ to 1½ bushels of seed to the acre, and 90 to 100lbs. of super. About five years ago I got 18 bushels over 250 acres. In 1913 I got 21 bushels over about 250 acres, and this year the crops would go about 16 bushels. Carting costs 1s. 6d. per ton per mile; then 11s. is the cost of the bags. Some of my land costs 30s. to put in and take off the crop, and do everything in connection with it, including cartage. I use a four-furrow mouldboard and employ two men and a boy to put in 370 acres. For every article I want I have to go a day's journey to town to get it, and that leaves the men idle at the farm.

7111. If you sent a man out with a plough and a team, what would you expect him to do with them?—On some of my land where there are stones and stumps they would be stuck up every ten yards. I put a man on the clear land of stumps that had been cleared eight years ago. He could not plough more than three or four acres a day. I have a 5ft. and a 6ft. Sunshine harvester, but I do not know exactly what they do per day. Lott's and Federation give the best results. Last year I had 140 acres of crop, but did not get a bag out of it. I might try that land again some other time. I have not gone into the question of bulk handling, but with bags at 11s. a dozen, five or six bales alone mean £100. If I had the amount that I have paid in extra duty I could have had more land cleared or more sheep that would bring me in some money.

7112. To Mr PAYNTER: Last year my crop suffered from rust and septoria. From 28 acres I got three-quarters of a bushel to the acre. Mr Sutton was out at my place when I was in Perth. I was expecting from 25 to 30 bushels, but found on my return that it only went three-quarters of a bushel. Mr Sutton said the disease would not affect Federation, but I only got 2s. 8d. a bushel for my wheat, and I averaged about six bushels to the acre right through. Mr Sutton said it would be all right in a few days, but I was away at the time, and did not see him personally. I pickle my wheat and put it through a winnower. I have tried small quantities of different kinds of fodder plants, and last year I sowed with the wheat some clover and Lucerne. I put in 28lbs. of that. I put some rape in a field but I did not get enough for a sheep off it, and now there is no sign of the Lucerne or the clover. The ground near the house is too shallow for fruit trees or vines. I pay the ordinary rates of wages, and to my manager I pay £14 a month with milk and eggs and meat at a certain price, and rent free, together with water and firewood. Some of the men employed are pretty good; others are no good whatever. It would be impossible to say what amount of work a man does in a day, but no man in this district would do any good with less than 2,000 acres. A man near me can put in 350 acres by himself and take it off, but there is no one else like him in the district. He is up at four in morning and has his team at work at half-past five, and works till he cannot see any more. He gets his own food, and as soon as he has swallowed it he goes to bed, and he does the same thing next day. The man who works on the eight hour system should give up farming. The man with a team who goes out at seven in the morning and who is back at sundown would do 250 acres, but I have never had a man who would do one-half of that. no doubt co-operation would be an advantage if the farmers could be brought together, and if the seasons were fairly good. Some of the land in the district is at a reasonable rent. I got poison land at 7s. an acre, and it has cost me over 8s. an acre to take the poison out of it, and it will cost another 4s. an acre before it is all right. I could not get 5s. an acre for it. I buy and sell sheep, but I have got nothing out of the farm as yet. Last year I got about £180 for wheat sold. I paid £500 odd for wages, £130 for super; in addition there were rents and £130 for incidentals, wear and tear on machinery and going backwards and forwards to town to get parts.

7113. By Mr CLARKSON: If you say one man should do 250 acres, cannot your two men and a boy do more than 370 acres?—I have changed that now.

7114. I put in 1,000 acres a year, and I only keep four men altogether?—I have trouble in getting men sometimes. By chance I struck a man to help me with the harvest. I advertised for men in the Perth papers and got only one reply, and that man wanted £3 5s. a week and keep for himself, wife and child I paid my man last year 35s. a week and his keep.

7115. By Mr PAYNTER: A man should do 300 acres a year and have plenty of time to spare?—If I were close to town it would be different. No doubt you can often get men, but no one comes out to my place looking for work, as it is too far out. It would be a saving if we could get a telephone at a reasonable price, and have the roads attended to so as to enable us to cart properly. Our local board has not got the money for the purpose. If I had a telephone installed it would cost me over £40, as well as the rental of it, but it would often save me going into town. I have paid the local rates, but I have seen nothing done for my money yet, and I believe there are three or four settlers who would be glad to put in telephones.

7116. You can do a lot to help yourselves, and can apply to the Federal authorities. The installation of a telephone is a Commonwealth matter. We of course will help you all we can

             (The witness retired
                   ------------------

GEORGE ERNEST ATKINSON, Farmer, Fernleigh, Upper Chapman, sworn and examined:

7117. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been six and a-half years in this district. I was not farming before I came here, although my family were. When I landed here I spent two years in gaining practical experience by working for farmers. With four brothers I hold 4,986 acres of C.P., and we farm in the name of Atkinson Brothers and Joseph. We have 1,000 acres of first class land, and the prices average throughout 7s. 3d. an acre. We have ten miles cartage to the railway. There are 1,200 acres cleared, and one block is fenced, with the exception of one mile; 320 acres are ring-fenced. We could not find money to purchase wire. We have been farming actually for four years. First we struck a drought, and then we struck rust. We have one good well 105 feet deep, and three soaks. That would provide us with a permanent supply. I am a married man and so is Mr Joseph. We all live in a four roomed hessian and iron house. We have no children