686. By the Chairman: Let us have your opinion? — I suggest that you should start from Starvation Harbour, and if you run it from there you would have to keep to the back of a range of hills, and you would get good fencing country. I have been out there.

687. It would be all good fencing country? — Yes, and you would only have about a mile of sand hills at Starvation Harbour. You would meet a few sand hills further on: it is sand plain country a little West of North. In about that direction. That would run you to a good deal North of Coolgardie.

688. By Mr Loton: Whereabout do you cross the railway line? — You cross it to the East of Southern Cross about 10 miles ; thence running North to about five miles West of Mount Jackson.

689. That is as far as you could advise?— I could not advise as to what the country is like here. I have not been through that. With the object of saving expense, I recommend that.

690. You only care to advise as far as the railway? — As far as the railway.

691. By Hon. R.G. Burges: Have you ever been over that line of country from the railway? — No ; I have only gone back 50 miles from the coast. It is only with a view of saving expense I recommend that. I could not give an estimate of the cost of fencing without seeing it, and I do not think anyone could. There may be a scarcity of timber.

692. By Mr Harper: I think I heard you say a little earlier in the afternoon you found a good many people on the goldfields would like to have the rabbits? — Undoubtedly. That has been my trouble all through, and not only have I had trouble in getting information from goldfields people, but from people who should have been the first to give information. For instance, Ponton Brothers. The first trip, they pointed out to me there were no rabbits on the run, and they could not find any. Later they admitted there were some. I met Mr Poton the other day. He admitted there were rabbits but the property was offered for sale and they did not like to speak about it on the first occasion.

693. With regard to the goldfields people generally, you do not expect to get much assistance from them? — None, whatever. I do not rely upon getting any information from them, and I do not rely on any information given by them unless it is a man I have known for perhaps two or three years, and know he would tell me what he really thought about the matter. They have distinctly told me they would put them over the fence if they could. I suggested that if anything is done in the matter of fencing they should be safeguarded in the same way as in New South Wales in the Act of 1890.

694. I want to keep to the one point at present. You do not think that they would assist the Government in keeping the fence in repair? — No.

695. Supporting the fence kept the rabbits away from them, they would be rather interested in the fence being in disrepair?— Exactly, and that would have to be safeguarded by very stringent measures.

696. Never mind that point. If you take a line 10 miles East of Southern Cross you will have a community who are opposed to that fence, will you not? — Yes; you will have that in any case, wherever you run a line.

697. If it were 10 miles West the same thing would not work, would it? — It would to an extent, because there is a Parker's Range, and you cannot tell, as far as Western Australia is concerned, where you are going to find gold.

698. That is another point altogether. My questions are directed to this point as to the point of crossing the railway. You recommend it should cross close to Southern Cross to the East? — Yes.

699. That is to keep the rabbits out of Southern Cross? — Yes.

700. I want to know if you do not think it advisable, even if it did cost more, to take it 20 miles West of Southern Cross with a view of evading that hostility? — No. I think you will find it will be well worth while to fence in another area of country to the Eastward of the present line suggested.

701. THE CHAIRMAN: You do not quite meet Mr Harper's question, Mr White.

702. By Mr Harper: My object is to see if we could not get rid of the hostility to the fence, which you admit the goldfields people would object to. Would it not be safer to leave them in the rabbit country than to shut them out? — If you do that you will have to shift your fence so as to leave out Parker's Range.

703. Oh, of course; all goldfield ranges as far as possible? — And you would have to go farther West down here.

704. You have opened the point that they would be interested in getting the fence. You say that in that locality they could have gardens and produce for the fields? — Yes, undoubtedly.

705. So they would be in a measure interested in getting that fence? — Yes; but the diggers have told me the same thing; that if that fence were put up, they would put the rabbits over. I have pointed out that by getting rabbits they will perhaps get cheaper meat for a short time, but that ultimately it will end in getting dearer.

706. But if the fence were put up, and they would put the rabbits over, do you not think it would be better to start the fence to the West of the Philips River than the East of Philips River? — I do not think so. I think you could make the law sufficiently stringent, and have inspectors who were lively men; and if you had that and punished one or two of the people, I think the people would very soon let the rabbits alone.

707. After they are over it is no good seeking to punish the people. You have to find them first? — I think they were liable to a year's imprisonment and a £100 fine.

708. You think you could prevent the diggers from putting the rabbits over, although they all tell you they would?— I think so, by stringent regulations.