9378. By Mr. CLARKSON: If a customer sends an order direct to Perth, do you point out that you have a yard from which he can buy more profitably?-- Very often we send the material from that yard. If a full truck load is required it would be sent direct from the mill. We never bring into the yard what can be consigned direct from the mill. In the case of jarrah, one of the chief expenses is in connection with handling and re-handling out again.

9379. By the CHAIRMAN: So far as jarrah is concerned, the extra rates charged for small consignments is probably only due to the fact that the trucks conveying these small consignments could just as easily convey three times as much?-- If a truck is put into one of our mill sidings and only a couple of tons are put into it, the charge would be justified, but it is a different matter if that truck goes from Perth and is loaded up to the full capacity with other goods. If we are loading that truck in our own yards and we put in two tons of jarrah and two tons of something else, we are allowed the full truck rates.

9380. By Mr. VENN: Can a man order a truck and fill it up with whatever he likes to put into it?-- He is given the weight and can make it up how he likes. All classes of goods can be put into a truck, iron and cement and other building material. It is only necessary to make up the weight, although the minimum rate may be different according to the nature of the contents of the truck. We often find other firms sending goods in our trucks to make up the weight. If you simply lift the goods from a truck at the convenience of the Commissioner for Railways and he utilises the available space in it, I question whether he would then claim on the full truck.

9381. By the CHAIRMAN: Do the rates on full truck loads seem to you to be reasonable?-- I think so, especially on jarrah. You could not have a much lower rates than that on jarrah. The rate in glass sashes and joinery generally, which is third class rate, is a very high one. It costs £7 9s. 5d. a ton to send glass sashes to Albany, a distance of 243 miles. What we want is port to port rates.

9382. Do you have any trouble in collecting claims from the Railway Department?-- They practically ignore all claims.

9383. Do you think that the establishment of an Appeal Court at which you could tender your evidence, and where the railway department could produce their evidence so that the case might be heard in the open, would be advantageous in settling disputes?-- I think it would be a good idea. The department always says that goods must be carried at the owner's risk, and that is the end of them so far as they are concerned. I know of an instance in which a consignment of timber arrived at its destination three tons short. We put in a claim and were informed that we were responsible. We had to pay the freight on the missing timber, though we had proof that this three tons was missing. The man who carted the material charged for it less the three tons, but we could not recover the loss. We had to pay the freight and lose the timber. The present system of claims against the Railway Department is absurd. We lose everything on the railways except steel girders which are too heavy to lift. The carelessness of the department is very great. We had some machinery which came out via two ports and had to be transhipped, but it was broken in transit from the city to our yards. I should like to see the question of claims dealt with in a different manner.

9384. When you load a truck of jarrah and lime and cement and oil, at what rate is it charged; at the jarrah rate?-- If the jarrah comes to 3½ tons we do not have to pay 3½ tons "B" rate on the jarrah; we pay the maximum rate and we pay the other maximum rate on the other class of goods.

9385. Your idea is that if 10 farmers in the country made arrangements by which one could obtain two bales of binder twine, another one bale of woolpacks, another two or three cases of jam, and so on, and filled a truck, all would have to pay the maximum rate on the different classes, even if they consigned it all to one of their number?-- If the railways found it out they would. It is against the regulations of the Railway Department.

9386. By Mr. CLARKSON: That difficulty could be overcome if it were consigned to one agent?-- I think there would be a difficulty then, if it was found out.

9387. By Mr. VENN: What is the freight on jarrah per ton truck rates over 100 miles?-- 12s. 8d. per ton.

(The witness retired.)

The Commission adjourned.