—one two and a half miles long. Do you think that the farmers you have seen will take all the water they are entitled to in future?

7583. I think they will? -In reference to the South Australian scheme referred to by the Chairman, that I believe was a gravitation job and the bulk of the reticulation was put in at 7s. a day wages, but we pay double that price here.

7584. Is there any public information as to the cost of the extensions? --Yes, Table B in the annual report shows it.

(The Witness Retired.)

Henry Cowper Castilla and Albert. John Neughar, sworn and examined:

7585. By the CHAIRMAN: What connection have you had with the agricultural water supply? --I have been indirectly connected with it for the last 16 or 17 years, since its inception, and before it became a branch of the Water Supply Department.

7586. In those days you supplied water from the principal main only? --No, there was a supply for settlers all over the agricultural areas.

7587. Was that in connection with wells and dams? --Yes.

7588. What has been the policy of the Government in that connection? --The policy inaugurated by Mr Mitchell in 1911 was to promote settlement over the agricultural areas by the provision of a water supply in certain zones.

7589. Which were those zones? --They were from six to eight miles apart.

7590. So that there was a possible water supply every eight miles? --Yes, there or thereabout, if possible.

7591. Was the scheme a success? --It was very good on the whole. When Mr Mitchell took office as Minister for Agriculture he borrowed my services for the Agricultural Department. We had previously been doing a little pioneering boring over what is known as the wheat area. A conversation that I had had with Mr Mitchell two years previously induced him to place the work in my hands. I had pointed out the necessity of water for settling the lands, and as the means of access to the country. As a consequence, when Mr Mitchell became Minister he instructed me to inaugurate a system of boring wells, and sinking dams failing successful boring. That was in 1911.

7592. Have you brought any plans with you showing what has been done in that direction since? --Yes. Here is a set of 20 lithos covering the whole of the agricultural area. They are up to date as far as they can be brought, and show what has been done in regard to wells, dams and soaks.

7593. By Mr CLARKSON: Have you worked out the shrinkage by absorption and evaporation? --We assume it to be at least half the depth. We estimate that it amounts to at least six feet, and this figure seems high, but in a normal summer the loss is half the depth of the dam, principally due to evaporation. It is over five feet at Helena, and that is cooler than it is in the agricultural areas.

7594. By Mr PAYNTER: Is that evaporation and absorption combined? -Evaporation alone. A covering for a dam costs about £60. One could be put on a 1,000 yard dam for that. The life of a cover is three years, but is subject, of course, to the chance of burning.

7595. By Mr CLARKSON: I have a dam for my own use and put the posts in as a preliminary to covering it, but I came to the conclusion that I would make the dam double the size instead? --It is a matter of long experience to ascertain the place to bore, and it is a matter of calculating data, and so on.

7596. I took an expert's opinion, and I was told that the evaporation was anything from 30 per cent to 50 per cent? -By extra excavation one gets more depth, and where thunderstorms occur one gets better holding. Another feature in regard to dam construction is that settlers are very poorly advised as to how to construct their dams. They can nearly always conserve as much water above as below in the excavated part. Excavation is very often wastefully placed. If it is put on the low side of the dam and a large body of water could be collected and allowed to flow out to the ends of the bank on high side, there is the highest natural outlet, and the excavated material, as well as the excavated area could be made use of.

7597. By the Chairman: I think your estimate is a low one? --Possibly, but it is, I think, fair.

7598. Professor Gregory's experiments at Steven's Creek dam showed eight feet. Between this margin and eight feet at Steven's Creek would be greater than what has been established by actual practice? --I think six feet is a fair assumption, but of course it varies each year.

7599. Did you do much prospecting for water in the districts now served by the Kalgoorlie main? --Yes, but not beyond Merredin in the east.

7600. Did you fail to get water and so force the settlers to get their water from the main? --Not altogether.

7601. If the settlers had tried to develop their own water supply they could have done so independently of the main? --Not altogether.

7602. For what reason? --I think they could but underground water is not to be found everywhere. On very good land it is almost impossible to find water, that is to say, on salmon gum and morrell country, which is salt. In the pindan country there is a good chance of finding water, but on rich country it is found to be better to put down dams.

7603. How deep can you get down as a rule for tanks in the salmon gum country? --It varies, but a 12ft. tank makes a good one, and takes 2,000 yards. We have made them up for 5,000 yards for public places.

7604. Do you find that the average of your operations down to 12ft. is arrived at by a judicious selection of sites? --Yes.

7605. Do you consider that 12 feet should give a practically permanent supply? --Yes, a settler's supply.

7606. By Mr CLARKSON: What do you estimate to be the average cost of excavating? --As I remember it, the average within a reasonable distance of railway lines, that is to say, not more than 20 miles away from the lines, was about 1s 6d. per yard. We had it as low as 1s and where the work was done departmentally in a pioneering way, up to 4s. But as you got out the cost of further work was cheapened. The first work done often involved the cost of carting water, whereas once a water base was established the next tank could be excavated very much more cheaply.