Mr. R. W. A. Warren, continued,

1297. By Mr. Richardson: I think your brother told me an inch and a-half?—Oh, yes ! I beg your pardon; it is an inch and a-half.

1298. By the Chairman: How much of that fence has been put under ground?—Four inches.

1299. Do you consider four inches enough?—Well, I think it is enough for a small place like that. We put the fence up mostly to keep the wild dogs out, but we thought we would put it underground as well, in case the rabbits should be coming; and if they do get through it, it will be easy, with such a small holding to get them out and destroy them.

1300. By Mr. Wittenoom: That leaves 32 inches above ground—Yes; 32 inches above ground.

1301. Then you have a bottom wire, and top wire on that?—There is no wire at the bottom. There is one half-way up, to which the netting is tied; one at the top, to which it is tied; and then there is a barbed wire (I think it is four inches above the netting) and another barbed wire above that, and a plain wire on the top.

1302. By the Chairman: Would you consider it more advisable to put this netting farther into the ground, if rabbits were close to you?—Oh, yes; personally, myself, I would have put it quite six inches into the ground.

1303. Can you give us an idea of what this fencing cost you?—Well, we paid the contractor £20 a mile for putting it up.

1304. That was for putting it up?—Yes. The netting cost us £21 10s. a mile, I think, at Sydney. Altogether it cost us, I think, something like £42 a mile, or £44 perhaps.

1305. By Mr. Richardson: I think your brother told me £47, or £46 to £47, he thought, the total was?—Probably it would run into that.

1306. By Mr. Wittenoom: What is the height of your fence? It must have been a pretty high fence. It is 2 feet 8 inches up to there (indicated on drawing)?—2 feet 8 inches; 3 feet the next.

1307. Four inches only to the next?—Yes, 4 inches only to the next; and then 4 inches to the next.

1308. And then how much to the top?—Four inches again.

1309. That makes 3 feet 8 inches?—The posts were cut to be four feet out of the ground.

1310. MR. WITTENOOM.—And that cost £47.

1311. By the Chairman: You had better give us a little bit outside. You had better give us quite a full estimate of the cost?—Yes.

1312. We would rather have a full estimate than perhaps a bare estimate?—Of course the posts are 9 feet apart.

1313. MR. WITTENOOM: That makes it expensive?

1314. By Mr. Harper: Does the putting up include the contractor cutting the posts?—Yes. We carted.

1315. You do not include that in the price?—No.

1316. Then there is the running of the line. You did not include that, I suppose?—Yes; that is included.

1317. By Mr. Wittenoom: Fifty pound a mile would cover the lot, I suppose, would it not?—Yes; I think £50 a mile would cover the lot.

1318. By Mr. Harper: The timber had not to be carted very far?—We had not to carry it very far. It is through jam and York gum country.

1319. By the Chairman: Your posts are 9 feet apart?—Yes.

1320. By Hon. R. G. Burges: How far had you to carry the stuff?—Twenty-five miles.

1321. By Mr. Richardson: The South Australian Government have recognised models of the best class of fence, have they not? They have illustrations of them?—Yes.

1322. By the Chairman: How much ground would you advise being cleared on each side of the fence?—I think the rule in Queensland is to clear 50 feet each side of the fence.

1323. By Hon. R. G. Burges: Have you seen the Queensland Government fence?—No; I have never actually seen it, but I was near the border.

1324. Was that a success?—From all accounts, it is very successful.

1325. The rabbits have not invaded Queensland?—According to the report of the Department of the Crown Lands, 150 miles is the farthest to which they have penetrated into Queensland.

1326. By the Chairman: The rest of the State is fairly secure at the present time?—I believe so.

1327. You say you were somewhat near the Queensland border?—Yes.

1328. Was that on this station at Tonga Tingana?—Yes; it was just about 60 miles West of where the corners of New South Wales and Queensland meet the South Australian border, joining on the South Australian border.

1329. What dates were you at the station?—We travelled a mob of cattle overland, arriving there, I think, in March, 1892; and then I took the last mob of cattle away, and I left in February, 1896.

1330. Was that the time the rabbits had been there?—Yes.

1331. And yet you were near enough to the Queensland border to take considerable interest in their fencing?—Yes; but we were South of the Queensland fence.