621. arrives the station-master gets it out quickly. The trouble is to get the stock to Midland junction.

9539. Mr . PAYNTER: How do these new rates apply to the man who has only half a truck of stock>

9540. Mr . HAYMAN: There is a special rate. The rate has gone up in comparison with the other rates.

9541. Mr. GRAY: I have gone into the question of the railway freight in Western Australia as compared with those in the Eastern states. These have been worked out for distance of 50, 100, 200, and 500 miles, for both cattle and sheep. In western Australia cattle are carried per head cheaper than any other state in the commonwealth. To bring cattle a distance of 50 miles here it runs out at 3s 7¾d., Victoria 3s. 9½d., and Queensland 4s. 1d. over a distance of 100 miles the rate for cattle in Western Australia is 5s. 4d., South Australia 7s. 3½d., Victoria 7s. 4d., New south Wales 7s. 9d., and Queensland 8s. over a distance of 500 miles. in Western Australia the freight is 22s 5d. per head, New south wales 21s. 3d., which is cheaper than in this State, in South Australia 25s. 6¼d., and in Queensland 25s. 5d. Taken all around, the Western Australian rates' for cattle compare quite favourably with anything in the Eastern Sates. The freight on sheep per head over a distance of 50 miles in Western Australian runs out at 4d. per head on an average truck of 70 sheep. In Victoria it is 3¾., and in Queensland and new south Wales 4½d. Over a distance of 200 miles, which would probably reach the limit of agricultural settlement in this State in connection with the metropolitan markets, the rate in Western Australia is 1s. 1½d. per head, in Victoria 11¼d., in New south Wales is. 1s. 1d., in South Australia 1s. 0½d., and Queensland is. 2½d., and Queensland 1s. 2½d. Over a distance of 500 miles, which in this state would tap the pastoral country, the rates for sheep are 2s. 7d. per head, in Queensland the same, in New South Wales 1s. 11d., and in Victoria 2s. 4d. Under this rate in this State the pastoralists are paying the greater proportion per head in order to get their stock into market than the agriculturists. It is, therefore, seen that the agricultural areas in this State are no worse off in the matter of freight on stock relatively per head than any other of the Eastern States. I agree with Mr. Hayman that, considering the quantity of stock handled by the railways and brought into the markets, there is not very much room for complaint. The railways do everything possible to give us the best available transit and do not humbug us very much. I have always found them most amenable to reason.

9542. Mr. HAMILTON: When you have a complaint you will get satisfaction from Mr. Lord.

9543. Mr. HAMILTON: We never submit any claims because they do not recognise them. If the railways do not supply a truck there is no recompense, but it is a very rare occurrence for a truck not to come to hand.

9545. Mr. Gray: The railways at times might do sometimes happens that stock is delayed apparently unnecessarily, and it might be a recommendation to the department to do something in the way of expediting the handling.

9546. Mr. HAMILTON: The question of traffic yards and other matters in connection with transit were gone into by a deputation of agents and stock owners, which waited on the Chief Traffic Manager about two months ago. Mr. Lord admitted that occasionally delays have occurred, but that the policy of the department was always to give preference to stock.

9547. Mr GREY: stock ought to be given the same expedition in handling as mails are given. The railways profess to handle perishable goods with expedition, and livestock is surely worthy of the same consideration as mails.

9548. Mr HAYMAN: Sometimes stock is left to wait for goods train when it could easily have been sent along by a train which went through hours before.

9549. Mr. CLARKSON: The system by which trucks are ordered collectively through the agents should be of great assistance to the Railway Department?

9550. Mr. HAYMAN: It is very much easier for the department when truck orders are sent in together at Perth instead of coming in at different times from various centres.

9551. Mr. VENN: Do you think it is an injustice to charge a man for a truck if he does not use it.?

9552. Mr. GREY: If a man has a reasonable Excuse for not taking a truck the railways will deal fairly by him and treat each case on its merits. If a truck is ordered for fat stock and heavy rain prevents the owner from getting the stock to the railway, his case will receive every consideration. He may be charged by way of a book-keeping entry for the full amount, but if his case is a good one he will have every reason to expect reasonable treatment, and to get of the truck by merely paying the few shillings which are involved in the cost of telegraphing ans so forth.

9553. Mr. HAYMAN: In the past dealers in stock might order a truck in the hope of being able to fill it, but when unable to do so would endeavour to get out of talking the truck altogether. This is probably one reason for cancelling this rebate was probably loss of revenue and the fact that the privilege was so often abused. Graziers have only themselves to thank for this loss of privileged. It might be represented to the railway Department that starving stock should be carried at half rates, as ws done in the case of the 1914 season.

9555. Mr. PAYNTER: Is the stock well handled over long journeys in the matter of feed and water?

9556. Mr. HAMILTON: There are no feeding and watering arrangements. The agents and large buyers were asked by the railway authorities if they would prefer to have reasonable transit, or to untruck their stock and water it and reload it. The general opinion, however, was that it would be much better to run the stock straight through rather than untruck it and reload it. The latter, of course, means a long delay.