THURSDAY , 14 TH DECEMBER , 1916. (At Central Greenough.)

Present :

J.O. Giles , Esq. (Chairman). B. L. Clarkson , Esq. F. E. Venn, Esq. H. H. Paynter , Esq.

ARTHUR CHARLES CLINCH , Farme , Greenough , sworn and examined :

7315. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been here all my life and for eight years a land holder. Before that I was managing a milling business for my father. I hold 800 acres. There are 150 acres of first-class land of my own and 120 acres of sand-plain. The balance is left to me under my father's will. the sand-plain is between the centre and the outer flats. The first-class land in normal conditions is worth £5 acre. It is worth £1 less an acre now.

7316. By Mr CLARKSON : Have there been any particular sales of land at that price? - Not in recent years.

7317. By the CHAIRMAN : What is the sheep carrying capacity? - About 1½ acres to a sheep and the grain-growing capacity is about 12 bushels. The whole district is well watered.

7318. By the CLARKSON : Is the land better adapted for wheat or for oats? - For wheat.

7319. By Mr PAYNTER : That seems a high price for land . Do you use super? - yes , but I was taking the average value.

7320. By the CHAIRMAN: What is the average size of the holdings? - About 500 acre, and quite a good revenue can be made from such an area by mixed farming, sheep, grain and pigs. The school accommodation is good as there are several schools in the district, but the medical facilities are bad. The doctor is supposed to visit here once a week from Geraldton but he does not always do that.

7321. Have the Officials of the Agricultural Department been of any assistance to the settlers here? - I think this district has been very much neglected by them.

7322. Have you seen any evidence of sustained effort on their part to keep in touch with the farmer? - Not in this particular locality.

7323. By Mr CLARKSON : How much crop do you put in? - On an average about 200 acres and I believe in fallow. I have 150 acres in this year and 220 acres on shares. Of this 370 acres 190 acres are fallow.

7324-5 What would you expect to obtain from fallow as compared with the non fallow? - About 50 precent more. I Plough about four inches and cultivate it, more particularly to kill the weeds which are one of the greatest drawbacks to the district.

7326. Is there any truth in the statement that farmers here lose some of their soil by fallowing? - No , not if they are systematic . Some of them commence fallowing too late. I ploughed my fallow five times and there was no drift. I generally use just under a bushel of seed to the acre and 80lbs of super.

7327. Do you consider that bulk handling would reduce your costs? - No , I do not; unless you are experienced and had seen the process carried out it is difficult to express an opinion on it.

7328. What do you think of the duties on farmers machinery? - There might be a light duty put upon them perhaps.

7329. By Mr PAYNTER: Do you find the cost of implements excessive compared with the cost of the equipment of a mill and the short life of agricultural machinery? - Decidedly. Take the harvester seven years ago and the life of it. The milling machinery would last 50 years with care. 7330. Have you had any disease in your crops ? - We have had blight and rust but only recently. I pickle my wheat and grade it, but I do not think it is generally done. A few of the settlers are trying Lucerne , and I think it will be a success in a small way, but to irrigate it would be too expensive. The minimum area that a man should hold in this locality should be 500 or 600 acres. By himself one man should be able to do from 200 to 300 acres, with the help of a boy during harvest. No doubt it would be an advantage if the farmers co-operated and several efforts have been made in this direction but so far without success as it seems the farmers cannot be brought together. I was one of a committee who started one of the first co-operative societies here, and we were boycotted by the merchants to a certain extent and the concern went astray.

7331. Do you think that our present land laws encourage people to take up land? - The terms are very unreasonable . I have had experience of them myself moreover the price is too high. I took up 800 acres of the Bowes estate and the rent was £115 a year. I put a man in charge there for three years and supplied the equipment and rent free on condition that he cleared the land. At the end of the three years he owed me £100 and the crop realised about £150 . I sold it again to two more men. They went there with a capital of £400 and held it for 18 Months. They got an advance from the Agricultural Bank of £600 on stock and land. They paid neither their rents nor their rates and advised me to go and protect my interests and then cleared out.

7332. What do you think would be a fair price for that land? - I Consider £1 would be ample. I sold it again in order to get out of it.