milking 17 cows. I have two acres of potatoes in all the year round.

11081. By Mr PAYNTER: What returns do you get from your diary?—My cows average me £1 a month.

11082. And from your potatoes?—My yield from the potatoes equals about 5 tons to the acre. The price at the present time is satisfactory but the price is not always so.

11083. Where do you dispose of your cream?—I send it to the Busselton factory.

11084. Are you satisfied with the factory?—Yes. I am very satisfied with it.

11085. By the CHAIRMAN: Has the Department of Agriculture been of any use to you? I have never had any assistance from the Department of Agriculture. Mr Connor has never been at my place since he has been appointed. I met him at Busselton once or twice.

11086. How long have you been farming?—I have been in touch with the agricultural industry all my life, but I have only been dependent on agriculture for a living for the last ten years.

11087. What is your opinion of the district?—I consider it is a first-class one, but a great want in my opinion os that many settlers want education in various lines that they are going in for.

11088. Do you find labour satisfactory?—I do not employ any labour outside my own family.

11089. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been endeavouring to grow feed for my cows but have not been very successful. The summer is too dry and my cows are going off now for want of green feed. I have grown some oats and have got fairly good returns for them. I have also grown mangolds for the cows and these have been satisfactory. I feed them with the roots. The trouble in our district is that the ground during the winter is flooded and then from November until March we are absolutely without water. All the water used during that time is from the well. We have a Government drainage scheme of a kind and so far as it goes is satisfactory, but it has not been completed. If this was proceeded with it would improve the land considerably. The people were not satisfied with it and refused to pay the rate levied because the scheme was not finished. Another matter, I consider we should have railway communication from Busselton south to the Margaret river and Augusta. The survey has been made and certain clearing done, but the work has been stopped.

11090. To Mr PAYNTER: It costs me 10 per cent of the value of my cream to have it delivered at the factory. A railway has been promised to the settlers for years and every change of Government has a different policy in regard to the matter. People have been trying to get it for the past 20 years. If the Wilson Government had remained, I consider that we should have had a railway by now, or at any rate, it would have been proceeded with. There are people 40 miles out, with no means of marketing their produce. I consider that between here and the Margaret river there must be 50 to 60 settlers.

11091. By Mr PAYNTER: Would a motor service be of any advantage?—Yes, it would certainly be a benefit. Now we have only horses and carts.

11092. To the CHAIRMAN: We have now to pay 2s for a five-gallon time of cream over 12 miles. The Government gives us a rebate of 6d per tin.

11093. By the CHAIRMAN: Do you consider this good dairying country?—There are hundreds of thousands of acres that could be used for dairying. I refer to the country lying between Busselton and Augusta along the coast.

11094. What is the experience of the new settlers?—In regard to the newcomers on the land it is pitiful to see the way these men spend their little bit of capital. I know a man that spent £700. He might as well have thrown it into the sea. He had a fairly good block, with one corner of poor country on it and it was on this poor bit of land that he spent his money. I consider the Agricultural Department should make some effort to educate these men before they go on the land.

(The witness retired.) ________________

RICHARD GALE, Retired Farmer, Busselton, sworn and examined:

11095. To the CHAIRMAN: I have been living in this district for 57 years. I went in mostly for dairying. I also ha sheep and engaged in mixed farming. I now hold between 4,000 and 5,000 acres. Originally I had 10,000 acres but have sold some since; Fairlawn, a portion of the property, is now let for dairying.

11096. I expect there is no man knows more of this district than you, and I consider that it would be better if you gave us you opinion of the district rather than that I should put the ordinary questions?—My opinion is that you could not get a better dairying district in the State. We had Professor Paterson down here and he said he knew of no better dairying country in the colony. You can grow maize, millet Indian corn, and other summer crops very successfully. I consider that a settler in this class of land should have 2,000 acres, but too much land is no good to anyone. The land is certainly patchy in the district but there is plenty f good country. I offered 2,000 acres to the Government a little while ago for 25s per acre. This was well improved with house, windmills, etc. I consider a soldier would not require more than 200 acres. In many cases 100 acres would keep a man, but I consider that each man should be able to carry some stock. Dairying would be the principal line. The Government has spend a good deal of money 10 miles out on a drainage scheme, but this needs completion.

11097. By Mr. PAYNTER: Is there any Government land available for settlement?—Yes, there is some about two miles out, but it is not much good. I would not recommend anyone to take it up. It has been tried. The land Guide put men out on this country, and out of 20 there is only one left now. A man could not get a living there. The land I refer to is at Chapman's Hill.

11098. What is the position of the new settler?—I consider that new settlers require more supervision than they have had. If they put soldiers on to the land and do not assist them and supervise their methods, they will not be a success. It would be no good putting returned soldiers out in the back country. They will not stop there. I consider that the blocks should be improved before soldiers or other settlers are put on to them. They only go out and spend all they have and then leave their blocks.

(The witness retired.)