were 50 bushels of wheat which I fed to the pigs and placed a fair value on the pigs at the commencement. I took into consideration the amount of the produce I had sold and the value of the pigs when it was finished.

7125. How do you get at in the case of breeding sows?—I do not allow anything for their maintenance for that period at all. The produce from the breeding sows was sold and the amount credited against the wheat.

7126. That is hardly conclusive because you have had the maintenance of the sows for some time before?—The boar was fed during that period from that same wheat.

7127. Could you give us a fattening value of the pig?—I have not kept a separate record for fattening alone. I would like in conclusion to draw your attention to the inadequacy of our postal facilities and trust you will bring the matter before the authorities.

(The witness retired)

_______________

JOHN CHARLES GLIBERT RHEAD , Manager W. A. Bank , Northampton , Examined :

7128. To The CHAIRMAN: I have been here for three and half years, and it is the first branch of which I have been in charge. I was in the W. A. Bank, Northam, previously, and was trained in the city and approached the position with a little practical knowledge of farming.

7129. What is the valuation of the bank's best farms, well improved and well situated?—The highest I know of is in the vicinity of £3 10s. per acre.

7130. By Mr CLARKSON: Is that the average or does it refer to first class land only?— Our system is to value each block on a farm separately as far as possible. The Highest valuation for any one good block would be £3 10s. but, of course the average of the farm would not work out at that. The particular block that I had in my mind was all cleared and was particularly good.

7131. By the CHAIRMAN: What was the size of the block and what was the amount of rough country on it?— I think it is 120 acres in all. I Could mention the actual sales that have taken place. There has been an actual sale of one block of 640 acres about half-cleared and the price of the land without the stock on it would work out at about £2 15s. an acre. All except 100 acres was C.P but it was long held, for about 15 years.

7132. Do you know what Mr Drage paid for Bowes?—I think £ 19,000 for 5,500 acres.

7133. Do you consider you have a good class of settler in the district?—Yes.

7134. What proportion of them are new blood?— The district extends to Yuba and Ajana, and there has been nobody there longer than five years, about. Round Northampton with the exception of Bowes and Wilby there are no new settlers.

7135. Are there any Successful farmers here on whom you could put your finger and say, "He is successful among the people who have been here for years"?—There are such settlers. I would indicate the whole of Isseka, although they are not customers of mine.

7136. By Mr CLARKSON: They all keep sheep?—Yes.

7137. By the CHAIRMAN: How far out is settlement safe financially from here going northwards?—I do not like it north of Yuba sand plain. The Land has not been held long enough to test it for farming. I have faith in those districts all the same.

7138. By Mr CLARKSON: Do you think the methods adopted are as good as they might be?—I think the men who have the money to do it farm well. Most of those who have only just gone on are scratching along as well as they can. The successful farmers all fallow. My bank likes to see two-thirds on fallow, but to the new settler that is an impossibility.

7139. Would the new settlers you refer to comprise the larger portion of the settlers of this district?—Not within 10 or 12 miles of Northampton. My district includes Ajana and Yuba where they are all new men.

7139A. By the CHAIRMAN: Are the settlers of a thrifty and saving class?—I think they are a fair class of settler about here.

7140. Are they inclined to buy too much on credit and leave the future to luck?—I would not like to say that they do. Recently I am afraid a lot were going that way, but did not care too much one way or the other.

7141. By Mr VENN: Do your people encourage them to purchased sheep and cows?—Sheep in any case but there is no dairying being done . 7142. Mr Connor was up here recently lecturing and he considered it to be good dairying country?—I think he is impressed with it but those who keep cows feed them nearly all the year round. I do not know a successful farmer however who has not got sheep.

7143. By the CHAIRMAN: What areas should settlers hold in order to have a reasonable chance of success?—I certainly do not think that ay man can do with less than 1000 acres.

7144. Given adequate capital, what size blocks would you like to see them hold larger or smaller?—I fixed the minimum at 1000 acres because you can not run a decent number of sheep on a smaller block. Most of the farms have a bit of sand plain.

7145. By Mr CLARKSON: Have you worked out the cost of putting in and taking off a crop?—No, but I have asked my customers what it costs them.

7146. What would the bank accept as a fair valuation of the price of putting in and taking off a crop?—Thirty-three shillings is the lowest price I have been able to ascertain. Possibly 37s. is about the average but you may put it down at 35s.

7147. By the CHAIRMAN: Have you any suggestions regarding matters that the Government might take up for the fostering of settlement in this district?— I think one thing is the lower cots of production if it could be achieved in some way. I think myself that the land rent is killing the industry. It is too high and is not spread over a sufficiently lengthy period. Repurchased estates are an impossibility. The trouble is a man may get 200 acres cleared and that has to pay the purchase price of the whole lot which is an impossibility but the best proof of that is that it is not doing it. I do not think any man at Bowes is up to date with his rents and it must be remembered that is good land. I do not think they could do it with the best of seasons.