a little feed. Rabbits have done a little damage and have increased rapidly.

8190. By the CHAIRMAN: Have you much morrell land?- We should have cleared more of the frontage where the morrell is. The morrell land does not seem to grow wheat like the rest of the holding, and dogs are very troublesome.

(The witness retired.)

CHARLES ANDREW MALCOM, Farmer, Kurren Kutten, sworn and examined:

8191. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been in this district?- Since 1912, and I also work the property of Mr A.B. Gollan as his attorney. I had four years previous experience of farming in South Caroling. I hold 980 acres. Of this 150 acres is second class and a quantity of it lake country. The balance is first class and the rent 17s., which has not yet been reduced. The railway is seven miles distant. 840 acres are fenced and 500 acres cleared. The water supply consists of one dam, which is dry; it is 1,000 cubic yards and eight feet deep. I have other land on which I can go deeper, and I am applying for a boring plant. The Industries Assistance Board turned it down once, but I have made afresh application. I am a widower with two boys, 15 and 17 years of age respectively. I live in a bag humpy. I have stabling, but no shed. I have a farming plant, eight working horses, one light horse, a cow and calf, poultry and pigs. When I started I had two horses and a cart and £150 in cash, worth about £200 all told, and borrowed from the Agricultural Bank £814. I owe the Industries Assistance Board £600, and the other creditors about £400. I have 220 acres in crop averaging seven bushels.

8192. By Mr PAYNTER: How much of that was fallow?- Forty acres, but I have 210 acres fallowed for next year. I plough 4½ inches. I have used Federation principally, but it is no different to any other in my opinion. I have had Lot's, Steinwedel, and Gluyas averaging seven bushels. I use 30lbs. to the acre, and 45lbs. of others with 45lbs. super., and on scrub plain I put 50lbs. My highest average yield was 13 bushels. Last year we were on the Board and paid 10 guineas for chaff. I believe in free trade. A binder comes in free, and we pay 90 per cent. more for it than it costs in England. My crop has suffered from blight. I pickle my wheat, but do not grade it. I do not employ labour. A man in this district should have 1,000 acres, and to give him a good start and warrant the expenditure of plant and horses he should have 750 acres cleared. Annually he should crop 250 acres single handed. I do not think the price has made any difference. We have not paid our rent for some time, and the other conditions are reasonable also, while the land is quite good enough. My neighbours are paying 17s. an acre and I am paying 10s., which does not seem to me to be quite fair.

8193. By Mr VENN: Are the rabbits doing much damage?- Yes, and there are a number of dead rabbits lying around. I do not know the reason for this. They certainly have not died from starvation. They are barking the scrub; that is where they get their moisture from. They do not come near the dam. We need a doctor very badly in this district, and there have been several serious cases calling for medical attendance. A Government veterinary surgeon should come here periodically to give the farmers hints, and a veterinary case of drugs should be provided for the use of settlers and placed in charge of one of us to look after. I would suggest a flat rate for the carriage of wheat. Our wheat costs 4½d. and at Northam it is only 3d. Northam land costs £5 an acre, and is no better than the land here. People in Beverley say that horses do better on our chaff than on Avon Valley chaff. There is a quantity of unoccupied country in this district which was taken up in 1910. Some of it has been but little improved, and some blocks have been held for seven years, and there has been no fencing done upon them. Mr Gollan's land is 14 miles from the siding, and there is a movement for a railway from Corrigin east; that would suit him. He can only do four trips a week as matters stand at present. There is also the Brookton- Armadale line, which would make a difference of about 43 miles in freight. It is 240 miles to Perth via Merredin, while going by the other line it is 160. A line from Brookton would make it 40 miles less.

(The witness retired.)

ALBERT EDWARD FRANCIS, Farmer, Kurren Kutten, sworn and examined:

8194. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district?- Since 1910. I have been all my life farming in England and here. I hold 2,000 acres of land; 1,500 is first class, the balance second class, and 100 third class. The price is 15s. 3d. and 14s. 6d. One block is 6½ miles and the other 3½ miles from the railway. 1,000 acres is fenced, 720 cleared. There is one dam with water in it and another one dry. The dams are 850 and 900 cubic yards respectively, and 8ft. and 8ft. 6 inches in depth. I could go deeper in the 8ft. 6 inches dam. I am a single man, and live in a humpy. I have a stable and machinery shed, set of implements, 10 working horses, six other horses. I had £500 capital when I started, and borrowed £1,015 from the Agricultural Bank. I think I owe the Industries Assistance Board £700. I have 610 acres under crop averaging 12 bushels.

8195. By Mr PAYNTER: How much of that was fallow?- 220 acres. I plough about six inches deep with a Sunshine plough. I have not enough country cleared to have fallow this year. I prefer Federation. I sow one bushel to the acre with 45lbs. of super. Last year from 80 acres I got 24 bushels to the acre. Last year I would have averaged 18 bushels but for the sandplain, which only went about four bushels. It costs 13s. an acre to put in and take off a crop, including interest and depreciation. I believe in free trade as far as implements are concerned, and bulk handling I believe to be the largest item of the lost, because there is the cost of the bags and the cost of handling. In Canada they cannot cart and forward wheat 1,500 miles for 1½d. a bushel. Compare that with cartage and handling 4d., and bags 11d. out here. I pickle, but do not grade wheat. I have not tried planting fruit trees, but a man should have 2,000 acres in this district to make a living. To run stock he should have nothing under 5,000 acres. To give him a good start with implements