the better. One of the great drawbacks is the rain keeping us off the land.

9731. By Mr. CLARKSON: Have you any suggestions to make for the betterment of land settlement and of the farming industry?—The State should give away the land for the first 20 years; after that the State could make its charges. Making the payments in the first few years is only robbing the land. I came straight here from England. I had perhaps £250. I would not take £4 per acre for my property now. I am satisfied with my position. At first, following advice, I tried to grow wheat. If I had gone for sheep from the first I would have been very much better to-day. I know now that it is not a wheat-growing district at all. I was fortunate in changing my policy when I did. I do not think the new settlers in this district trying to grow wheat are making good. (The witness retired.)

HENRY EDWARD ALBERT RUNDLE, Farmer, Narrogin, sworn and examined:

9732. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have been farming here 12 years. Before coming here I was working on a dairy farm in South Australia. I am working 320 acres, there being 40 still to clear. I have 100 acres in crop of which 35 is fallow. The highest yield I have had is 12 bushels. My average yield is seven or eight. I carry 100 sheep, four horses, three cows, and 2 pigs.

9733. To Mr. PAYNTER: My land returns me a living. I hope to go in for mixed farming. I do a little outside work. I am nine miles south-east from Narrogin and three miles from the siding. I manage to keep out of debt.

9734. To Mr. VENN: I do not see why this should not be a successful dairying district. Feed would have to be provided for the cattle. I grow barley for my cows. I would go in more earnestly for dairying if we had a butter factory in the district. A good many farmers have just enough cows for their own use. Given a factory, they would all go in for dairying. Sheep are the best, but my holding is not large enough.

9735. To Mr. CLARKSON: A butter factory here might lose money for a start until the farmers stocked up with cows. If a central factory were established farther down the line and cream were carried free on railways to that factory, it might prove sufficient inducement to the farmers to go in for cows. We could easily send our cream as far as York or Northam. I have no other suggestions to make. (The witness retired.)

EDWARD ALFRED WELLS, Farmer, Narrogin, sworn and examined:

9736. To Mr. CLARKSON: I Have been farming here 10 years, four miles east of Highbury. I hold 3,500 acres, of which 1,100 is cleared. I am cropping 120 acres of wheat, 50 of rape, and 50 of oats. I generally put in 300 or 400 acres, but owing to a series of bad crops we have decided to try fodder for sheep this year. Oats average 15 bushels and wheat about nine bushels. I consider I require 12 bushels at 10s. a bag to meet expenses. I am carrying 700 sheep, 20 horses, and three cows. This is the first year we have had rape and oats in for sheep feed. I have had 700 sheep on 50 acres of rape and 50 of oats for three weeks now. After this week I will have to take them off.

9737. To Mr. VENN: The sheep carrying capacity of our land is about one sheep to five acres of natural grasses or one sheep to three acres on cultivated land. We have 1,000 acres of what is known as Kojonup poison. It is as thick as grass. People do not seem to know much about it. We did not until we got some sheep. It has a short cauliflower top. It is too costly to grub, but two ploughing will settle it.

9738. By Mr. CLARKSON: Have you any suggestion as to what the State might legitimately do for the encouragement of land settlement or the betterment of the farming industry?—I reckon they should give poison land free under improvement conditions. It costs at least £1 per acre before this is of any use. The farmers should be educated up to mixed farming. Cows do very well in winter time here. Calves grow well and fatten here. Given the labour we could successfully follow dairying in this district. (The witness retired.)

THOMAS PATRICK O'CONNOR, Farmer, Narrogin, sworn and examined:

9739. To Mr. CLARKSON: I have been farming here 19 years. I hold 850 acres, of which 700 is cleared and 210 in crop. The highest average I have had was 17 bushels of wheat. My normal average would be about 9 or 10 bushels of wheat and 15 of oats. Putting in and taking off costs me £2. My averages do not pay. I run 200 sheep, six horses, and three pigs. The sheep are profitable. Of 200 acres I have 150 fallow, which I put in and feed off to the sheep before letting it go to crop. I am black-smithing as well farming. I think the farmers in this district, generally speaking, have been living from hand to mouth of late years. Without sheep a man cannot make a success of farming. Most farmers about here keep cows, but only for their own use. In my capacity as blacksmith I can say that many people around here, and right through to Darkan, should never have been allowed to go on the land, knowing nothing about farming and being hopelessly unpractical men. If there is a bolt loose in a machine they are apt to put the whole machine on the railway and send it 20 miles to the blacksmith. (The witness retired.)

The Commission adjourned.