Part 7

Page 515
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perty, which I bought at 27s. 6d. an acre, including plant and house. I have paid for the plant and house. Four hundred acres are cleared and fallowed. It would pay the Government better to give dear sheep and dear wire to the settler than pay for clearing land. There are several settlers ready for sheep.

8458. It takes 30s. to put in a crop and the country is losing as a consequence.

8459. The CHAIRMAN : We will do our best for you, as your requirements are reasonable. (The witness retired.)

WILLIAM HARRISON, Springhurst Mail, East Wagin, sworn and examined :

8460. By the Chairman : I had £750 capital when I started here and I owe the Agricultural Bank £400 and £250 to other creditors. I have been here for two years and have 360 acres cleared and my holding consists of 1,000 acres. I require sheep and fencing for the useful portion of my country. The bank inspector says that I must erect a boundary fence, but that would be useless as only a portion of my land is worth fencing and the rest of it wants cutting out altogether. I would like to hand in a set of questions and my answers, the former having been supplied to me by the Farmers and Settlers Association. (See appendix). (The witness retired.)

CHARLES PATERSON SMITH, Farmer, Kukerin :

8461. How long have you been in the district?- Since 1910. I was brought up on a farm at home. I was also in business in Perth at one time. I have 600 acres of land, 375 of which are cleared and I have three miles of boundary fence. I have lost my wife and children since I came here. I have a three roomed house, two other horses, and five pigs. I had about £150 capital when I came here and owe £489 to the Agricultural Bank, and about £200 to other creditors. I have 200 acres of crop, averaging 12 bushels, and 100 acres of crop on a neighbour's land, going five bushels. It is Mallee land, and was fallowed properly for three years.

8462. You wish to make a statement to the Commission?- My land is good, but I had to spend money owing to sickness and only during the last 12 months have I had proper implements. I had to take my wife and children to Victoria. My land averaged 34 bushels on one occasion. That was when I rented it and had to go away immediately afterwards. With sheep the proposition would be quite payable. I have good land and with proper horses and machinery, and sheep, it would have been payable even in a dry year, but, unfortunately, my wife was an invalid for 10 years and my boy of nine was a cripple, and I had a little girl who died in hospital. My property contains five permanent soaks. (The witness retired.)

EDWARD PENDEL, farmer, Duggan, Kukerin, sworn and examined :

8463. By the CHAIRMAN : You wish to make a statement to the commission?- Yes. during 1906, on an abandoned farm, near my block, a quantity of wheat was lying and as I had no seed wheat I wrote to the Industries Assistance Board, advising them that I could do with the seed wheat and that, as I presumed permission to remove it would be forthcoming, I proposed to take it to put in my crop, unless I received a telegram from the Board to the contrary. No reply reaching me, I removed the wheat and put in the crop. Six weeks afterwards I received an advice that the wheat was to be handed to another settler. The crop is now ready to be stripped, and I propose to hand the wheat to the Government, but would like assurance that I would be provided with seed wheat and manure for the coming season, in order to enable me to work my land. At this stage, the Industries Assistance Board sent a letter to me threatening that unless the amount represented by the wheat was paid forthwith, the matter would be handed to the Crown Law Department for summary treatment. I claim that £80 is due to me for clearing and I cannot understand why the amount due by the Agricultural Bank has not been set off against the amount due to the bank for the wheat. I have cleared 230 acres ready for crop next season. If I get that help I will stay on the place, but if that is the way they are going to treat settlers, I will go away.

8464. The CHAIRMAN : We will forward a copy of your evidence to Mr Paterson. (The witness retired.) The Commission adjourned.