it was fallow, but it was no better than the other. I have been continuously employed on my land for six years. 8073. By Mr PAYNTER: What seed do you sow?- I have had only Federation. I sow half a bushel to the acre and 30lbs. of super. If I had a good plant I could pay the expenses of putting in and taking off for about seven bushels. I do not believe in any import duty, but bulk handling should be put into force. I have seen it in operation in Canada. The crop would have to be bagged from the farm to the siding and the bags when emptied would be taken back home. The price of land should be reduced to what it was before 1910, when it was sold at 10s., whereas we are paying 14s. for inferior land further out. There should be dams on every farm and they should be dug deep. To clear land costs £2 an acre with me.

8074. By Mr VENN: Are you afflicted with rabbits?- The rabbits do not do much damage. Kangaroos are the trouble here. 18 months ago I applied for horses. I got them a month ago. They granted me a harvester, but no horses to draw it. Now, however, the inspector takes an interest in it and barracks for one.

8075. By the CHAIRMAN: What are your requirements?- I want a proper plant and I must have water. If we settlers were properly equipped we would soon send the country booming along. I think that the first thing that should be done on a holding is to make water. My dam I sunk with a pick and shovel, and it keeps me going for eight months in the year. a settler wants a decent home, enough land and an adequate plant.

(The witness retired.)

ALEXANDER LENNIE SMITH, Farmer, Howe, Bilbarin, via Corrigin, sworn and examined:

8076. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in this district?- Six years. I was brought up on a farm in the old country and worked for eight years as a blacksmith among the farmers. I hold 656 acres, half of which is first class land, and the balance is sand plain and the best crops have come from sand plain. I am three miles from the railway. I have 420 acres fenced and three dividing fences. 310 acres are cleared. I am a widower with no children.

8077. Have you had any advice from the departmental experts since you have here?- Well, they have not been active in either advice or information, except by inserting articles in some of the newspapers and answering questions in the correspondence columns. I have heard so much said against these experts that I started out and obtained my practical experience first. After I had obtained that I found that their letters in the newspaper were good. Nevertheless, none of them have been in this district. I have a dam 800 cubic yards, eight feet four inches deep, and I could put it down deeper. Nevertheless, I have a fortnight's water in the dam. Possibly I could sink another four feet. I applied to the department for 1,000 yard dam, but they would only grant yards. It cost 1s. 6d. a yard.

I live in a humpy and am preparing now to build stables and a permanent shed. In the meantime, I have a bush shed for my machinery, a full set of implements and five working horses. When I came here I had £200 capital and £150 borrowed from my brother. I also borrowed £425 from the Agricultural Bank. I think I owe about £320 to the Industries Assistance Board, but there is this years 200 acres of crop to come which will average nine bushels. The highest average I have had was 14 bushels and that was on sandplain.

8078. By Mr PAYNTER: How much fallow did you have?- Half of it was fallow and I believe in having one half fallow. I plough from four inches to five inches deep and use Federation and Bunyip. I also used a wheat called "Bluey." and found it to be very good. It is a light coloured wheat. I sow a bushel to the acre and 65lbs. of super. I require to obtain 10 bushels per acre in order to make it a payable concern. I have a three-furrow plough in which I use four horses and do 3½ acres a day. I have a 17 cultivator which does 14 acres, a 13 disc drill which does eight acres. So far as the tariff is concerned, I am a free trader and the present tariff is killing our industry.

With the employment of bulk handling we should save the expenses of bags, and would be able to cart our crop to the siding and empty the bags out there. I have had no disease among my crops. I pickle, but I do not grade the seed. Vegetables do well here in winter. I have not seen fruit trees do any good unless there was an abundance of water handy. I employ labour at seed time and harvest time at the ruling wages. This year it is £3 a week and keep. I took up only 600 acres add originally, because I thought a man could only do 200 acres a year by himself well. In winter here the ground is too boggy to fallow and the season is short for that purpose. I have been fighting for co-operation ever since I have been here. We have already made a start. The price of the land is cheap, but it should not be charged for until it has become productive. Rent should be charged two years after the improvements have been proved to be effective, and as each portion of the land is improved, two years should be allowed free of rent after the improvement has been effected and so on with every other 200 acres.

8079. By Mr VENN: Have rabbits been troublesome?- I lost 15 acres of my crop through them. This is a good grass district, but I could not keep sheep here on account of the dogs.

(The witness retired.)

GEOFFREY FRANKLYN, Farmer, Bilbarin, sworn and examined:

8080. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in the district?- Five years and I had previous experience of farming in New South Wales. I hold 800 acres and my wife has 1,000 acres, but none of it is first class farming land. The land is two miles in length and three quarters of a mile wide. A great deal of the first class land has been taken over by the Railway Department, and 42 acres have been resumed for a town site. My wife's block is sand plain, with the exception of 200 acres of first