Mr. J. W. White, continued.

661. Do you think it is inadvisable to disturb the various colonies of rabbits in the State before the fencing is erected?—No; I think a good deal could be done in keeping them in check. Last Friday week I killed four rabbits, and three of them were does.

662. By Mr. Richardson: Had they any young?—No; but all had had young.

663. By the Chairman: Is there any danger if you disturb the rabbits now?—While we are killing them now we are driving them farther East. We are practically working against the rabbits. They work round the corners of the lake. I have one party stationed at the Peninsula, 20 miles North and the next camp is at Hunt's Slate well, about 30 miles South.

664. By Mr. D. Forrest: All of these men have guns so that they can shoot the rabbits?—They all have guns and dogs, and blacks. The parties find their own blacks and feed them.

665. By Mr. Loton: If they do not find the rabbits they have nothing to eat?—They are found in food.

666. By Hon. R. G. Burges: These parties would be useless if a crowd came along?—Yes.

667. Generally, you think a fence indispensable?—Undoubtedly. A fence outside, and then you can make use of poison; you could take the leaves of the sandalwood tree or sugar tree and steep them in a solution of strychnine and flour: the fence could be left open at night so that the rabbits could get in and the stock would not.

668. Have you ever erected a rabbit-proof fence?—Yes.

669. What height of fence and width of mesh ought to be adopted?—Nothing larger than an inch and a half mesh; an inch and a quarter would be preferable, because small rabbits can get through the larger mesh; but the rabbits which get through the inch and a quarter mesh could not live without the mother.

670. What width of netting would you advise?—Three feet to three feet six.

671. How much would you put in the ground?—Six inches, and we turn it at the bottom.

672. By Mr. Wittenoom: Have not some men put three inches in the ground and turned three inches?—Some men would do it, but you have to watch them.

673. By the Chairman: You reckon that if the netting was 36 inches out of the ground, that would be high enough?—Plenty; with two barbed wires on top, which would prevent the larger stock knocking it about and it would also prevent wild dogs getting through.

674. In a country like this, would it not be better to mount boundary fence riders on bicycles?—That would be the better way.

675. By Hon. R. G. Burges: How many would you want for 400 miles?—That depends on the class of country. I do not think you would meet with much sand except near the coast. It all depends on where you run the fence from. Still I do not think you would get more than four or five miles that a bicycles could not be ridden over.

676. By the Chairman: Could you tell us the cost per mile of such a fence as you describe?—At the time we had to do with it, it cost £45 to £55 per mile; but the wire netting has gone up in price since then, and perhaps it will require 10 or 15 per cent. more, because the cost is greater in carting here. A fence could be erected for 400 miles at a cost, say, of from £65 to £70 per miles: that is the outside cost.

677. HON. R. G. BURGES: Including everything.

678. By Mr. Richardson: Between £60 and £70 you say?—Yes; between £60 and £70.

679. By the Chairman: It would cost £75 at the outside?—It should be done within that.

680. By Mr. Loton: What would be the cost of the labour in putting it up?—About £20 a mile; that is all the work in connection with it.

681. How wide would you have the posts?—Twelve feet apart.

682. You would not recommend them farther than that, as it would sag?—Yes.

683. By the Chairman: Do you think £75 the outside cost per mile for such a fence over the country that it would have to run?—Yes; so far as I know the country, but it depends on the country you travel through. I know where it is likely to go, and that would cover it roughly. It would be necessary to deviate in many cases, so as to go round salt lakes, as you could not go across them, as it would not stand, and if there were a range of hills it would be better to run round it.

684. Could you advise us as to the line of fence, at all events in the Southern portion of the State, to check the immediate advance of the rabbits?—I should recommend starting somewhere about Starvation Harbour. Personally, it would suit me if it went the other side of Esperance, but I could not recommend that; the first time I went down to about Point Culver I found there were rabbits there; and found rabbits along the route. I recommend that the line should then go from Fanny's Cove, then along the railway line, because it could be kept in repair so easily. My object in doing that was to protect the agriculturists and small settlers in the country. Now the rabbits have got so far that I think the fence should be erected, starting at Starvation Boat Harbour. There are some rich mineral fields there and good agricultural country.

685. By Mr. Wittenoom: Where is that?—Down by the Phillips River. There is some good garden land there, about five or six thousand acres, enough to keep the population going in vegetables and hay.