Mr. D. N. McLeod, Continued,

970. You did not fence against the rabbits ? — I did not.

971. What size mesh do you suggest ? — Whatever is worth doing is worth doing thoroughly. You want a small mesh to make sure the little rabbits do not get through. Do not put a fence at all unless it will keep all the rabbits out.

972. Do you think a severe drought would have any effect on the increase of rabbits? — A drought will affect them, but not nearly to the same extent as the more valuable stock suffer.

973. The sheep go first ? — You bet.

974. By the Chairman : I am much obliged to you for the information you have given. I do not know whether you would like to bring anything out ? — You are very welcome. I feel that it is a very, very important matter and one , the magnitude of which is not realized at all by the general community in the State and the Government in particular, and, as I said before, ruin spells the whole effect upon the pastoral industry if the rabbits are once let in.

975. There is one question I might ask you. Were you cognizant, before you came over recently to this State, of the very considerable strides rabbits have made into this State ? — I was not, or I think it would have frightened me away.

976. You were not cognizant of them ? — I was not.

977. By Mr. Richardson: From your knowledge, you being a member of parliament, and living in the other States, and being interested in political matters and all that, was it your experience that the Government and authorities in the other States, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, were deeply sensible of the danger and menace, and were active in taking preventive steps to stop the rabbits wherever they could, and check them; that they realized the national menace, as it was? — In the first place they did not realise it at all. It was actionable to kill a rabbit , and fines have been inflicted for the killing of a rabbit. They did not realise their danger at all until they were really swamped with rabbits. That is in Victoria. In some of the other States, Queensland notably, they did realise it, And went to a very great expense in fencing off to keep them back. In Victoria it sort of grew on them, and they never realised it till it was too late.

978. But Queensland profited by the experience of the other States , and took her measures in time? — That is so. The Victorian Government assisted the agriculturists and pastoralists in a very great measure by helping them to wire-net their holdings , in purchasing wire in large quantities at low rates, and taking deferred payments from holders of land; but that was after the " fat was in the fire " where you have not got the rabbits, keep them out by all means.

979. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Has Queensland kept them out by that border fence altogether, do you know? —" Altogether" covers too big a ground. When a fence is once put up it is not done with. You must get your boundary riders and look out for trees falling across the fence. You are not going to erect a fence and say the thing is done with. No doubt some rabbits have got through this fence in Queensland, So "altogether " is too wide; but they have checked them in a very, very great measure, and if a few rabbits got through only, their natural enemies would perhaps be sufficient to deal with them, being in the ascendant, the majority. It is a wave you want to prevent.

980. You do not know anything about the cost of getting a boundary fence on the borders of Queensland? — No ; I have no knowledge of that . (The witness retired)

Mr. Michael Ryan, examined.

981. By the Chairman : You are post and telegraph master at Israelite Bay? — At Eucla.

982. How long is it since you have been there? — I have only just come from there now.

983. And you have been there for six years? — Yes.

984. Have you traveled much about? — No . I have not travelled much about the country; only just round the immediate neighborhood of the post office; about 10 miles.

985. Have you been 30 or 40 miles? — I have not been that far.

986. Are there rabbits at Eucla? — They are there in great numbers , round the place.

987. Were there rabbits there when you went six years ago? — There were reports of rabbits being there , but I did not see any for at least 12 months after I went there.

988. You can say five years ago you saw rabbits there? — I saw rabbits killed then. In 1896 I saw rabbits there.

989. Would you say in 1986 there were many rabbits there, or only a few? — I should say there were very few at that time.

990. What would you say with regard to that point to-day, as to their numbers, either few or great? — They are in great numbers there now, I am quite satisfied of that. Just riding round the sand.

991. What would you say: are the rabbits there in hundreds or thousands or millions? — It is hard to estimate.

992. It is only a general question ? — I would be quite justified in saying they are there in thousands . Within a radius of five miles of Eucla I am certain they would get thousands of rabbits.