They charge us a roads board rate and on top of this a wheel tax, and despite this it takes me, with a good team, carrying half a ton, a full day to do a four mile journey. I am in the Albany Roads Board district. So far as my roads are concerned, I have not received one cent of benefit from the rates paid. What I want to show is that something should be done to prevent settlers coming here under a misunderstanding. before he has been here any time at all he has spent a couple hundred pounds without having received any benefit in return. I consider that only facts should be published in these pamphlets, and everything that is made public should be absolutely reliable. A man like Mr Connor, drawing £750 per annum, should be able to be replied upon.

11492. Can you suggest anything the Government could do in this district to improve matters? -The Government must provide free drainage for this country and help settlers to clear. We have to pay 9s per day for men to clear, and the result of their labour is practically nothing. They sent Mr Canning, the surveyor, down as a repricing officer. I stayed on my place for a fortnight in order to meet him but he never came near me. My case was well known to him, but he did not come near my property. As previously advised, I was charged 55s at first and the land is now reduced to 21s which i will not pay; it is far too high.

(The Witness Retired.)

James Alexander Roulston, Farmer, Kronkup, sworn and examined:

11493. To the Chairman: I have been in this district for seven years. I have 122 acres. The price for the Government was for 102 acres, 16s in the first place, which has been reduced to 13s and for 20 acres at Lake Sadie, swamp land, £5 per acre. This is the dearest block in the district and the worst.

11494. How did you come to pay £5 for it? -When it was thrown open it was in the winter covered with high rushes and under water two feet. I went on the price, believing that the highest priced land must be considered good. When the water dried off i put the first crop in and this proved unpayable. After five years cropping it was worked into white sand.

11495. To Mr Venn: Mr Surveyor Fox came down three years ago to reprice the land. I gave him a full report on my land and advised that i intended to forfeit it. Mr Surveyor Canning next came instead of Mr Fox. We had arranged to meet him but he did not come along at the time he was expected. Mr Canning advised a neighbour that my land was not worth £1 per acre. I also asked to be transferred to another block where i could grow potatoes, and i wrote to the department and asked when i might expect a reduction. They replied that the land was not to be reduced but the terms would be extended to 30 years.

11496. To the Chairman: I have fenced about 12 acres of this swamp land. All of the 102 acre block is fenced. On the 102 acre block i have nine acres cleared right out and on the swamp six acres cleared. I have at present three horses and two head of cattle, and i started with £80. I owe the Agricultural Bank £106 plus interest, and the Industries Assistance Board £60.

11497. How do you make a living? -When i first came here i started planting apple trees and growing potatoes, then i got the swamp in order and tried to recover the loss made on the hill country, but i have never got anything back. I have to go out and work to keep the place going. This means that i am neglecting my own blocks.

11498. To Mr Venn: I put in six acres of potatoes at one time. The first year i got 110 bags for five acres. I use super, potash, bonedust, and sulphate of iron. I have had two floods which spoiled my potatoes for two years in succession. I do not grow a hill crop now. Three years ago we got Irish blight, and since then we have not been able to produce potatoes. When the Irish blight occurred Mr Brathy, the potato expert, issued instructions that i was to destroy 45 bags of autumn seed. A fortnight after i had destroyed them he came with Dr Stoward, the Pathologist, who told us that our potatoes were quite fit for planting. I spoke to Mr Brathy, and he advised that i could use those that were apparently not affected, but of course by this time they were all destroyed.

11499. By Mr Paynter: Generally speaking, have the experts of the department of Agriculture been of any assistance to you? -No. I showed Mr Johnson, the Minister for Lands, some of the potatoes that i kept and he advised me that a mistake had been made in ordering them to be destroyed, but that it could not be undone.

11500. By the Chairman: Are they any other matters that you like to bring before the Commission likely to be of benefit to the districts? -So far as i am personally concerned, i have only the grievance in regard to the price of my swamp land. I consider that my block should be reclassified, or I would be prepared to be transferred to a block suitable for growing potatoes. Also if they would give me another block i should like to keep the old block at, say, 15s an acre in order to grow feed for stock.

11501. By Mr Paynter: What class of land is it they are setting aside for soldiers? -I do not consider they will make success of the land they have reserved. It is all swamp country and a man should have some hill country also. In regard to Lake Sadie they are deepening the drain on the top side and the outlet on the other side will never be able to take the water out of the inlet. There is not sufficient width for the water to get away. (The Witness Retired.)

John Daly, Farmer, Bronholm, sworn and examined:

11502. To the Chairman: I have been eight years in this district. I came from Fremantle. I was a contractor there. I have 104 acres on the hill and 36 acres of swamp at Lake Sadie. I was paying £3 15s and £2 15s respectively, but the prices have been reduced since. All of the Lake Sadie land is fenced, 12 acres cleared and 40 acres cleared on the hill. I have seven cows, three horses, and a house. I started with £200 and have borrowed £165 from the Agricultural Bank on the hill country.

11503. How do you make a living? -From mixed farming.