share from the crop and the Agricultural Bank from the land.

7227. By the CHAIRMAN : Do you infer that you are prepared to go on without any further assistance from the State ? - I would not go that far , but I would want more assistance for clearing from the Agricultural Bank. Owing to the bad seasons other matters have gone behind such as the provision of a better house and more machinery and horses. I have only four horses and no wagon but it would be a great advantage if there was a loan for sheep.

(The witness retired)

ROBERT CHARLES CORNELL, Farmer , Ajana , Sworn and Examined:

7228. To the CHAIRMAN : Situated as I am, I could do with, say , 500 sheep. I have 150 already , but I could carry 2,000 or 3,000 if I took up some sand-plain land which is alongside of me. This is not a wheat-growing district. The more I put in the more I lose unless I can fallow and get a little of my own back in that way. So far I have not paid wages. I hold 2,000 acres. The Government charged me 16s. 6d. for some and £1 for others and this rent has not yet been reduced. Half of it is first class land. My water supply is poor and I have only two wells. I could get water if I had the means to get it by sinking. There is plenty of water wherever you like to sink. There are only two Government wells in the district and I pay £1 a year for using the camel well.

7229. To Mr CLARKSON : The highest yield I have had was about 15 bushels over 200 acres ; that was in 1913. This year I expect about nine bushels over 230 acres. To Pay my expenses I require 15 bushels to the acre as I reckon the actual cost of putting in and taking off amounts to 30s to 32s 6d. per acre.

7230. How many bushels to the acre do you consider that fallow is better than other methods? - I reckon just double this year. It is Federation I have but I like comeback and Gluyas.

7231. To Mr PAYNTER : I think the price of the land is far too dear. None of it should be more than 10s an acre that is the best land. I have 300 acres of flat rock and the sand-plain cost 16s 6d an acre and is described as first class land. Then there are 400 acres of solid pine. I do not think it is worth 16d and for the bulk of it I would not give more than 6d an acre.

7232. By the CHAIRMAN : Why then did you take it up ? - I went to the Minister first and he said that I need not be afraid. I asked him about the country and told him I wanted to go on the best lines. I had a bit of money at the time which I have got through. The minister told me I could get water at 25 feet. First you pay your rent and six months afterwards you have to pay another £ 50 or £ 60. I presume that five years exemption would be of assistance but of course we are in the hands of the gentleman above us. If I am here for 20 years I shall be in the same position as I am to-day if I go in for growing wheat. The capacity of the land is about 10 acres to a sheep, but with a little grubbing we can carry more. I put the sheep on my wheat. That was my best crop. If a man had sheep and cut hay for them he could carry 500 sheep here and I think it would be a good move for the Government to assist the settlers with stock. I think that the perpetual lease system should be given a fair trial. Personally I cannot see how the Government is going to keep us going. We are getting further behind every day and have nothing to look forward to. The more land you put in the more you lose.

(The witness retired)

THOMAS ATKINSON (Atkinson Bros) Farmer, Tyndale, Ajana, sworn and examined :

7233. To the CHAIRMAN : I have been five years in the district and have had no previous experience as a farmer. I was in the provision trade previously. I hold 2,300 acres of C.P and paid 9s 6d for 1,000 acres and 6s for the balance; 800 acres are cultivable. I have a full farming plant and a house and four working horses and 230 sheep. I put no capital into the land. We came here as working hands. The Agricultural Bank advanced us £600, but I have not had a statement yet from the Industries Assistance Board. Four months ago I owed them about £300. I have no outside liabilities. My sheep are mortgaged to the Agricultural Bank. As far as 1,000 acres of first class land is concerned we took it up at 17s 6d and got a reduction of 2s. 6d, and a further reduction to 9s 6d. There are several big hills in it. We got it by direct application. I never applied personally for the reduction.

7234. To Mr CLARKSON : We have 290 acres cropped 50 was fallow. It is the only crop we have got. Previously I did not have fallow. The fallow is going 18 bushels , I think and the other will not go more than 10 . The highest yield I have had over the whole area over three years cropping would be a little over five bushels. I got seven bushels in 1913 over 50 acres. We got one bushels to the acre in 1914. Last year we got eight bushels over 100 acres. This year I think there will be an average of about 11 bushels and it will take nine bushels to pay expenses. Undoubtedly the early wheats are the best. I have a late wheat on fallow. Federation but I only put it in because there was fallow. I use a bushel of wheat to the acre and between 70 and 80lbs of super. I have a three-furrow disc plough and can do over three acres a day with it, a 15-disc drill with which I do nine acres and a five-foot harvester that does five acres a day. If I had more cleared land I could reduce my costs provided I had a larger plant. I have not gone into the matter of bulk handling but think that the duty on farming implements should be taken off.

7235. If your liabilities to the Industries Assistance Board were funded and you were given a period of 10 years for repayment and had also this years crop in hand, do you think you would make a success of things ? - We would have to pay land rent and finance ourselves and the yearly instalments would have to be met. I do not know, I am sure. The point is that we have not got enough land cleared.

7236. To Mr PAYNTER : Last year we had rust. I pickled my wheat last year but I have only one kind this year that is Gluyas. I think the unpickled wheat went better than the pickled. It grew thicker. It is all dry, Sound wheat. Wheat farming of itself is not sufficient without stock. We should have at least 4,000 or 5,000 acres and stock. I think there should be an exemption of rent all round for five years to enable a man to get on