vious report. Do you think the analyses of these soils are able to guide him in any way?—I do not think that there is any use in calculating what percentage of the soils analysed contains more than .05 of the salt, because some of the samples were taken from good crops, some from bush lands, some from bad crops, and some from lake bottoms, while some were taken from outside the Esperance district altogether. Mr. Mann in any case could not report on Esperance soils unless he knew the location from which the samples were taken, and the conditions under which the samples were taken. He has not sufficient data to report on the Esperance soils, and I am surprised he should feel justified in forming conclusions.

(The witness retired.)

THOMAS WALKER, M.L.A., sworn and examined:

1084. By the CHAIRMAN: You are member for Esperance district?—That is correct.

1085. For how long have you represented the Esperance district in Parliament?—Ever since the redistribution of seats.

1086. Did you introduce a Bill for the construction of the Esperance railway, and what was the fate of the Bill?—The Government of which I was a member did, and I am half under the impression that I introduced a measure. In the early stages in the fight for the Esperance railway, the measures were defeated. Since I have been a member there have been several attempts, and even before I represented that portion of the now constituency of Kanowna, I advocated the construction of the line through to Esperance, at the time of the passing of the measure authorising the construction of the line to Norseman.

1087. When did the Legislative Council pass the measure?—I was not aware that you would examine me as to dates. That, of course, is on record, and I would not like to state the exact dates.

1088. Can you tell us when the construction of the line was commenced?—Again I have not refreshed my memory as to dates, but it was considerably after the time of the passing of the measure, inasmuch as the Government were delayed because of the need of material. Rails could not be procured, and therefore the commencement of the line in earnest is comparatively recent. But I may say the Government of which I was a member contemplated the passing of the measure—felt confident of its passage—before the Council did agree to it, and with that end in view we spent something like £10,000 in the construction of a road made in such a way that it would be of service when the line was commenced.

1089. You give that as the reason of the delay?—Yes. There was a lack of material for the construction of lines generally. The Government kept faith with their pledges previously made to give their railways precedence in accordance with the time of their being passed, and the line was commenced exactly in its turn.

1090. It has been suggested that the Government of which you were a member were not sincere in regard to the construction of the line?—To that I can give an absolute denial.

1091. You have frequently visited the Esperance and mallee lands between Norseman and Esperance?—Yes.

1092. Will you tell us your impression generally of that country?—My impression of the country is and was on every occasion of my visit that it was essentially neglect on the part of any Government to leave that immense area unused. In the first place I as struck with the natural surroundings of Esperance itself. The harbour is fitted by nature to be the centre of commerce, and my reading had informed me, too, that the waters around Esperance were a natural fishing ground, not for sport or pleasure, but for actual commerce. The salt lakes in close proximity to Esperance, if facilities were given for transport of the salt, promise to be a continual and lucrative enterprise. The lands in the neighbourhood of Esperance itself right up to Dalyup and further,—I believe you yourself, Mr. Chairman, travelled with me to have a look, not only at the orchards that compared favourably with any in the State, but also the vineyards, and the farming lands. The exhibitions I have seen on more than one occasion in Esperance itself of vegetables and fruit grown in the vicinity, were such as to lead anyone to the conclusion that there was fertility in the soil, and that if markets were found for the products and means of transit were close at hand, there would be a settlement close on the coast itself of an extensive character. Further to the north there is, it is true, extensive sandplain, which is not imposing to the agriculturist or one desirous of settlement, but after passing that you come upon land which by every appearance, by every test a man would apply in seeking new lands, promises to return yields for the labour bestowed. Leaving the sand belt, and right up to Grass Patch, the country is good, as mallee country goes. It has all the appearance to me of mallee country to be seen elsewhere, and the thickness of the vegetation and its prolixity show that there is more than the mere average fertility in the soil. And what struck me of more value by way of observation was the fact of its uniformity. The land seems uniformly of the same character. At Grass Patch, of course, we came across the natural soil ,and land of a similar character, but not as generally reported, a little oasis, in the midst of a desert. It is of uniform quality, devoid of the forest, but having to all external appearances the same qualities as the soil surrounding it. North of that, right up to the 90-Mile at Gilmore, I have seen crops growing. For one or two years the crops were failures it is true, but some years I have been there the crops seemed excellent, this right in proximity of what had been salt lakes in the past. I visited a good number of farms where I could, and I never heard of the occupants of the farms describe themselves as any way dissatisfied with the nature of the soil or the response of nature to his efforts. But it was noticeable in many parts where new settlers—those who had only been there recently, before 1911—that they were not skilled farmers. I know several personally who had left the goldfields and who had no experience whatever in farming before going there. They had difficulties in proper clearing, they had difficulties in obtaining suitable implements for cultivation, they not only scratched in but perfectly scratched in their crops, and that might have caused very imperfect yields in the past. From my knowledge of mallee lands for its cultivation, you require not only