substances in them which are the result of the decay of the wild bush, and some swamps are affected in the same way. It takes about five years to destroy these poisons by cultivation, and it is strange to observe some of the poorer soils doing better than the richer ones at first, the reason being that the former are more thoroughly aerated and also more leached by the rains.

11022. I understand that you have looked up a number of matters that you consider might be inquired into. Will you make a statement of these?—The greatest trouble in the South-West has been the method of surveying the holdings. This has proved a great hindrance to settlers. They have surveyed in the holdings too much ironstone or laterite which is absolutely useless for farming and I have drawn some diagrams to illustrate this. (See Appendix.) I have had to refuse to recommend Agricultural Bank advances on that (illustrating it). A man cannot make a living on it as it is useless laterite rock. All he has of his holding is that any good is a very insignificant proportion. This man got several hundred pounds worth of sleepers off this land. It should have been reserved for timber. The holdings as they are surveyed are impossible farms. A man has to carry a lot of useless country and the inexperienced settlers go and ringbark a lot of this with the result that shortly afterwards they have a thicket of suckers. In my opinion, only land which is good enough to be cultivated profitably should be surveyed for a farm, and no matter what its shape may have to be, and selectors should be allowed to acquire the laterite hills and flats round their agricultural holdings, for grazing purposes, under some redrafted pastoral or perpetual leasehold. This will seem contradictory when it is seen that I have declared deposits of primary or rock laterite to be useless for grazing. But there is a certain amount of rough feed on them which would serve for those few head of stock which all farmers want to turn out sometimes. The trouble has been that, as their carrying capacity is extremely light, too high prices have had to be paid for such runs, and inexperienced settlers have ringbarked and destroyed good jarrah forests on them, getting only a thicket under growth in return. The rental should be a reasonable minimum, and the jarrah strictly preserved. It would be necessary, however, to provide in any amending Bill for whatever access to the timber The Forestry Department would require, and for the protection of the settler against damage to fences, leaving gates open, etc. As the number of trees which are fit to cut down at any one time on a given area is small, I cannot see that the liability of the settler to the above risks would result in any serious disputes, with proper legislation. The forest rangers would see that the regulations were carried out. Anyhow, the class of country with which we are dealing should undoubtedly be excised from homestead farms and conditional purchase blocks, and, since stock are already found running everywhere on timber reserves, the Government may as well get payment for such privileges. The re-drafted pastoral or perpetual leasehold proposed might, with great benefit, both to the grazier and to the Treasury, be extended to other poor patches, namely mouse bush plains and similar places which are at present too dear to tempt selection. When I was on the wheat belt, and also since I have been here, I have kept a summary of my classifications to arrive at the percentage of first, second, and third class land in my districts. It is most remarkable that the different grades vary in the South-West in the same manner as they do on the wheat belt, poor second class land predominating in both areas.

South-West Inspections. No. of separate blocks classified—216.

Contents—

First Class— (a. r. p.)

    Swamp land  741..0..0
    Grade 1        1,369..2..27
    Grade 2       3,247..1..0

Second Class—

   Grade 3       3,729..2..15
   Grade 4       5,703..3..21

Third Class—

   Grade 5     4,016..0..15
   Grade 6     2,532..2..2
 *Grade 7     3,611..2..10

Total area classified 24,951..3..4

Average Area of Blocks—115 1/2 acres. Averages of grades in each block of 115 1/2 acres—

First class— (a. r. p.) Swamp land 3..1..29 Grade 1 6..1..15 Grade 2 15..0..0

Second Class— Grade 3 17..1..1 Grade 4 26..1..25

Third Class— Grade 5 18..2..15 Grade 6 11..2..36

• Grade 7 16..2..36

Total 115..1..37

• Grade 7—Rock laterite, useless to the farmer, but good jarrah country. These classifications were not all made in the laterite belts, otherwise the proportion would have been much higher.

11023. By Mr. PAYNTER: Would you say that on these averages settlers can do any good?—To sum up there are about 42 acres in each 115 1/2 acre block suitable for agriculture. Settlers cannot make a living off many of the block which have been taken up.

11024. By the CHAIRMAN: Why are they taking them up?—Because they want inexperienced. What with want of knowledge of land and dense bush selectors do not realise what proportion of good land there is.

11025. By PANTER: Do you tender a man advice when he is selecting land?—I do not get the chance. It is all finished with, and fatal mistakes are made before I come in. A settler should be referred to the District Inspector or someone conversant with the nature of the country before taking up land. When he is on the land it is part of my duty to give him all the advice I can. I find the English immigrants are hard to advise as they seem to have their minds made up before they arrive at Fremantle.