Guildford and the Swan, which again connects with the main line. The supplies which would come by rail from a further distance, for the most part would come from Bridgetown and Mt. Barker.

9932. In connection with a central market, ample provision would be necessary for cool storage?—There is already ample provision of that nature. Cool storage is, however, needed, but it should not precede the establishment of the markets, which should come first. I can store as many apples as I want already. Cool storage is obtainable anywhere now, except from the Government, whose stores are full. I could put away a thousand cases of applies today if I wished. We already have our own cool storage accommodation filled up, and outside of that I am storing several thousands of cases.

9933. How do you find the railway transport facilities in the handling of your stuff?—The railways up to the present have been very satisfactory, although there have been slight delays occasionally. The goods sheds themselves are not adapted to the rapid handling of goods, but we get facilities from the railways which enable us to get over that difficulty to a certain extent. As soon as the fruit is discharged from the truck one is enabled to take it away. There is no delay caused through having to sign up for the goods first, for we are allowed to take delivery of them as soon as we like and do the signing up afterwards. Although there was such a rush last Christmas no delay was caused to us, and I do not think many of the other markets had much trouble. In December of last year 50,000 cases of fruit came in, and of that number I estimate 19,000 cases came in during the Christmas week. This is the heaviest volume which has ever landed in Perth in any one week. It naturally took a longer time than ordinarily to unload such a quantity of fruit. There was fruit all over the sheds, but in spite of that we were able to get our own stuff by midday. I went into the sheds myself and saw that the goods agent was supervising everything. He called my attention to the fact that there were some peaches consigned to our Fremantle branch, and stated that there was very little possibility of our getting them until after the holidays. He then asked me if it was any good putting them on the passenger train. I said I would be glad if this could be done, and the goods agent arranged it without any extra charge, with the result that the peaches arrived at Fremantle in good time.

9934. During this time was there sufficient cool storage for the surplus fruit or was there much loss to the growers?—It is not customary to put fruit into cool storage at that time of year. I think there was only one line in cool storage at that time. Fruit is not fit for storing for a few days only or a week.

9935. Was there much loss to the growers?—There was some loss, but this was due to the handling of the trade by inexperienced men: by men who did not know one class of fruit from another. They threw their fruit into a heap, and it started to heat; that is how the loss occurred.

9936. Is it a fact that fruit which comes to Perth from down the line very often arrives too late for the ordinary market?—It does not arrive in Perth late, it very often reaches the auction rooms late. This is largely due to the practice adopted in bringing the fruit along to market. They bring in a load at a time, as they evidently do not desire that the buyers should know too much about what is coming in. The result is they are often left.

9937. Is there any difficulty about getting delivery?—It is possible to get delivery from the railways as soon as ever the cases are unloaded from the trucks. Sometimes of course there is a quantity of fruit which as already been unloaded, and which is so much in the way that the railway people cannot get the other stuff out. The practice of the railways is to take the fruit out of the trucks and stack it so that if possible the cases belonging to each grower are stacked in a separate heap, and those destined for each particular market placed in a separate stack. When there is a congestion sometimes the growers' lots and the market lots become mixed. During that Christmas week I do not think, in spite of the rush, that anyone was short of fruit. The trouble was that there was more fruit than the buyers wanted.

9938. By Mr. VENN: Do you find that the produce which is carried in louvred vans travels better than the produce in an ordinary covered in van?—Fruit must carry better in a louvred van, but there is a good deal of stuff which arrives which it is difficult to say has come either in a louvred truck or an ordinary one. In my opinion the Government should use only louvred vans in the carriage of fruit. With regard to the statements which have been made regarding the delays in the goods sheds, I do not think that people ever cart goods sheds, I do not think that people ever cart goods to the sheds at the same time when others are carting out. We begin taking out at 8 o'clock in the morning and generally finish by 10 o'clock, and people seldom begin carting in before mid-day.

9939. By Mr. CLARKSON: You are perfectly satisfied then with the despatch at the goods sheds?—Yes, under the conditions under which they have to work there. The sheds are not wide enough. Owing to their construction it takes too long to discharge the goods that come in, and there ought to be more doors opening out from them. Central markets would probably be the means of this difficulty being got over. The sheds have been wide enough up to the present, but for rapid loading are not suitable.

9940. Do you say that the people sending up fruit from the south do not suffer because of the delays in delivery?—Probably they suffer from a certain extent if the trains are late and if there is a lot of fruit in. The selling generally takes place pretty early in the morning, and the auctioneers like to sell their fruit on the same day it arrives, if possible.

9931. What is a remedy for such delays?—Central markets, an alteration in the train service, and special market days.

9942. What time do the fruit trains arrive?—About 3 o'clock in the morning, if they are on time. It is not wise to attempt to get delivery of the fruit before 7 o'clock in the morning, but during Christmas week the railway officials worked all night and delivery was being taken at all hours.

9943. What do you suggest as the best provision that could be made for dealing with any surplus fruit in connection with a central market?—With regard to soft fruit, cool storage facilities could be made use of in order to hold over fruit to suit the markets. In the case of peaches there is generally a week of glut and then a week of shortage, and cool storage accommodation would make it possible to steady the supply. We frequently hold fruit over from week to week, but never hold it for longer than a fortnight. There are only certain varieties of fruit which can be stored.