for a passenger service. We would require a vehicle to take a dozen or perhaps 20 passengers.

10164. BY Mr CLARKSON: Have you obtained expert opinion on the matter?—Mr Hume, I understand, is the only officer who is in a position to express an opinion.

10165. What is the necessity for the Commissioner's risk rate?—You invariably pay a higher rate before the Commissioner will accept responsibility. If the sender chooses to act as his own insurer, and does not avail himself of the optional rate, in that case the Commissioner would not pay. A man may order a truck of sugar for Laverton, and we quote a very low rate when he insures himself. the difference is £3 odd per ton. He may lose two or three or four bags of sugar, valued at £3 or £4, but he saves £18 or perhaps £20 by sending it at owner's risk. On the other hand, if that were consigned at Commissioner's risk and there was a shortage, the Commissioner would pay the claim in full. No matter under what conditions we accept traffic, in the event of there being a shortage we stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it, and if it can be proved that the department has contributed to the loss through carelessness on the part of its staff, the Commissioner is always prepared to meet a claim, notwithstanding the fact even that the consignment has been sent at owner's risk.

10166. With regard to the minimum rates, what is your particular reason for those?—Those rates are the lowest we can apply to any particular consignment, no matter how small it may be, up to three cwt., irrespective of whether it is packed in one parcel or otherwise.

10167. You have certain restrictions with regard to the ownership of those parcels?—There must be one consignee.

10168. A farmer recently wrote to us: "In our opinion the railway freights as regards minimum charges, also the 50 per cent. extra charge for passengers' parcels not prepaid, should both be reduced." Would you care to comment on that?—I cannot very well. Our minimum starts from a quarter cwt., and each package is dealt with according to the weight in its particular class. As regards the prepaid rates for parcels, a very substantial reduction was made. We found that if we could induce the public to pay their freights before the packages were sent forward, we could afford to quote at a considerable reduction. If we charged freight forward it would be necessary to have an accountancy staff at each end. You can send parcels forward at prepaid rates to unattended sidings. So, too, in regard to goods freight, the guard will explain the rate and accept the freight. We endeavour to make it as convenient as possible.

10169. BY Mr CLARKSON: The stock people complain that there is almost a prohibitive rate on the carriage of bulls. What is the reason for this?—Only one bull can be put in a wagon and consequently we must provide a separate wagon for each bull. It must be remembered that where the bull travels for stud purposes he is returned free. Such cases, of course, are few.

10170. Is that rate of 5d. per mile worked out on the usual haulage rate?—It is equivalent to, I think, full truck rates. In the case of geldings the Commissioner reserves the right to load any number up to the capacity of the truck. In several cases we have had four or five horses from different consignees in one wagon. We take no responsibility in the event of one animal being damaged by another, but of course we exercise discretion in loading further animals into a truck in which there are already one or more animals.

10171. Have you ever considered appointment at unattended sidings of agents, say the local storekeeper, to receive freights?—No, we only book freight for attended stations. To make such an appointment would be to disclose to the local storekeeper the business of the entire local community, and the local storekeeper might see fit to use that knowledge to his own ends. No such appointments have been made in any of the States. It would be better to appoint a departmental officer and open a booking station, the cost of which would have to be provided in the rates. We have lost from 1,800 to 2,000 men through enlistments and, our business also having fallen off, we have not replaced those men. At the same time neither have we disposed of the services of any men. We have had to close a number of sidings—no fewer than four between Northam and Kellerberrin; but we hope to reopen them again as soon as the war is over. We have 391 unattended sidings along the system. To convert them into attended sidings would mean the employment of 400 or 500 men, which to-day is not justified by the business done at those sidings.

10172. Generally speaking, have you sufficient shed accommodation in the country?—Yes, in most cases our sheds are in excess of requirements. It is true there is no shed at Kojonup, but we have only two trains a week there. We are out to help the farmer to the last hole, and if customers give us reasonable notice we will do everything reasonable for them.

10172. BY Mr PAYNTER: In regard to sites for wheat stacks; why do you not allow wheat firms who want such sites to use those held by other firms who have no intention of using them?—Because the firms holding the sites have leased the land and are debited with the cost. Even if they do not use the sites they are paying for them all the same. We have at times suggested to lessee firms holding unused sites the transference of their leases to other firms who wanted those sites.

10174. By My CLARKSON: Do you do anything in regard to the provision of excursion fares for country people in the summer?—Yes, only recently we ran a farmers' excursion from all the wheat belt stations at exceptionally low rates. It was very poorly patronised. That was just before Easter.

10175. In the country districts a general desire has been expressed that excursions should be provided at a time when the people can get away after harvest, say between March and May?—That was taken into consideration this year. We ran farmers' excursion trains from all districts just prior to April. It is the intention of the department to keep them going each season. I propose to ask the Commissioner to extend the system to include excursions just before Christmas as well. We have found great difficulty in advising everybody of these excursions. When the innovation is generally known, the excursions will be largely availed of. In the past we have made Perth, Fremantle and Albany the objec