Government find that this acts better than when they tried to destroy the rabbits themselves, because some of the men sent out to destroy the rabbits made a living out of it.

1162. I understand you to say that the Government are willing to allow bodies money to rabbit-proof fence?—Yes.

1163. By Mr. Richardson: At a low rate of interest and long deferred payments?—Yes; the payments to be paid yearly.

1164. By the Chairman: I suppose the Southern parts of South Australia you generally recognise are more or less rabbit infested?—Yes.

1165. The whole Southern portion of the State, not taking into consideration the northern portion?—South Australia proper.

1166. Are there any portions of South Australia proper that are not infested with rabbits?—In those portions of the country which are thickly inhabited by farmers, such as from Adelaide to Burra, 100 miles, are not infested; but when you get beyond the Burra farther East the rabbits are very troublesome: they even eat some of the farmers out.

1167. What steps have the South Australian Government taken in the past to put up a national line of fencing?—It is on the borders of the different States.

1168. Either along the borders or between different districts?—Along the railway line the Government have put up a fence, but beyond that they have done nothing, except erecting a barrier fence between the two States.

1169. Between Victoria and South Australia?—And between South Australia and New South Wales and Queensland.

1170. As to New South Wales and Queensland, was it not more the action of New South Wales and Queensland that the fence was put up to keep out the South Australian rabbits?—I think it was done by all the Governments, each contributing their share of the expense.

1171. Take Queensland for instance, it would be more correct to say that Queensland undertook the barrier fence to fence out the South Australian rabbits?—In certain portions. In one portion that Mr. Smith, the Deputy Surveyor General, told me of the South Australian Government were running the fence up to the Northern part of their boundary, and the Queensland Government were bringing the fence down to the Southern portion of their boundary to meet the South Australian fence. But the Queensland fence was left 20 miles from the South Australian fence, and in that case the rabbits came into South Australia from Queensland by tens of thousands, and in that portion of South Australia now there are millions of rabbits, so that the rabbits must have come in from Queensland and infested that part.

1172. My reading upon this question goes to show that Queensland was fairly free from rabbits, and that the Queensland people were frightened of the South Australian and New South Wales rabbits?—I think in some cases rabbits went from some places on the Queensland border, but I think that on this particular occasion they went back again, when they were fenced off. That was the information the Deputy Surveyor General gave me. I think you are quite right in saying that on some parts of the borders of Queensland and South Australia the people were frightened, and they did fence to keep the rabbits back.

1173. Do you know anything about the Queensland steps that were taken; I mean steps taken by the Government with regard to erecting rabbit-proof fences?—No.

1174. You only know as regards steps that the South Australian Government took in relation to the border fence between Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland they erected, or helped to erect, and also along the railway line?—Yes, in some places.

1175. That was at the national cost?—Yes.

1176. Therefore the South Australian Government have actually from the consolidated revenue erected a large amount of rabbit-proof fencing?—Yes.

1177. Did you hear, or do you know of your own knowledge, that the South Australian Government took these steps in time to fence against the Victorian rabbits?—I do not think they did. I think that is where the mistake was made.

1178. Did you hear that the New South Wales boundary was fenced in time?—I doubt whether any of their boundaries were fenced in time.

1179. Have you heard that the Queensland authorities were the only government in Australia which took this question in time, or at all events more in time than the other States did?—I understood that they did; yes.

1180. Therefore the South Australian people were rather too late in their fence?—I think the South Australian and the New South Wales and the Victorian people were too late.

1181. If the Western Australian Government had taken this matter in time and fenced on the boundary line—on the 129th parallel I think it is?—Yes.

1182. That is the boundary line of this State; if they had taken it in time, do you think a rabbit-proof fence properly erected and properly supervised would have been a great check to the rabbits entering Western Australia?—Undoubtedly it would.

1183. Failing that having been done in this State, do you think a line of fencing some hundreds of miles farther Westward than that would be a means of checking the rabbits from getting into and devastating the more settled portions of this Stated?—Yes; I think that is the only thing that could be done.