TUESDAY, 13th FEBRUARY, 1917. (At Toolibin)

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Pressent: J. O. Giles, Esq. (Chairman). H. H. Paynter, Esq., F. E. Venn, Esq.

8258. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district?- I came her about five years ago. I had been two years nursing professionally. I have been investigating most of the cases around this district. I have asked the women about their conditions, the area of land, and whether they have a vegetable garden, and other matters of interest to women, the number of children and their ages. and so on. The nearest school to here is eight miles away at Noman's Lake, while the nearest doctor is in Narrogin, 25 miles distant. There is a hospital there, and there are only two resident nurses in the town who go out to visit cases.

8259. Are you acquainted with any families who are in distress?- Well, I was called out to see a man's wife. On the road out I heard that the woman was in fits; She was lying on chaff bags and sacking, with old coats covering her and the baby. There was neither bread nor butter nor tea on the premises, and not even a dish except a kerosene tin. She was unconscious. It is a very small house, and these settlers have put everything they had on to the land and denied themselves everything. Unhappily, she died the same night and I brought the baby back. The husband will persist in sticking to the children. Their name is Jarvis and they are English people. The neighbours around helped of course as much as he would allow them to. This poor woman left four infants in addition to the one I mentioned. She died from a blood blot on the brain. He had come to me himself as they had not a child old enough to send over. The wife had intended to go to the hospital on Wednesday, but the husband had sold a cart and had to deliver it on Saturday in the town and the poor thing thought she could wait until the Saturday to go with him. The tragedy happened on the Friday.

8260. By Mr PAYNTER : Were they starving?- They thought that when they got payment for the cart they would be able to provide expenses and stores. All the trades people in the township gave them the highest character for straight dealing and paying their way. The conditions of the settlers has much improved since the Industries Assistance Board got to work, and many of them have been better off than ever they were before. Mr. Jarvis was never on the board. He lives on the Dorakin road in a slab dab house. I would earnestly impress upon the Commission the absolute need there is for the settlers to have a decent house and a sufficient supply of fresh water. If the holdings are made pleasant for the women they will be content to stop. The woman I have been telling you about died nearly two years ago and there was absolutely nothing in the house. I have not seen any bachelors camp so bare.

8261. By Mr VENN : Do these settlers keep a cow?—Yes; some of them. They generally have one in milk and one dry. In 1913 I was engaged in six cases and had to use dam water, and had not even time to boil or sterilise it. The secretary of the local branch of the association is also somewhat a bad manager. His wife has very many children and is hardly responsible for her actions, and he does not cart enough water actually to keep the children clean. When the last child was born he was asleep for four or five hours on the hearth. (Witness also gave other minute particulars.) As a Government nurse I used to draw a salary of £50 a year, but the settlers could not pay. I remember having six cases in succession and I received only £4. In 1913 the only water that was available was dam water. There was no kerosene, flour, or milk in the house of one woman I attended. She was hysterical. I managed to borrow a hurricane lamp, and I provided salt and meat and kerosene. I had to sleep on some cases with chaff bags under me, and the husband had to take the chaff out periodically to feed the horse. The result was that my bed became perfectly flat. This was a very painful case and resulted most disastrously, while the husband developed religious mania. Eventually the bank took possession of the property. I trust that that condition of affairs has now passed away. There is an urgent need for a school here. (The witness retired.)

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THOMAS BURNS, Farmer, East Narrogin, sworn and examined :

8262. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district?- Thirteen years. I was farming in Victoria all my life. I hold 1,720 acres, of which 1,500 is first class and the balance third class and gravel. The price averages 11s. an acre. The property is five miles from the railway and is all fenced with sheep-proof fencing; it is subdivided into 10 paddocks. I have a dam 13 feet deep, 1,500yards capacity, which is permanent so far. I also have a soak. I am a married man and have a weatherboard house. I have a bush shed, with a straw roof and an iron machinery shed, a full set of implements, six working horses, two light horses, 350 sheep, two cows, three pigs, and poultry. I have