said the Scheme was working well, and also told me that as a rule th truceks had never been used with better results and better purposes. As the country agents were those interested in the plan, the working was satisfactory. Mr. Keys accuses our agents of having shown as "Trucking ex Stack" wheat which was railed direct. The Government Auditor has faulted on our agents' Daily Statements 135,999 bushels, which at ½d. (the difference between temporary stacking and direct trucking rates) would amount to £292 14s. 11d. In 90 per cent. of instances, however, we will be able to disprove the Scheme's auditor's contention. Mr. Keys avers to the Commission ignorance of the system of marking on the tally note the way in which the wheat is dealt with. I produce a duplicate of one of our tally notes. This is practically the same form of tally note which has been used by us since the inception of the Pool, and if Mr. Keys gave us his form, as he says, it is strange that he does not know the form of note we use. You will notice there is a space for the agent to mark the truck number if loaded direct. The farmer receiving that tally note can protect himself and the other farmers interested in the Pool. If, when he delivers his wheat, it is put direct into truck, and the agent does not mark the truck number on the tally note, all the farmer has to do is to draw the agent's attention to it. Agents do not customarily fail to do it, however, because the truck number appearing on their own duplicate copy is of considerable value to them if any truck has to be traced or any other inquiry such as re-dockage is made. Mr. Keys says that the cart notes which the farmers get are never seen by us. That is not so. We have a duplicate of all the cart notes issued throughout the season. I wish the Commission to notice that the alleged entering up of direct trucking as ex stacks was the reason given by Mr. Keys for interfering with out trucking arrangements. Compare the dire results of that action with the amount claimed by the Scheme's auditor to be involved. Would it not have been a very much saner policy to have left well alone as far as the trucking arrangements were concerned, and advertised in the newspapers a notice from the Minister to the farmers requesting them to see that on their cart notes was invariably entered in the space provided, the truck number or the word "Stacked." I ask the Commission, in all fairness, would not this simple expedient have obviated all the losses, trouble and annoyance that resulted? I also notice that Mr. Keys denies Mr. Murray's contention that the strike at depots was due in a considerable measure to the Government refusing to allow us to truck wheat direct. Mr. Keys has told the Commission (under 4408) that, at the time of the strike, the men at all the depots, except Geraldton, were being fully employed. If the Commission will make definite inquiries into the matter they will find that that statement is not correct. The conditions for labour, particularly at Midland, were such that the men were not earning anything like fair regular wages. We were refused permission to handle at the depots. Had we been permitted to do so, I feel sure there would have been no strike. Following upon our getting the acquiring agency and still hoping to be allowed to undertake the depot work, we had thought out a scheme of profit-sharing, which if we had been allowed to carry out would have obviated the strikes and obtained a good feeling between the depot workmen and the growers, saving losses which have undoubtedly accrued and which is impossible to estimate. Mr. Keys says the farmers said they would not blackleg. Probably they would not. As co-operators we feel that the next step in this direction which should be taken in Western Australia is the extension of the principle to the worker, and in this direction we are willing to go out of our way to lend a helping hand. Dealing with expedition in cleaning up stacks, Mr. Keys says (under query 3875) that there should have been no uncovered stacks in the country after the 20th May, and states that carelessness on our part account for any wheat remaining after that date. He also states that towards the end of April and the middle of May trucks were available in sufficient numbers to clean up uncovered stacks. I have here a list of sidings at which no roofing was arranged for, and at which we had wheat unprotected. The quantities remaining at 20th May were approximately, as follows, viz.:—

     Dowerin Line.

       -                  Bags.

Elabbin - 1,000 Newcarnie - 3,190 Nokanning - 18,000

     Wongan Line.

Mocardy - 4,600 Dalwallinu - 1,500 Nugadong - 8,534 Morawa - 3,000

     Quairading Line.

Marley Pool - 3,194 Balkuling - 3,843 Jacob's Well - 962 Badjaling - 2,000 Ulakine - 6,000 Erikin - 2,000 Yarding - 8,142 Eujinyn - 7,300

     Wickepin-Merredin Line.

Malyalling - 7,000 Stretton - 1,500 Nornakin - 1,500 Yalbarrin - 5,354 Jura - 2,000

     Yilliminning-Kondinin Line.

Jitarning - 4,000 Kondinin - 6,000 Bendering - 4,000 Narembeen - 1,912

     Wagin-Kukerin Line.

Nippering - 8,000 Wishbone - 10,925 Kukerin - 7,000 Tarin Rock - 3,000

In country unprotected at 20th May - 135,456

The total wheat received to date being 2,500,063 bags. I submit herewith correspondence dealing with these stacks about the period mentioned by Mr. Keys. Dowerin Line—As indicative of the position on the Dowerin line, on the 4th April, we received the following wire from our agent at Newcarnie:— Cannot obtain trucks rail wheat, please arrange regular supply. Loading 600 daily. Our inspector wired from the same siding on 18th May— Nungarin Co-op. complains cannot get trucks for Elabbin. Newcarnie has every truck loaded. Complains delay. Has 3,000 to load. Wongan Hills Line—With regard to the position on the Wongan Hills line, on the 14th May, Dalwallinu representative wired— No trucks available here. Six men idle. While our Wubin representative, a few sidings furhter up, on the 11th May wired— No trucks available. Evident railways cannot transport. Stop. Suggest operations on fewer stack. Impossible keep men existing conditions. Heavy rains. Quairading Line—I quote from a letter received from our inspector on the 8th May— During the week before last the Railways stopped all wheat from the Quairading and Wickepin lines owing to a glut at Spencer's Brook. The lumpers had already complained of the bad supply of trucks and this put the finishing touch on matters. Men left at Marley Pool, Mt. Hardy, Kauring, Greenhills, Kwolyin, Rickeys, Dangin, Badjaling, Yoting, Ulakine, Shackleton, Erikin, Yarding, Eujinyn, Bruce Rock and Jura, and Babakin. Now lumpers are at work at Mt. Hardy, Marley Pool, but to-day there are no trucks available for them. Bruce Rock, Jura, Narembeen, Yalbarrin, Badjaling: Lumpers gave up owing to lack of trucks.

Following this with another letter, our inspector writes:— May I point out that for the last two months this line has been starved so far as trucks are con-