4463. Is there any necessity for keeping those inspectors employed all year round?—There is always wheat in the country. We would not send them chasing round the country if there were no wheat to look at. 4464. Have you any wheat in Albany and Bunbury at the present time?—Yes, in both places. The officers belonging to the Scheme are looking after this wheat. 4465. Are they paid a yearly salary?—None of the officers are, except two or three members of the civil service, who have been transferred to the Scheme. All are on weekly notice. 4466. Is there any reason why there should be a difference between the salaries of the men employed at Albany and Bunbury?—The man at Bunbury is more expert than the man at Albany, and the wheat at Bunbury is mostly stacked in the open, while the wheat in Albany is stacked in sheds. 4467. By Hon. R. G. ARDAGH: Do your inspectors and the inspectors of the Westralian Farmers go round the country together inspecting stacks?—At the beginning of the season they went round together. They had to assess certain repairs which were necessary to stacks, and we specially arranged for them to go together. It might also happen that the course of our inspectors and those of the Westralian Farmers might lie in the same direction, and then they would travel together. 4468. By Mr. Brown: Has there been any difference in the reports of their inspectors and yours?—I never see the reports of the inspectors of the Westralian Farmers. 4469. Have the inspectors of the Westralian Farmers ever complained to you about your inspectors?—They have never approached me. All that has been said about my inspectors is that they were ex-employees of other firms, and consequently were biassed and were trying to kill the co-operative movement. 4470. By the CHAIRMAN: Is it not an advantage for both inspectors to be together when there is something wrong?—Yes. I notice Mr. Murray referred to this matter when giving evidence, and said he put down the trouble which had arisen to bad management and to the fact that the inspectors would control every action of the Westralian Farmers, and that when the Westralian Farmers had made suggestions no notice had been taken of them. As a matter of fact, I have no records of any suggestions being made by their inspectors. The Westralian Farmers may have made suggestions which had come from their inspectors, but I would not know from whom they came. 4471. Mr. Murray also said that he defied you to quote an instance where the Westralian Farmers had refused to adopt your suggestion?—I have referred to an instance at Kellerberrin only to-day. A week or two ago one of our inspectors had to get into touch with Mr. Mather, the secretary of the co-operative company there, to get the work done in a better manner. 4472. Mr. Murray in his evidence said, "Our country agents will not do it for this reason. We arranged with Mr. Keys a certain method of handling, and instructed our agents accordingly. Along comes the Government inspector and he gives a different instruction. This has led to hopeless confusion"?—I do not know what Mr. Murray is talking about. Our inspectors do not go round stating that wheat should be handled in a given manner; they say it should be handled carefully. 4473. Then Mr. Murray quotes from an article in the Sunday Times of the 2nd June, and he pointed out that he got a sworn declaration from a man named McAulay, in which McAulay stated that during a conversation Inspector Gillespie gave him to understand that he (Gillespie) had written the letter in the Sunday Times?—Gillespie did not write the letter. I would suggest that you call him and ask him. 4474. As you told us yesterday, an endeavour is to be made next year to apply the War Precautions Act to the agent who acquired wheat?—Only in the hope of making them do their work properly. We merely endeavour to see that they do their work properly. 4475. And they must not criticise anything done by the Scheme?—Recognising the custom of principal and agent. 4476. If the acquiring agent handling the wheat sees something wrong, he is not to write a letter to the newspapers about it ?—Only confidential information is not allowed to go out. 4477. But they cannot criticise?—We do not say that. 4478. It means that?—No. 4479. If your inspector has been going round, as Mr. Murray claims, making statements as per a signed declaration, will it not be necessary for you make similar provision for your inspectors?—Yes, if one of my inspectors did that I would warn him, and on the next occasion he would be looking for a job. In regard to the Pingelly stack, the trouble was on account of the small portion of the roof blowing off. Mr. Murray in his evidence said it was re-covered within a week. According to two of my inspectors it was not re-covered within a month. 4480. By Mr. HARRISON: Do you remember the date on which it was blown off?—Early in May the inspector reported a few sheets off and that he had mentioned it to the sub-agent, who said he would not put it on again without instructions from the Westralian Farmers. 4481. Do you know when it was re-covered?—No. 4482. By Mr. BROWN: Was there in the new draft agreement any difference from the last in regard to the determination of the agreement by the Minister; there is no appeal from the decision of the Minister?—None at all. That has been in all agreements. 4483. By the CHAIRMAN: The blowing off of part of the roof of the Pingelly stack was reported on the 28th May. The report is not signed, but it appears to be from Mr. Sabine?—Mr. Gillespie first reported it. Perhaps his report is not on the file. 4484. You wrote to the Westralian Farmers on the subject on the 30th May. On the 7th June they replied to the effect that the damaged roof had been relaid. On the 8th June Mr. Gillespie reported that the roof dismantled by wind previous to the 7th May had not yet been adjusted?—That shows that a month elapsed between the storm and the adjusting of the roof. 4485. Did you bring the matter to the notice of the Westralian farmers at the time?—Yes. I asked them to instruct the sub-agent to repair the damage. Mr. Murray in his evidence said the roofing adopted was not suitable, that the Westralian Farmers had protested against it but that I said it was the best possible, notwithstanding which the roof promptly blew off. There are between 20 or 30 stacks roofed and, of the whole number, only two, at Pingelly and Ardath, have given any difficulty at all. Under the old system of roofing, dozens of roofs were blown off. We have had roofs blow off the stacks at Fremantle. The reasons for the adoption of the new system were that it was prompt, economical, and practically fool proof, which to my mind, was the main thing. At the time the Westralian Farmers wrote to me complaining of the new system we were shifting five stacks which they had erected last season and in every one there was damage through faulty roofing. 4486. The roofs this season were merely temporary?—Yes. One might roof the stack to-day and truck it away to-morrow. The system of last season was good one if well carried out, but dangerous if loosely carried out. 4487. That is, owing to the wheat being shifted in a short time, you merely provide a roof to remain very temporarily?—A temporary roof, but at the same time an effective roof. This year the system of roofing was so simple that a child could do it. It was simply weighting with sleepers. We allowed a large overlap in case the roof should slip slightly. This system was much cheaper than that adopted in the past. I estimate in cost of wire and extra timber the Scheme must have saved about £500 on the few stacks which we roofed this season. 4488. We asked Mr. Baxter and Mr. Hall some questions regarding the flour sheds at North Fremantle?—Those sheds have been erected for the Imperial Government, who pay the whole cost of them. They have been erected to designs furnished by Mr. Love, which designs we have, with his express consent, cheapened in a few particulars. Then the Fremantle re-conditioning shed was mentioned. There has been a very long delay as regards that matter. You will notice on the files a minute I put up to Mr Baxter soon after I took charge of the Scheme, pointing out that a shed had been erected and machines for clean