TUESDAY, 31st OCTOBER, 1916.

(At Esperance.)

Present:

Charles Edward Dempster, Esq. (Chairman). Matthew Thomas Padbury, Esq., | Ranald McDonald.

MICHAEL JOSEPH HEENAN, aged 57, Hotel-keeper, Esperance, married, four sons, three daughters, ages 8 to 23 years—sworn and examined:

390. By the CHAIRMAN: How long have you been residing Esperance?—Over 16 years. I have been most of the time licensee of the hotel, my wife being the owner. I have a thousand acres of C.P. Loc. 80, near Swan Lagoon, and a 10-acre garden area, together with a town block. I have held Loc. 80 for five years. The conditions started in 1910. I have 120 acres cleared, of which 50 acres was ploughed and fallowed two years ago. Three years ago 50 acres was cropped. It was only a middling crop, for about 15 acres was eaten down by stock. Another 50 acres is now=on the raw ground. I used 15 bags of super on the 50 acres and eight bags of wheat. I have not had anything done to the land for the last two years. I intend to work the land if the railway comes. I have everything ready to put in the crop but could not get the necessary teams and labour. One of my boys is on active service at the Front. The railway to the Salmon Gums would make farming in this district a profitably undertaking. There is no dam on my land nor is there any fencing. I had considerable experience in mixed farming in Queensland before coming to Western Australia. There are patches in the mallee land suitable for potatoes, but in general it is wheat-growing country. It would have been a merely a waste of money to have gone on with my block, growing principally potatoes and vegetables with a bit of barley for the cow. I have ¾-acre under cultivation. If one grows a ton or two of potatoes it is only to find there is no market for them. The steamer used to come in once a week. She comes now once a fortnight. The freight to Albany on potatoes is £2 per ton, which does not allow us to compete with Albany growers in that market. From the Agricultural Department I have had £120 for seed and super. I was granted £500, but I declined to draw the full amount. 10 tons of potatoes to the acre can be grown with a little stable manure. There are numerous patches of excellent potato land round about Esperance. The average price of potatoes in the Bay is £14 or £15 a ton. If one grew a ton for sale he would glut the local market, and the prohibitive freights do not allow us to send them away. I have worked on road clearing as far up as Salmon Gums.

391. By Mr. PADBURY: Have you put in any time working on your block?—Yes, about a month with clearing and fire break. About £230 has been expended on my block. It would not exceed from 3s. to 5s. per acre to again clear my original clearing. It is about four miles from the railway survey. Grass came as soon as I made my clearing. There is no sign of any salt on my land. I do not know of any samples of soil having been taken from my land for analysis. I have seen fine crops growing in the district, not-withstanding the inadequate methods of cultivation adopted.

(The witness retired.)

EDWARD JAMES McCARTHY, aged 53, Manager Standard Salt Co., auctioneer, etc., Esperance, married, five sons, three daughters, ages 3 years to 30 years—sworn and examined:

392. By the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in the district?—I have four freehold locations at Pink Lake, Nos. 274, 391, 46, and 48. I have some C.P. land at the same place, Locs. 467 and 672. At Coramup I have a grazing lease, No. 538, consisting of 1,598 acres, No. 606 of 598 acres, and No. 611 of 360 acres. My wife and my sons have more land adjoining. The total grazing C.P. land is 2,861 acres. My son—one of two at the Front—has Loc. 598 of 981 acres grazing lease, and my wife holds No. 585 of 701 acres. All stipulated improvements have been carried out on the freeholds. The 160-acre lot has been fenced, but nothing has been done to the grazing leases. Those held by my wife and son have been fenced with sheep-proof fencing which, in the case of my son's property, is not yet complete. My intention in taking up the grazing lease was rather to have land for my son than for my own use. It was taken up about four years ago. I think the land can be worked to advantage for a fair living. The 1,598 acres I will drop if we do not get a railway. Given a railway, I will carry out improvements. I have paid all rents up to the last half-year, but I do not intend to pay any more until we see how the railway is going.

393. Have you any reason to think that the Government will not build a railway?—I had no reason to think that they would take the stand that they have done now. I have kept a good deal of stock, including 100 pigs. We grew a good deal of root crops at Pink Lake, and what could not be disposed