Mr J.M. Craig

  continued..

69. By Mr Richardson: What is the consumption of colonial-grown meat annually? — I could not say. The price of meat is regulated by the demand, and there is not much chance of the price going up seeing that we get our supplies from the other States.

70. By Mr Burges: The price always rises as soon as ever it is imported? — They are importing it all the year round; continually, every week.

71. By the Chairman: You cannot say what effect it will have? — No ; I could not say.

72. If the rabbit invasion is not soon checked, will it effect the prosperity of the State, always supposing the increase to be in the same ratio as elsewhere? — Assuming that increase?

73. Assuming we should be served in the same way as the rest of Australia? — Let me have that question again.

74. If this rabbit invasion is not soon checked, will it affect the prosperity of the State, assuming the increase to be in the same ratio as elsewhere? — Assuming they increase as they do in the other States it would, but that would be merely an assumption.

75. Would not the effect be such as to be adverse to the interests of every man, woman, and child if stringent measures are not immediately adopted in the State? — Not unless it affected the price of meat.

76. Do you consider this rabbit matter a national question? — I certainly do.

77. If the pastoral districts become infested, would it tend to the abandonment of holdings, and thus affect the revenue of the State? — Yes, sir.

78. Would the destruction of the grasses and edible scrub by rabbits affect the stock carrying capacity of the land so materially? — If they increase as they do elsewhere.

79. In your opinion a rabbit-proof fence would be a protection to the future revenue of the State from Lands, and thus pay its initial cost? — No, I do not think it ever would pay the initial cost. You must remember we have only about 2 ¼ millions of sheep to protect, and a little over 300,000 head of cattle. In my opinion, one fence would not be sufficient, and if you once commence to fence, the upkeep of that fence will be something enormous. When I recommended that fence myself I had no idea of the nature of the country. Yesterday, Mr Hand came to me. He has travelled a lot through the Northern part of the country where the fence should run. He told me that in two days the horse tracks were obliterated by sands on the drift; it is nothing but a sea of sand. We do not know what the cost would be to keep it in repair, and unless it is kept in proper repair it is not worth while to keep the rabbits back.

80. By Mr Richardson: There is a breeze coming up the coast? — Yes. There are Easterly winds in the desert. There is nothing but a sea of sand.

81. A light breeze on half -an-inch of sand would obliterate the track? — But in a week or couple of months it would very soon get over a 3 feet 6 inch fence; besides which, there is a great quantity of grass. Mr. Forrest can tell you what it is like. All this sand rolling against a fence would make a fine bridge.

82. Would it not be possible to pick your country like they have to do in other States so that you could avoid not only sand drifts but also broken country? — I do not know anything about the country, only what men who have been there tell me. Mr. Hand told me yesterday he had been right out there.

83. At all events your answer is that you do not think a fence a protection? — Not unless it is kept up at enormous expense.

84. We assume that if you fence, you, as is the case with everybody else's fence, will look after it. It is a very fair assumption that if a fence is erected it will be looked after. That would be a question hereafter, after the fence was put up? — If a fence is put up properly and properly kept, it must be a protection.

85. By Mr. Richardson: Might I ask you, do you know of any areas in Western Australia that in ordinary seasons are absolutely devoid of vegetation; nothing but loose sand? — Well, at some times of the year I have seen miles and miles of country without a vestige of vegetation.

86. But is there any vegetation comes to it? — In good season abundance of it; but during the drought seasons——

87. But is it not a fact that in regard to what there known as the sand drifts on the sea coast, if they can once be got covered with any kind of vegetation, it is considered there is an end to the sand drift?— Yes; but the question is, what will do it. Marram grass was advocated. They tried in the North, and it was found to be a complete failure.

88. You allow, that if it can be covered with vegetation, the sand drift is stopped to some extent?— Yes, if it can be.\

89.If you found vegetation there, without being artificially put there, would not that cause one to conclude that there was no sand drift, in the way you speak of ?— No; I do not think so.

90.You do not think so ?— I will give you my reason. There may be three years' drought, and there would be no evidence then of any vegetation, and perhaps the year following you would fine abundance of vegetation.

91. But if three feet of sand were drifted, where would the rabbits and the vegetation come from?—It does come.

92. By the Chairman: I take it your answer to the question is in the affirmative?— Undoubtedly, if the fence is properly kept.

93. By Hon. R. G. Burges: They have marram grass at Fremantle, have they not?— Yes; it does not come there well, though; slow,