TUESDAY, 12th MARCH, 1901.

Present:

MR. R. E. BUSH, Chairman. Mr. A. R. Richardson. | Mr. C. Harper, M.L.A. Hon. R. G. Burges, M.L.C. | Mr. D. Forrest, M.L.A. Mr. F. F. B. Wittenoom.

Mr. Robert William Allison Warren, examined.

1271. By the Chairman: What is your present occupation?—Farmer and grazier.

1272. Where at?—Dyliabing, near Katanning.

1273. What area do you hold there?—Between 7,000 and 8,000 acres.

1274. What is that, on conditional purchase—Conditional purchase and under the homestead farms clause.

1275. What was your previous occupation?—I was overseer on my father's station at Tonga Tingana, South Australia.

1276. Had you any experience on that station as regards rabbits?—Yes, I had four years' experience there amongst rabbits.

1277. What were the conclusions you arrived at with regard to rabbits?—When they took hold of the country they completely ruined it.

1278. Did they practically cause you to give that country up?—Yes, they compelled us to leave it.

1279. You have been some time on the Eastern goldfields, I believe?—Yes; I spent about 12 months altogether on the Eastern goldfields.

1280. What part?—Nine months at the General Gordon mine, and the remainder of the time I spent at Coolgardie.

1281. Near what township is the General Gordon mine?—It is near Kanowna.

1282. Did you see anything of the pasturage of that country that would lead you to suppose rabbits would not thrive in that country?—No; the nature of the country is very favourable for rabbits.

1283. When you say that rabbits compelled you to leave the station in South Australia, what do you mean by that?—Did they completely eat you out?—They completely ate all the herbage, so that the cattle would have starved and died if we had not shifted them.

1284. By Mr. Wittenoom: Did you take any measures to stop the rabbits?—Well, no.

1285. By Hon. R. G. Burges: You did not fence?—No; no fencing.

1286. By the Chairman: Having been eaten out once, you think that was enough?—Yes; I should not care to have the experience repeated.

1287. And therefore in your present holding you have already taken steps to check rabbits?—Yes; we have fenced about eight miles of the Eastern boundary with rabbit-proof fencing, and intend to do the rest when we are able to do it.

1288. Therefore you have recognised there is a very immediate danger from rabbits in this State?—Yes; I think that they will be in the farming districts within two years, if nothing is done to stop them.

1289. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Do not you think it will retard settlement here, if new settlers coming here would have to fence against these rabbits?—Yes; it would have a tendency to greatly retard settlement.

1290. Would the cost be more than they could stand—Yes; it would be more than the average selector could stand. The land is worth fencing in, but it is more than the new selector can afford to do to fence in his holding at the start with rabbit-proof fencing before he gets any return.

1291. By the Chairman: Do you think that this would be very detrimental, that it would greatly retard settlement in the agricultural districts?—Yes; and not only that, but it will ruin a lot of small farmers.

1292. Who are already settled?—Who are already settled.

1293. Would you give us the particulars of this fence you have already erected, Mr. Warren?—Yes; from memory.

1294. In the first place, will you tell us what was the width of the netting you used?—36 inches.

1295. What mesh?—An inch and a quarter mesh.

1296. And what gauge?—17 gauge.