distribution?—Yes, there are very few mills in the old country able to take wheat in bulk.

9920. By Mr. PAYNTER: Is there any difference in freights in bulk and bag?—No, not much, and not even in insurance nowadays.

9921. By. Mr. CLARKSON: Do you think there is any greater difficulty in getting bottoms for bulk handling?—I do not think so, but there might be. Take the "Kangaroo," she has been looking for bulk cargoes ever since she was built, but cannot get them.

9922. By Mr. PAYNTER: What is the reason?—It is not going to be any cheaper to take bags of wheat, put them on ship's hatches or into the hold, and then cut them open by hand and withdraw the bags, than it would be to handle it in bags from first to last.

9923. By Mr. VENN: Are the conditions of the wheat stacks here better than in the East?—We have no stacks here such as they talk of in the East. We luckily have got all our all wheat away, and mice have not plagued us.

9924. Is there any other matter which you would like to touch upon?—I am most concerned about the housing of the next harvest. We have to prepare for it, and if we are not ready with new sites there will be no room for new wheat. If we had room for new beside the old stacks, it would be inadvisable to use it for fear of contaminating with weevil, therefore I recommend that depots be established with skeleton sheds to accommodate eight million or ten million bushels of wheat.

9925. By Mr. PAYNTER: Do your favour the system of the pool handling of wheat as a continual system?—I think it would be an advantage to the farmer, but not on the present basis.

(The witness retired.)

The Commission adjourned.

TUESDAY, 3RD JULY, 1917. (At Perth.)

Present: B. L. Clarkson, Esq. (in the Chair). H. H. Paynter, Esq | F. E. Venn, Esq.

HENRY JOHN SIMPER, Managing director for H. J. & F. Simper, Ltd, Auctioneers, Commission agents, general merchants and cool storage propietors, sworn and examined:

9926. By Mr. CLARKSON: How many years have you been in your present business?—For 17 years in Fremantle and 12 years in Perth. I have worked in the markets of all capital cities of Australia.

9927. Are you of opinion that central markets in which all the goods would be sold under one cover are advisable?—Such markets are absolutely essential, and must come.

9928. Has there ever been any move to establish central markets?—There has been a half-hearted move. I understand that the Government resumed an area of land, and a certain section of the trade then tried to assist the Government to start operations, so that as soon as the leases were up with the other people all would be established in one locality. This has fallen through. I believe the City Council are now taking up the question and that the Government have handed it over to them to carry through.

9929. Do the trade generally favour central markets?—Yes. I do not think anyone objects.

9930. What would be the best position for such markets?—It is a matter of siding facilities, and would be a very difficult matter for any individual to decide upon. The West Perth site is preferable to that suggested at East Perth. The main portion of the buying population comes from Subiaco, Leederville, Claremont, and North Perth, and very little from over the river side. The West Perth site would thus be more central. I do not think there would be any difficulty in getting haulage for the West Perth site as the line runs right through. The river side is impossible.

9931. Where does the bulk of your supplies come from?—The majority of our supplies comes from Osborne Park, and the rest of Bays water, which is on the main suburban line. Grapes come from