8003. Are the settlers careful and thrifty?- I think so. I do not know any of our customers who are not careful.

8004. Have you formed any idea of the future of the district?- It is a new district, but with proper precautions against dry Septembers, it should be a payable proposition.

8005. By Mr PAYNTER : Is it the banks policy to carry stock here?- Yes.

8006. Is there any distress in the district?— Not that I know of.

8007. Are the woman and children well housed?— I think the conditions are as good as they are in any other new district. (The witness retired.) The Commission adjourned. FRIDAY, 2nd FEBUARY, 1917, (At Wadderin Well.) Present : J. O. Giles, Esq. (Chairman), H. H. Paynter, Esq., F. E. Venn, Esq. ARTHUR HENLEY, Wadderin Park, via Bruce Rock, sworn examined :

8008. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in the district?— Six years, but I have been farming all my life in the Wimmera and in Western Australia. I hold 1,832 acres 18 miles distant from the railway; 915 acres were priced at 12s. and 4s. 6d.; 917 at 14s. Half the holding is first class and the balance sand plain, 150 acres of which is wodgil. I have not yet approached the department in connection with the wodgil. I have 140 chains boundary fence, 350 acres cleared. a permanent well 100ft. deep with water laid on all over the place. I am a married man with one girl of 13 years of age, but she has only had three months schooling in her life as the school is seven miles distant. I saw Mr W. D. Johnson when he was minister and offered to supplement the salary paid by the department. I had saved £30 for her schooling, but I paid for a horse which the Industries Assistance Board had agreed to provide. The Industries assistance Board will not refund me and so I cannot send her to school until I get it from them. I saved it in business when I was trading at Moora. No girl could ride that distance to school with safety. I have a two roomed hessian and jarrah house, bush stables and a machinery shed. I have all implements but a plough, five working horses, two light horses, two foals, a yearling and a cow. This is the second farm that I have had. Originally I started with £600. I had £150 when I came on this farm, some stock and implements. I had to cart from Doodlakine 56 miles when I came here. The railway here was promised within 12 months and had we known that we would have to wait so many years we would not have come out here. I owe the Agricultural Bank £500, including a stock loan. I do not know what I owe the Industries Assistance Board. They are my only creditors. I do not think it would amount to more than £350. This year I had 240 acres in crop. Our nearest doctor is at Kellerberrin, 50 miles away.

8009. Have you ever had any advice from the officials of the Agricultural department as to methods of farming and other matters appertaining to agriculture?- I have never seen any of them, but I think it would be a good thing if we had visits from them in these new areas.

8010. Why is there so much settlement so far from the railway?- A good many people thought we were getting land here equal to Victoria. At the time it was thrown open it was the highest price. Mr Mitchell said that the Government was giving land away at 10s. which was equal to land in Victoria that bought £6 per acre. It was greatly boomed at the time and the railway was promised immediately. The railway was marked on the plans, as proposed, in no less than three plans, as a inducement to settlement.

8011. Did any surveys actually go where those routes were indicated? Several were put through.

8012. By Mr PAYNTER : How many acres did you have under crop last year?- One hundred and fifty acres. I have been on the block for three years; 70 acres were fallow. The Board insists on a farmer fallowing a certain amount of land. We have only a small area cleared and we put it all in. The inspector for this district is Mr Cairns.

8013. By Mr PAYNTER : How much seed do you sow to the acre?- About 60 lbs. The Industries Assistance Board only allowed 45lbs. of super. for sand plain and that is not enough. I prefer Federation and Gluyas. I got six bags off a small piece of sand plain this year. In previous years I have had