617. in the suburbs, but they never reach us until 10 or 11 o'clock in the day. If we had an open market there would be no buyers for them.

9444. Would it not be possible to arrange for the produce to reach you say, at 4 o'clock in the morning instead of at 11 o'clock?--It seems impossible. Last year when we had an enormous crop of fruit we found that the railway system broke down owing to the volume of business they were getting. We interviewed the chief Traffic Manager and he complained that we did not advise him of the anticipated crop. The trouble is that there is no co-operation between the Government department. The glut last season and the low price which fruit brought was due entirely to the disorganisation of the railway service. The difficulty is also intensified by the lack of accommodation in the Railway Department's good sheds. Inward and outward traffic is dealt with in the one shed. They shunt a rake of trucks into that shed and if they have not finished unloading to time, they send in a lot of empty trucks for outward goods of course, they do the best they can. We get a lot of help from the Railway Department, particularly from the men in the Railway Department, Particularly from the men in the lower grades, but they are all right up against it. Mr. Lord stated that the department had a scheme under review for improving the condition of things, but as they had no money, they could not carry it out. I have been in the business for 20 years, and that shed is exactly the same to-day as it was when I started. My firm alone are paying the railway Department ¨£13,000 a year in freight and there has been no alteration whatever in the System, and no attempted improvement. In the railway shed there should be a fair-way through it for carts. If I am running four lorries and there is only one door vacant the other three teams have to wait. It might also happen that  Boan Bros. cart will come along with a mixed lot of stuff. There may be 40 different consignments and it may mean that we have to wait until all these are unloaded before we can get in and it generally takes considerable time. The Bridgetown people are concerned about the delay in regard to their fruit.  Saturday's fruit leaves Bridgetown at 10 minutes past eight on Saturday morning and gets to Picton at 2 o'clock that afternoon. Not in one instance this year has that fruit arrived in Perth on Monday morning in time for sale. Under these conditions, what chance has a grower got? The Bridgetown growers have suffered all through the season because of the late arrival in Perth of their fruit. This means that they will have to cut out peaches and soft fruits altogether.

9445. By Mr. CLARKSON: One of the best things that the Government could do for the fruit- growers of western Australia would be to give them better marketing facilities?---Yes, We have had a glut this year in soft fruits. If we were to have cool storage facilities attached to the markets, in which we could hold fruit for two or three days with security we could be in a much better position. With perishable produce the growers have to take the price that is offered or send it to the tip 9446. By the CHAIRMAN: You need better transport facilities?--- Yes, and night carrying. We want it to be made possible for our teams to go in at 12 o'clock at night and cart the perishable produce at that time.

9447. By Mr. PAYNTER: You maintain that there would not have been the glut last year if there had been proper railway facilities?---That is so. Once you get behind with your selling, it takes a lot of picking up. We would have been all right if we had dumped the whole of our Christmas fruit, but we had to put it into store. It is impossible to sell old fruit against new stuff and difficult to work off the old stuff so as to catch up to the new. This is neither giving a fair deal to the buyer or the grower. It practically means carrying over from day to day, and selling fruit which is slightly over-ripe instead of the fresh fruit. The Railway Department admitted that they did not anticipate such an enormous loss of stuff as occurred last year.

9448. By the CHAIRMAN: You would require two fast trains a week from Bridgetown?---The Bridgetown fruit, which leaves on Monday, should be available at 6 o'clock on Tuesday, and so on right through the week. It would leave Bridgetown at 8.30. There is no reason why this should not be done. There are enough delays on the trains as it is, and I do not see why they should not carry the fruit all the way through to Perth.

9449. Have you ever applied for two fast trains a week?---No. Things have not been so bad as they have been this year. The sheds are very hard to work and that is where one of the chief troubles comes in. They often get the Armadale and Kalamunda trains in the yard at 4.30 in the morning, but it often takes four hours before they are available in the shed. A matter of great importance to fruit growers is in regards to fruit cases. Years ago, when fruit was of a high price, growers could afford to pay almost anything for their cases. This year, when the ordinary grower's average for his crop is going to be something in the vicinity of 3s., the burden of the cost of cases is a big one. Under the Insect Pests Act a grower cannot use a case twice. The Fruit Commissioner should interest himself in the question as to whether this regulation of the department is really warranted by the circumstances to-day. Under proper supervision I am a strong advocate for allowing the grower to use his case the second time. If the grower has to pay 1s for his case out of the 3s. he gets for it, and 6d. for freight, it makes a big hole in his profits

9450. By Mr. VENN: Do you think the Bridgetown growers would like their cases returned now?---I think so, now that they are really hit.

9451. By Mr. PAYNTER: Is it not possible to fumigate the cases?---We say they should certainly be steamed. It is an economic waste to put on the fire a fruit case, which has cost 1s., if it has only had an apple in it. In the case of tomatoes, the cases can be used again and I do not see why the same thing should not apply to apple cases. A very useful collapsible case is being produced in this State and could be used four times at least. That should bring a man's case down to 4d. or 5d. instead of one shilling. We could collect practically all these cases at 3s. a dozen. If a man can have his cases return at a cost of 5s. a dozen, he would still be saving a considerable amount of money. I understand this question will be brought before the Fruit growers' conference at Mt. Barker next week. Another matter which affects the industry is that of Eastern States potato bags. Potatoes are imported from the Easstern States and are inspected very stringently at Fremantle. A