8028. By Mr PAYNTER : How much of your crop was fallow?--- None. The house paddock has not been fallowed, but I got two tons of hay from it last year to the acre. Nevertheless I intend to fallow it. My first crop was in 1912 and I have cropped every year the same land over and over again. I use 45lbs. of seed and the same quantity of super to the acre. We have had to cart everything from Bruce Rock, which means, in the aggregate, sacrificing a whole month in every year. We plough about three inches. The tariff bears very heavily upon the farmer. Bulk handling is a thing that we require. Last year my mate left me in charge of his property. There has been no disease in the crop. I pickled my wheat, and Federation is my favourite, together with Gluyas, but this season Gluyas has fallen back a lot. Owing to the dry spell some of the Federation was nipped. It was not graded. I tried to grow turnips last year, but I have had to abandon my vegetable garden for the want of water. The wages I pay are £2, when I employ labour, but it is not satisfactory. As a rule we work from daylight to sunset. In this district a man should have not less than 1,000 acres. With a little help at harvest time he ought to be able to do 400 acres. Larger implements should reduce costs. Cooperation would be a good thing, and a scheme is being started at Bruce Rock. I think land rentals should be abolished for the first five years at least, and first class land should not exceed 15s. in price. Our principal trouble is the water supply and railway facilities. The Government are resuming land and putting down wells or dams. The Agricultural Bank only allow us for one dam. I want one adjacent to the house. I have to cart 100 gallons a day for the house continually from my dam, which is a mile away. Clearing costs 30s. an acre now and 25s. in normal times. Rabbits have increased in the district. In 1887, in the Riverina, there were as many rabbits as we have now in this locality, and within two years the settlers abandoned their homes. There are a few burrows here. I have come on several breeding burrows amongst the crop.

8029. By Mr VENN : Is not the morrell country fair for grazing?--- It is not profitable to clear it for grazing purposes. I intend to go in for sheep, but first must fence against the dingoes. They breed in the rocks. Any fencing that I do in the future will have to come out of my own pocket. I could carry 200 sheep. In New South Wales we had 300 sheep on 340 acres. I put in"67" and "Firbank", seven acres and 14 acres respectively, and averaged 4½ bushels. It was new ground.

8030. By the CHAIRMAN : If you had a railway nearer, do you think it would tend to your success?--- Yes. For two years we have been carting from Doodlakine and all the water we use we cart six and nine miles. Carting super and stores used to occupy five or six weeks in the year on the road in carriage alone.

8031. After your crop is taken off this year and disposed of, you will only owe about £800?- I have had to work from daylight to dark and principally by myself. The scheme of land settlement in this State is good but the administration is defective. In the past we have not made our rent. Last year I took off 1,000 bags of wheat, which they have taken for my rent. (The witness retired.)

DAVID BAILEY, Farmer, Wadderin, sworn and examined :

8032. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in the district?--- Five years. I have been a miner all my life. I hold 1,000 acres of first class land, the reduced price of which is 15s. It is 25 miles from Bruce Rock. No fencing has been done, but 175 acres are cleared and 250 rung. I have no water supply, but there is a Government dam about half a mile away. I am married and have seven grown up sons and daughters. I have a camp, 17ft. by 13 ft., of hessian and iron. I have no horses, no stock, and no implements. I have been letting my crops out by contract. I had 200 acres of crop this year. I have borrowed £240 from the Agricultural Bank, but have had nothing at all from the Industries Assistance Board. That is all I owe and the interest on the £240 is paid up. I had 52 acres of crop, which went 11 bushels. The year before last 28 acres of crop cost me £20, and I did not get a grain off it. Last year I had 20 acres and after paying all costs I had £3 as the result.

8033. By Mr VENN : Are you troubled with rabbits?- Yes, and there were patches round the edge of my crop eaten down by them.

8034. By the CHAIRMAN : How far will you be from the projected railway?- three miles distant, when it reaches the dump. Those of us who are on the land are volunteer slaves, working day and night. I am seriously injured internally and in addition, suffer from miners complaint. I am 75 years of age. I took up the land for sake of the climate when I left Kalgoorlie. There are 400 acres of morrell that ought to be allowed for by the Government. I owe £21 for rent, and as soon as the crop is off I shall not owe anything at all. There are 200 trees to the acre on my land. That is the reason I have not got as much as clearing done as my neighbours. One salmon gum tree took four months to burn out. A larger allowance should be made by the bank for clearing, because the more improvements that are put on the land, the better it is for the government, and ,in addition to that, the first five years should be free of any rent whatever and the allowance increased to enable a man to clear the best land first. (The witness retired.)

JOHN HENRY PINKER, Farmer, East Kumminin, sworn and examined :

8035. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in the locality?- Five years. I had no previous experience of farming. I was an inspector on the Perth Electric Tramways. I told 959 acres, priced at 21s., which has since been reduced to 14s. 6d.; 799 acres are first class and the balance third. The railway is 26 miles distant. When the proposed line is constructed I shall be three miles from it. I have completed 240 chains of fencing and have 325 acres cleared; of which 260 acres is first class and the balance is sand plain. Our water supply is rain water from the roof and a Government dam of 2,000 yards, 8ft deep, but the latter has evaporated and there has been no water in it since last December. I am a married man with four children, one of whom attends school and the others are beyond school age,