of was fed to pigs. I find the pigs profitable so long as I grow their fodder. I have been 20 years in Esperance. I have had control of the salt lake ever since I have been here. I manufactured and shipped the first salt sent from here. I manufactured and shipped the first salt sent from here. We have had to close down our mill because we could not get salt enough owing to an undue quantity of summer rain which prevents the necessary evaporation in the lake. It is only by handling great quantities that we could make salt pay, freights being so heavy. It is worth about £2 12s. 6d. per ton f.o.b Esperance. The analysis of the salt is over 98 per cent. Some samples have gone over 99 per cent.; the remainder being principally moisture. We have raised 4,000 tons in one season, that of 1912. Cartage and bad roads have made it a difficult proposition. We hope to make this industry permanent here by raising large quantities in the dry season of the year. When we get a railway we will duplicate our milling plant and erect a refinery. The railway line is to run close by the Pink Lake where our works are situated. The original survey went to the east of Lake Wardern. The deviation will increase the length of the line, but not by more than a mile and a half. I have seen many cereal and other crops growing in the district. I have grown potatoes six pounds under the stalk. I do not know of a better district than this for growing onions. It is not unusual to get onions up to 4 lbs. and 5 lbs. in this district. There is a big stretch of country about here in which these and other vegetables grow to perfection, notably at Boyatup, Mt. Edward, Myrup, Esperance, Pink Lake, Dalyup, and Fanny's Cove.

394. By Mr. PADBURY: What horses and cattle have you?—Eight or nine head of horses and about 10 of cattle. I have had more cattle. Much of the land I hold will be of no use to me without a railway.

394a. What capital have the Salt Co. in the district?—About £3,000. It is a South Australian company, and it works on Yorke's Peninsula and here. We have to cart our salt about four miles over a road representing four tons to six horses. Our reduced output is due wholly to the wet season. During the last year or two we have employed on an average 52 men in the season, exclusive of carters who work by contract. We ship about 2,000 tons at a time.

395. By Mr. McDONALD: How many carters are employed bringing in the salt?—Eight or nine, the usual practice being for one man to have three drays. The railway would, to an extent, cut out that avenue of employment. In our contemplated expansion we would employ a largely increase number of hands. The coming of the 60-mile railway would not be of any advantage to Esperance in respect of agricultural produce. We can grow for ourselves all that we want. What we require is a market, and to get that we should have connection with the main system of railway.

396. By the CHAIRMAN: How do you conduct your charter of ships?—We have to charter ships specially. To lighten the load we get as much cargo as we can at a low freight. When we charter a ship from here we send her perhaps to Rockhampton. When our ship comes from South Australia we offer low freights for super, £1 per ton and general goods at 25s. The trouble is to find enough to bring the vessel over. Through freights from Fremantle are considerably higher.

397. By Mr. McDONALD: If a railway were constructed, would the present jetty facilities be sufficient for the time being?—I think so. The only objection to the present jetty is that it is rather expensive to work. There is 20ft. 6in. at low water, or 18ft. 6in. throughout the berth of 300ft. The present jetty would suffice, for wheat for years to come.

(The witness retired.)

FRANCIS JAMES DAW, aged 71, storekeeper, farmer and grazier, Esperance; married, six sons, four daughters, ages 22 to 36 years—sworn and examined:

398. By the CHAIRMAN: What land do you hold in this district?—On the Dalyup Lakes I hold freehold Locations 32, 33, and 35, totalling 360 acres. I have also 600 acres of C.P. at Dwardia, six miles west of Esperance, Locations 403 of 507 acres, and 582 of 100 acres. The freehold was taken up about 21 years ago and the C.P. about five years ago. I am holding two pastoral leases of respectively 20,000 acres and 10,000 acres. In Esperance I have town lots valued at £2,000, with improvements. I have cultivated merely for our own consumption until lately, when we have been growing a little chaff for sale, 50 acres on an average. I did not fallow in. Last year I cut 1½ tons to the acre. I used one cwt. of super. and one bushel of seed wheat, with a bushel and a-half of oats. I have six-acre mixed orchard on the Dalyup, 22 miles from Esperance, which I planted 20 years ago. It has been most successful. Some of the apricots and peaches died out but we replanted them. The vines have borne continuously. The only disease in the orchard is some scale on the oranges. I have sold some of the fruit in the town and shipped the balance to Ravensthorpe by the steamer. It is by no means a satisfactory arrangement because the fruit has to lie a week at Hopetoun awaiting the train and, in consequence, I have lost tons of grapes. Peaches, apricots, quinces, and apples do the best in my orchard. I have a store at Ravensthope. Much of the land in this district is similar to that in the Ravensthorpe district. Not having any market for their produce the settlers of this district require very long credit. I do not think the settlers can continue in the district without railway facilities. On the other hand, I think that, given a railway, their prospects would be bright. I knew the mallee country in Maitland, South Australia, and in Crystal Brook, when mallee country was regarded as worthless. Our mallee beyond the Patch is very similar to that at Crystal Brook and the difference in rainfall is in our favour. I have grown very fine potatoes at Dwardia. My largest crop was three-quarters of an acre from which I got seven tons. That was about two years . I put in six or seven cwt of manure. I have a lot of similar land on my block, and there are thousands of acres in the locality. I have also grown very fine onions, some of which I have sent even to Perth. I have a small crop on the Dalyup looking very well, although not so good as last year.

399. By Mr. PADBURY: What is the life of the apricot tree in this district?—Ten or twelve years. We cultivate and keep clean the ground between the trees. The scale has been on the oranges for many