that the female, after she comes out of the pupa stage, becomes impregnated, and within a month she is capable of laying 100 eggs. Take it that half those eggs are fertile, and that half of the 50 prove to be females, and It will be seen that their breeding is a pretty tall order. I do not wish to say that no weevil what ever existed here before these were imported from Germany, but these are a very prolific variety, and if they got at large I have no doubt they would do tremendous damage. There is no doubt they have injured our wheat stacks. We have a great scientist in Professor Lefroy, and I hope his treatment of the stacks will be efficacious.

5298. You know that Geraldton is the only place in the State at which Professor Lefroy's methods have been adopted?—Yes.

5299. Do you know that weevils have developed in that particular stack?—I understand so.

5300. Is not the weevil also a native of India?—Yes .

5301. Is it not possible that they came here from India in the jute ?—That is where I think the rice weevil came from. It was the wheat weevil which was imported by the Germans.

5302. You have not gone into the question of the destruction of weevil?—No. I tried some experiment with nitrous oxide fumes which were very effectual. I should think the naphthaline and the aerating of the stacks would be very effective.

(The witness retired)

PATRICK STONE, Retired Storekeeper and Farmer, sworn and examined:

5303. By the CHAIRMAN: I believe you desire to give the Commission some information in regard to the handling of wheat in this district?—Yes, I have had experience of wheat both as a farmer and as a storekeeper. I have been here since 1863. I have had a lot to do with the buying of wheat both for myself and as managing director of the local flour mill for three years until the Government took over the supplies. I have bought 90,000 bags of wheat in a year for the mill. I think some improvement might be introduced in the handling of the wheat in this district. Most of the farmers in the districts are new and have started with very little means. In the first place there was a falling off in the wheat yield. Of the 1916-17 crop about 400,000 bags came into Geraldton. For 1917-18 I do not think it will touch 170,000 bags, while the new crop I think will be below 100,000 bags. To a large extent this is accounted for by the altered conditions, the war coming on top of bad seasons and the Government taking over the farmers, while the prices of commodities and wages have advanced—all this coupled with the unsatisfactory conditions of payment. One point which might be attended to is this: None of the local merchants will make any advance to a Farmer at present. Many of the farmers cannot put in their crop for want of manure. They must pay in advance for any manure they require. Another thing is the shortage of bags for farmers not under the Industries Assistance Board or in the co-operative society. I know a great many farmers who could not reap their corn this year nor last year for want of bags, not having the money to pay for them in advance. This could be easily remedied. Seeing that all the wheat belongs to the Government and the railways are not allowed to lift it except for the Government, I think the Government might make some arrangements to supply those short of bags or of manure, to advance those commodities at reasonable interest making it a first charge on the wheat just as in the case of haulage.

5304. You are dealing with those not under the Industries Assistance Board?—Yes, people who have tried to keep off the Industries Assistance Board have been at a disadvantage. Then there is the matter of delivery at the sidings. This might be improved upon. There are some 300 sidings throughout the Sate at which wheat is delivered. But in small communities there is often friction; a man is appointed to receive wheat and he docks it 1s. 6d. in consequence of which the farmer is not satisfied and so will not put up in a great quantity of wheat. If the farmers were allowed to sell a limited quantity of wheat for stock, poultry, and seed, I think it would be an improvement. We are a long way from headquarters and it takes a lot of preliminaries before one can effect a deal with the result that the average farmer stands off it. Our harbour accommodation is a disadvantage to the wheat growers in this district. Before the Government took over the handling of the wheat we had sailing ships coming here and taking from 25,000 to 35,000 bags of wheat. They had no difficulty with their present shipping accommodation. Steamers taking from 75,000 to 80,000 bags could not pick up more than from 50,000 to 55,000 bags at the present jetty. This causes a great deal of wheat to drift to Fremantle. If the harbour scheme, which you, Mr. Chairman, as Minister for Works started, was carried out that difficulty would soon vanish.

5305. You say that none of the local merchants would advance commodities required by the farmer?—That is so.

5306. Does that apply similarly to bags?—Yes, particularly.

5307. Do you think that under existing conditions the wheat Scheme should supply bags?—Yes, and make it a first charge.

5308. You pointed out that there is a shortage of bags for farmers not under the Industries Assistance Board or in co-operative societies.You think that being members of the co-operative societies they can get credit?—They can arrange much better than those who are not members. I am not an advocate of the co-operative societies.

5309. They seem to treat their customers better than do the private merchants?—Yes.

5310. Does that account principally for the falling off in acreage this year?—Yes.

5311. You are still one of the directors of the local flour mill?—No, merely a shareholder.

5312. You cannot tell us how the gristing of the wheat is paying?—It is paying pretty well. In the first year I took over the mill made a profit of £6,000. Now they are grinding for 7d. per bushel for the Wheat Board and going 24 hours per day putting through about 300 bags per day.

5313. You do not think we are paying the mill too much for gristing?—No. They used to charge 8d. before the Government took over and as a farmer I had to pay 10d. and 1s. to the other mills.

5214. Owing to continuous working they have been able to make a reduction?—Yes.

5315. A little while ago you inferred that the wheat belonged to the Government. How do you make that out?—The farmer is not allowed to sell to any but the Government or their agents.

5316. Is that not in the interests of the Scheme?—It cuts both ways. It is very inconvenient for people who want supplies, and it gives a monopoly to a few.

5317. Remembering that there is a lot of damaged wheat, do you not think it would be unwise to give the farmer an opportunity of selling his new wheat?—It may be so, but there is a great deal more waste than there should be. I have seen the wheat knee deep all around the stacks.

5318. That is some time ago?—It is nearly always going on. I have seen wheat 18 inches thick baked into a cinder at the bottom of the stacks, gone into black cakes, that was owing to want of proper dunnage.

5319. By Hon. R. G. ARDAGH: Has that occured with the 1917-18 harvest?—I have not noticed it so much this year.

5320. By the CHAIRMAN : You said that some wheat was docked 1s. 6d. per bushel. Can you give any reason for that?—The man in charge said there was a little drake in it. One pound of drake to the bushel looks very bad, but I do not see why there should be such a deduction. It applied to only a few bags, yet it was docked over the whole truck.

5321. We saw some wheat yesterday which was nearly as much drake as wheat?—I have not seen it so bad as that.

5322. You realise that it is necessary in the interests of the man who keeps his wheat clean, that dockage should be made on dirty wheat?—Yes. In the mill we used to take samples of anything we thought below f.a.q. and put them is glass jars with dates, the names of the owners and the numbers of the trucks, together with the weight per bushel. Thus we avoided friction by being able to produce the sample.