Federal Government were going to charter all ships and allot them to the various States. They refused this offer of a million tons and never got another chance.

5681. Was not an offer of shipping made to and turned down by the Australian Wheat Board owing to the limit fixed?—No, that was before the Pool. I was in London when this limiting of the amount to be paid was fixed. Now it has been said that the co-operative companies could not give equal security with the big firms in regard to documents and the like. That is altogether misleading. For instance, we have a bill of lading. The moment the captain signs it, it is as good whether in the name of the co-operative society or one of the big firms. It is ample security. Take Dreyfus & Co., a very strong firm. They are speculators and they deal largely in Argentine wheat. The co-operative societies here are interested in the farmers and would have a very big say with the farmers, and all the farmers would be inspectors working in their own interests.

5682. Things would be entirely different under normal conditions?—I do not care what the conditions are. I sell a cargo to you and you have to take it. I hand you the bill of lading, you hand me a cheque. If anything is wrong with the cargo you go before the Baltic and claim damages, and all these things are settled by arbitration.

5683. You claim that the co-operative societies could manage the wheat under normal conditions?—Yes. Allow us to get the ships and the co-operative societies are strong enough all over Australia to do the whole business. I do not see the slightest reason why it could not be worked just as well by the co-operative societies. It would bring us into closer touch with the British Government, for the British Government will take our produce in preference to that of the Argentine.

5684. I notice that the wool has been dealt with differently?—I do not quite understand that, unless it is because wool is not so perishable an article as wheat.

5685. By Mr. BROWN: Is there any disadvantage to our farmers in their being unable to transfer wheat certificates for speculative purposes?—I should say there was. Why should they not, if they wish to do so, sell their certificates if they are in need of money, and why should not others who have the money buy them. I do not think that ought to be prevented.

5686. By Mr. HARRISON: Do you agree that the farmers are still the owners of the wheat although they have this advance in the Government?—They are the owners under mortgage. We are told that if the wheat fetches more money we will be paid more.

5687. You think they have a claim?—They are told so. The Board and the Government have said that if the wheat brings more than 4s. 4d. the farmers will get more. That is not properly understood by the farmers. They are treated fairly by the Government. The unfortunate part is that the farmers see the damage that is done to their wheat through being allowed to get wet. They see it carted away like manure and it naturally upsets them very much. The whole trouble lies in the wheat being allowed to get wet and deteriorating in this way. It is said that in this State a lot of the wheat this year has had four inches of rain upon it. I think people are inclined to exaggerate the evil of weevil. I do not think it will mean the loss that is generally supposed. The greatest damage was from the wheat not being properly protected from the rain.

5688. By the CHAIRMAN: Our farmers are anxious to get bulk storage. Do you think that will be a good thing?—It will be eventually, but not to begin with. All our machinery has to be altered, for instance, and there is a great deal more in the subject than the farmers think. I believe it is coming, and that the sooner we prepare for it the better.

(The witness retired.)

The Commission adjourned.

FRIDAY, 16th AUGUST, 1918. (At Narrogin.)

Present: Hon. W. C. Angwin, M.L.A., Chairman Hon. J. F. Allen, M.L.C. | S. M. Brown, Esq., M.L.A. T. H. Harrison, Esq., M.L.A.

JOSEPH MERRIN, Officer in charge of the Narrogin depot, sworn and examined:

5689. By the CHAIRMAN: Have you had any difficulty in regard to securing sufficient wheat to keep your men employed?—None whatever.

5690. What has the condition of wheat been like?—Fairly good. Some has arrived from country stacks damaged by rain, but I stacked that at one end and re-conditioned it. I put no damp wheat into the stack.

5691. Have you had any difficulty with the acquiring agents?—No trouble whatever. Everything has worked smoothly so far as I was concerned.

5692. Do you know of any complaints against the acquiring agents in this district?—I do not.

5693. Have you heard of any complaints in regard to the alleged neglect on the part of the Railway Department to supply trucks to agents?—Yes, I have heard complaints on both sides. The acquiring agents reckoned the Department could not keep them going, and the Railways considered that they always had plenty of trucks at the sidings. That, however, is only hearsay.

5694. Have you ever had any full trucks kept here for any length of time?—There have been very few such cases. There have been instances of delays of 24 or perhaps 48 hours, but never for any greater length of time, of course excepting the time of the strike.

5695. Have you had any difficulty with regard to dockage?—No; it has always been arranged between the Westralian Farmers' representative and myself or the clerk at the depot.

5696. How did your dockage compare with that of the agents in the country?—I cannot say because there are several co-operative societies sending in to this depot, but with the local co-operative society it compared very favourably.

5697. Then it would compare well with that of the outside societies seeing that there were no complaints?—It would.

5698. Mr. Sabine is the inspector for this district?—Yes.

5699. There have been complaints that Mr. Sabine has shown bias towards the acquiring agents. Can you give us any information about that?—I do not think he has shown any bias; I think he has acted fairly. There has been a little trouble with the sub-agents, but that has been through inexperience.