practically a failure through rust, and I do not think the proceeds will realise more than about £80.

7166. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have 180 acres of crop, of which 40 acres was fallow. I believe in fallow in these parts, as it obtains the best results. The disadvantage is that you turn in valuable sheep feed when you fallow. I do not think the fallow this year will be better than the other part of the crop. The highest yield I have had in any one year was my first crop, when I got 18 bushels all through on an average; some of it went 24 bushels. That was over 60 acres in 1912. I think I shall average about 12 bushels this year, not under. I have kept a correct account of my cropping operations. A man requires a 12-bushel crop before he can get anything for himself. I think bulk handling would do away with the present price of bags, and a man would have to be more careful of the class of wheat he puts on the market. Some of it that is going to market in bags is fairly poor, and this means that one must have a special wagon to carry grain loose to the train, or else it can be carried in bags and tipped out at the station. So far as the tariff is concerned, we ought to be getting our machinery at half the price we are now paying for it.

7167. If your liabilities to the Industries Assistance Board were funded, and you had ten years for repayment, could you finance yourself out of the results of your own work?—If that system were started straightaway I would have no hope, and it would be no good spreading the repayments over ten years after paying the rent, unless the rent was reduced by half at least. Then I might pull through. But I would prefer that system to working for the Board, because a man like to be his own master, and does not care about being dictated to.

7168. To Mr. PAYNTER: Last year I had 200 acres of splendid crop, looking like 18 bushels. I think I harvested 200 bags; some I did not harvest at all. There was no grain in it, although it had beautiful heads. I have pickled my seed every year until this year, and so far there has been no difference in the results. But I shall always pickle wheat obtained from somebody else. I do not grade it. When I came here I brought up a few grasses, but I was unable to get them in the first year. I tried Paspalum, and I had the seed for two years by me. It came up, and it is standing here and there. Vegetables do well here. I have a few fruit trees round the house doing fairly well. I think there is a good future before the district in citrus fruits. I feel sure there will be great quantities of potatoes grown. I have grown them every year. I was fortunate enough to get seed from Benger on the Great Southern Railway, but I did not get it in till late, and I had a plague of caterpillars. I sprayed them, but the cut-worms cut them down. I put in two bags in June and dug 16 bags of good marketable potatoes from that. That works out at a little over three tons to the acre. I had to dig them early on account of the caterpillars. I have not yet gone in for pigs. I have a number of fowls, which are very profitable. I have not employed a man yet. I think 1,000 acres of first-class land in this district and another 1,000 acres of second class for sheep would be a good holding for a settler, but not at the price that I am paying for it. A man working with a team ought to be able to do 250 acres, but in my portion of the country the fields are in little patches and it means short working. Co-operation would be an advantage amongst farmers for the purchase of their requirements, if they could be educated up to it. Then and then only will we derive from it any great benefit. If the rents were reduced and we were allowed five years free of rent and the lease extended for that period, I think the arrangement would be found to be satisfactory; 20 years is not sufficient tenure. There should be five years' exemption in all cases. I think the Agricultural Bank should give more assistance for clearing. We are only allowed 20s. an acre, but I have not been able to clear any of my land for 20s., although I did most of it myself. What I let by contract cost me 27s., and that is crippling to a man who has to make up the difference out of his own pocket. There should not be a flat rate of 20s., but the price should vary according to the class of land.

7169. To Mr. VENN: I have great confidence in the district, even for dairying purposes, but we cannot dairy here as they do in the South-West. We must have a factory. We can produce the butter, and I believe that good money can be made out of it, especially in winter. Cows can be milked here on the natural grasses for five months in the year, and there are some farmers who make as much as 50lbs. of butter from five cows in the winter every week. In summer they generally dry them off. I have never seen poor cattle here, but the only thing paying at the present time is sheep. I started with 100 of them and have 200 now. Nevertheless they have brought me in more than the wheat.

7170. By the CHAIRMAN: If you were granted five years' exemption and a reduced annual rental, would you make a success of it?—I am quite sure of that, and it is not for want of hard work that the farmer is not getting on in this district. But when you have a stone hanging round your neck it takes a lot of energy out of you. I think the Government should do everything possible to assist farmers by establishing bacon and butter factories as well as freezing works. The sheep are going to pull us out of our difficulties, and the small man here has no market. The local man is in with the Geraldton man. I myself have had to wait for months for the butcher to take my sheep; he takes the big men's sheep first.

(The witness retired.)

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RICHARD ASHWEEK WILLIAMS, Farmer, Bowes, sworn and examined:

7171. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been six years in this district and have had a lifelong experience of farming in Devonshire and Surrey. I have 654 acres of the Bowes repurchased estate, inclusive of interest, the price is 26s. an acre, and the annual payment to the Government is £66 2s. 2d. With the exception of 100 acres of hills it is all first class land. It is six miles from the railway. I have 300 acres cleared, all ring-fenced and subdivided into five paddocks. I have a water supply in two good wells. I am a married man with no family. I have not got a house; we are camping, as we have no money to erect a building. I have the posts ready for the stable, but no money to buy the other material to put on top of them. I have a full set of implements, five working horses, a mare and a yearling, 200 sheep, and some poultry. I started with £155. I borrowed £475 from the Agricultural Bank and the Industries Assistance Board paid 1½ years' rent, against my wish; still they paid it.