fruit at from 9d. to 1s. per case. The people in the towns do not get a fair deal either. If we got a fair price the consumer would get more fruit, and better and cheaper fruit. I do not consider that the Government deal with the producer sympathetically. If they did there would be closer settlement and a more contented rural population. A man with a little money and a piece of land wants to devote the whole of his time to the land, but he now has to go away from his holding to get work in order to pay his way in the initial stages.

10912. Do you find the inspectors of the Department of Agriculture useful?—Yes; they have been of great use to me.

10913. Are the nurseryman's stocks satisfactory?—I got some of my trees from the Two Bays Nursery, but, for the reason they were so long out of the ground, I lost from 30 to 40 in 100. I have got good trees from Hawter's nursery. I should like to tell you about the menace that the wild dogs are. We have a lot of country here which we cannot put sheep on. The Government should clear the Crown lands of this pest. The settlers would clear their own country, and then the district could produce far more sheep and we could export from the district. Some instances have been brought up to the Agricultural Society—of which I am a member—where men have lost as many as 40 to 50 sheep in one night. It is a short-sighted policy for the Government not to increase the reward for the destruction of dogs, as the number of sheep carried would be increased.

                                                                                           (The witness retired.)

                                                                                                  —————

WILLIAM REID, Fruit-grower, Bridgetown, sworn and examined:

10914. To Mr. PAYNTER: I have been established in this district for about 22 years. I had no experience of orcharding before this. I came from England. I hold about 270 acres, 100 of which is freehold, and the balance C.P. It is a quarter of a mile from the railway station. It is all fenced, 40 acres cleared and fit for the plough. I have 23 acres of orchard and the balance is used for general cultivation and grazing. I have all necessary buildings and a full working plant. I have two dairy cows and sufficient sheep for my own use. I started without any capital.

10915. You have a statement prepared, I believe, which you wish to place before the commission?—Yes, it is as follows:—

  It is patent to anyone with a knowledge of the present position of the industry that a more efficient organisation of local distribution, and a very great expansion in oversea markets is vital to its welfare. The area under fruit has increased very rapidly throughout Australasia during the last few years especially in New Zealand, and without largely increased market facilities the fruitgrower will inevitably be faced with the problem of over-production. The matter is dealt with in this paper largely from a Federal view-point as the maintenance of the industry upon its present footing, and its future expansion, depend upon its profitable export trade. In this connection the interests of the various States are practically identical, and Federal action imperative.
 Local Marketing: In order that the supplier may receive fair average returns for his products it is essential that markets should be regularly fed with quantities they can profitably absorb, and he should be afforded every facility to obtain the information necessary to carry this into effect. Under existing conditions with their alternate glut and shortage, the speculator reaps a large proportion of the profit, which, by right, belongs to the grower. In the Eastern States, the quantities of fruit received from the various centres by the metropolitan markets are published regularly. This information should also be available here, and if those concerned were unwilling to supply the returns Legislative action should be taken to compel them to do so. Given full information, the various associations should be in a position to do a great deal to improve the present conditions. From knowledge gained during a visit to the fruitgrowing centres of the Eastern States, I am convinced, we might with advantage introduce the system of sale by growers agents in place of that by public auction. The former system is employed in the Sydney and Melbourne markets, and appears to give general satisfaction to growers. In Adelaide, growers sell as much as possible by private treaty, and the surplus then is sold by public auction, and enquiry from suppliers attending the markets disclosed that in connection with the latter method a state of general dissatisfaction existed. I was informed the position was controlled by the packers' ring, who fix prices daily, thus practically eliminating competition. This position is much more liable to occur under our present system, than under that of sale by growers' agents.
 Export Marketing: The satisfactory development of this phase of our activities is seriously handicapped by the cost of freight in cool chambers and the reluctance of shipping companies to install this accommodation. I am convinced applies will carry to Europe without refrigeration, if chambers were provided with apparatus for the removal of foul air and the free circulation of fresh. Were the Federal Government to offer a substantial bonus for the production of an effective method of oversea carriage of apples without cool storage I am satisfied the problem would be solved. The immediate and rapid development of new oversea markets for our products is vital to the future welfare of the industry, and this matter is causing grave concern to thoughtful orchardists throughout Australia. The capacity of existing European markets before the present war was roughly, about 2,000,000 bushel cases, and from information supplied by brokers, it would be impossible to greatly increase that capacity, and at the same time secure returns remunerative to growers here. It has to be realised that this market extends only over a period of three months, and that we were able to fully supply its requirements from the areas in bearing five or six years ago. When it is pointed out that New Zealand alone expects in the near future to have a large enough exportable surplus to fully supply this market, the gravity of the position may be realised. This question of market development needs the early and earnest attention of our growers' organisation. As this need is not confined to the fruit industry, but is common to many of the primary and secondary industries,