8122. By Mr PAYNTER: How much of that was fallow?---160 acres. I plough four or five inches deep. I find Lott's, Federation, Currawa and Bunyip suitable for this district. I sow a bushel of Lott's to the acre, over a bushel of Bunyip and of Currawa, and 60lbs of super. This year is the highest yield I have had. I estimate that to put in and take off a crop costs about 10 bushels. So far as the tariff is concerned there is nothing that presses more heavily on the farmer, in fact it is crippling him and will eventually drive him off the land. Bulk handling is a system which must come. and it will be a saving to the farmers who would use bags to convey the seed to the siding, the same bags over and over again. I had no disease in my crop. I pickle, but do not grade my seed. Vegetables and fruit trees have proved very successful with me and so have poultry and eggs from the market. At harvest time I employ labour and pay 12s. a hundred for sewing bags, I prefer to do this on contract. The man works from 11am to 6pm. Speaking generally, however, I do not think the labour out here is satisfactory. To make a living a man would be better off with 700 acres of first class land. I do not think that a man should have either machinery or horses until he has 500 acres cleared. A man could work 300 acres himself every year. Co-operation is an excellent thing and is being undertaken here at the present time. The farmers are having their own agents co-operating so that the West Australian farmers will get the benefit of the business. The farmer has to stop on his land simply because he cannot get away from it. If he could there would not be one farmer left here today. We have so much allowed us by the Board and that is all we get. Rents and rates are excessive. In this district we pay roads board rates for nothing at all in return. At 10s. I think the price of the land would be reasonable. I am personally satisfied that no rents should be asked until the farmer is getting something for himself, and on virgin country that would take about five years. The Industries Assistance Board has helped the farmer and few of them could have stopped on without their assistance, but I think it requires better management. For instance, I wrote to the Board for my account and by the same post I wrote to a private firm. In a few days I had a reply from the merchant, but I have had none from the Board to the present day, and as for their accounts, when the Board does send them to you you cannot make head or tail of them. They charged me £14 for wages when I had not a man employed and not applied for a man. I wrote about it, but I have got no satisfaction. The institution requires one or two good business men to run things in a proper manner. I have drawn the attention of the inspector to these questions, but he says they have nothing to do with him. None of us could get any satisfaction in reply to our letters.

8123. By Mr VEEN: Are you troubled with rabbits? - They are going to be our next trouble and they have increased greatly of late. Ten years ago there was not a sign of them and now you can see any number of them. They are very thick in the lake country adjacent to the dumps. I have box poison on my land. I intend to go in for sheep when I can, as my land is good jam and York gum country. I have been trying to get the authorities to do something about poison, but the only result has been that they sent me a lot of forms to fill in.

8124. By the CHAIRMAN: What is your age? - I am 27.

8125. If you are not satisfied with the conditions why do you not leave? - I do not want to.

8126. Where do you think you could do better? - I do not think any anywhere at the present time. I suppose I must stop until things get better.

8127. Do not you think you have done well as it is? - Yes.

8128. Why do you say that every farmer would leave the land if he could when your own instance gives a contradiction to such a statement? - I think they will be satisfied when things look better. I say there are no farmers satisfied at the present time.

8129. There is a difference in hedging like that. The State does not want you if you are not satisfied. They would take your property over and it is no use your making such statements. You are going to do no good by adopting that attitude? - I mean if a man could sell out and realise what he put into it, the farmer would be glad to leave his holding. Any farmer would be glad to leave if he could sell out and avoid the continuous muddling, but no man can sell out unless he sacrifices everything.

8130. If you got five years' exemption from the payment of rent and sympathetic treatment, you mean you would go on? - I am going to see it through anyway.

8131. By Mr PAYNTER: You are in a position to pay your rent in normal seasons? - Yes.

8132. By Mr VENN: Do you think you prefer this district to the South-West? - Yes, but if a man had money it would be better to live in the South-West. My point, however, is the conditions under which the farmers live. They do not mind the work nor whether they are poor or not, but the conditions under which the women live are abominable. Any British subject should be comfortably housed, but they have not time to make things comfortable.

8133. By the CHAIRMAN: Your statement is the worst given to us, but I think we understand one another very plainly now? - I think the Farmers and Settlers' Association or the Government should do something for the women in the farming districts in the direction of nursing. Nurses are more important than doctors. All the suburbs have a district nurse and we have nothing.

8134. The Council of churches should be spoken to about this matter? - I think so.

8135. By Mr PAYNTER: The qualified nurse will not go out and live under the conditions of the farmers here. First of all they should be provided with proper accommodation? - We have always had a female school teacher here. Why should not we have a nurse also? This is a strong point with me and I am going to battle for it.

(The witness retired.)