enough land cleared. The only disease that has affected me was frost. I pickle and grade my wheat. To make a living here a man should have at least 1,000 acres, and 900 acres should be cleared before he purchases plant and horses. By himself a man should crop 600 acres with help at harvest time and seed time, with a man all the year round to fallow. So far as the land laws are concerned, I consider that this is one of the finest countries in the world for farming. No one can go wrong if he has 900 acres cleared and a few sheep. £1 an acre is not enough for clearing. It costs from 25s. to 27s. 6d. an acre. After it has been rung for five or six years it costs £1. I only selected one block. The rest of the land had gone, and as it is I am closed in.

8303. By Mr. VENN: Have you any poison?- A good deal, but with 900 acres cleared I can carry 200 sheep by cropping every third year.

8303a. By the CHAIRMAN: What is your opinion of the district?- It is a very high one, and I am quite sure that I can make a success. What I would like to know is why we have to take 4d. a bushel less for our wheat than is paid in Melbourne. It has been as much as 7d. less.

8304. Vessels can go to Melbourne fully loaded and come back loaded, but that is not so here. Moreover, they have a quicker dispatch.?- Undoubtedly a man here should have 900 acres cleared. He could do it with half horses, seed wheat, and labour if he had fallow. One drawback about the Agricultural Bank is that after they have helped us to the extent of £400, we have to do the rest of the work at at half price, but we have no money to go on with further clearing, and that cannot be done for 10s. an acre. Personally, I have put in land five years in succession without fallow, but that is not farming. (The witness retired.) ---/--- DANIEL NATHANIEL McKEIG, Farmer, Harrismith, sworn and examined :

8305. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district?- I came here in 1909, and was all my life farming in New South Wales. Afterwards I was for seven years at the Harvey. I hold 1,950 acres; 1,600 acres are first class, the balance grazing country. I have 4¾ miles cartage to the railway. 1,000 acres are fenced and subdivided into five sheep proof paddocks; 325 acres are cleared. I have one permanent dam 9ft. deep, 800 cubic yards capacity; I could go deeper. I am a widower with one daughter. I have an iron house, iron roofed stables and shed, and a full working plant, six working horses, eight pigs, 40 poultry. When I came here I had £200 capital. The Agricultural Bank advanced me £600; to the Industries Assistance Board and other creditors I owe £250. I have 280 acres of crop, which is only going two bags owing to the frosts in September. All the moisture was drawn to the top of the crop fro the roots. It was all Federation. The Alpha and Gluyas were not touched.

8306. By Mr PAYNTER: How much was fallow?- 80 acres, but I have not enough land cleared. I cultivated once before seeding. I think early wheats escape the frosts. We must have something that matures early so as to avoid it. We have had seasons when late wheats have done well, but not often. I have not done more clearing, because I am singlehanded. I started with labour from England, and if I had stuck to it I would not be here now, as the chums I employed could not earn their tucker. The land laws are satisfactory.

8307. By Mr. VENN : Is yours good sheep country?- The fact is I over stocked before the country was dead. The sheep ate out the grasses and there was nothing but scrub left. This year I have good grass and will have a good fire through it and then try to obtain sheep. (The witness retired.) ---/--- JOHN STEWARD, Farmer, Harrismith, sworn and examined:

8308. By the CHAIRMAN : I understand you wish to make a statement to us?- Yes. I came here in 1915 and I paid for my land £150 for 1,300 acres. I had £400 capital. I spent that. The loan on the property when I came here was £250. I applied for a further loan. After paying fees I was granted £100, which costs me 19s.6d. for a fresh mortgage. I reared a family on 320 acres and I have 12 children, so I know the game from A to Z. I tried to get on the Board, but was told I was too financial. If the Government is going to assist let them do so, but I do not want charity. I can make a success in spite of them, but without money it is a very up-hill game. I should have sheep, but I came here when fencing was very dear and two tons of wire costs £40, the price of which was previously £18. Formerly I was log hauling for a living. I have over £100 to pay the storekeeper when I get a return for my wheat. I have a married son, a son unmarried, and myself, and we are all grafters. If we can get a food supply we can go on. The National Bank and the New South Wales Bank say that we are financial, but that they are not taking on any new accounts. The Government says exactly the same thing.

8309. We will recommend you to the Industries Assistance Board, as your case has apparently been overlooked?- I have 190 acres cleared, 115 ready to burn and another 70 in the same condition. (The witness retired.) ---/--- ERNEST HILL, Farmer, Walyurin, East Narrogin, sworn and examined:

8341. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been in this district?- Since 1913. I had no previous experience, being an engineer by trade. I hold 944 acres, seven miles from the railway. I have no fencing done but 300 acres are cleared and 100 acres part cleared. I have a permanent 10ft. dam 1,000 yards capacity, and rain water at the house. I am a married man but have no children. I have a house, stables and shed, and a full farming plant, four working horses, 400 sheep. I owe the Agricultural Bank £400, the Industries Assistance Board and creditors about £400. I have 200 acres of crop which averaged five bushels, which was due to the inferior nature of the land, which is mallee. I cleared 250 acres. Mallee land is not worth the money spent on it, and no return is possible from it for several years. I am paying 12s. 6d.