cerned. Lumpers left and only a few men remained to fill up the limited number of trucks supplied. The Wheat Scheme have suddenly arranged with the Railway Department for a special supply of empties. No notice was given the country agents, but trucks were bumped in for quick loading. Cannot the Scheme understand that in the country nowadays men cannot be obtained immediately. Moreover our agents have no information to justify the employment of gangs. These trucks may be simply and accidental surplus never to be repeated. Why could not the Scheme notify us that trucks were available. The statement that at Erikin the loading of chaff does not interfere with wheat loading is incorrect. I have myself been in the yard when empties were there all earmarked for chaff while our lumper stood idle. Owing to our representations an arrangement has been made whereby the trucks are shared and our lumper has not let any remain empty. You perhaps will remember that at Badjaling when wheat was being rushed in and no dunnage was available there were plenty of empty trucks, but we were not allowed to fill them as they were for chaff. On one occasion, growing alarmed at the number of bags being placed on the ground, I instructed the lumpers to fill up some of the trucks. They did so, but it was only with difficulty that the station- master at Quairading was dissuaded from the compelling the unloading of the wheat. The Scheme will find that work is now proceeding apace, but had they notified us of their arrangements with the Railway Department extra men could have bent sent out much sooner.

On the 8th April Balkuling Co-operative company wired:—

If trucks are not supplied at once Balkuling Co-operative must cancel contract load wheat, men leaving Wednesday. Morgan, Chairman. On the 24th April the Beverley Co-operative Company write as follows:—

I beg to inform you that there is difficulty in getting trucks at Rickey's siding. I understand that Dangin and Balkuling have first call on trucks. Now, sir , I am anxious to get this stack cleaned up, but unless a regular supply of trucks are sent so that we can keep going, it will be impossible for us to shift the stack without showing a loss, so please let me know when you will be able to secure a supply from the Railway Department.

Our Shackleton-Kwolyin agent wrote regarding Ulakine on the 20th February:—

We will have difficulty in retaining the lumper there as he is only making 4s. to 5s. per day at present. The same applies Erikin, only 5,800 odd bags have been delivered to Ulakine since January 1st, and there will not be much more, so please make an effort to supply us with trucks, or we shall be left in a hole.

On the 29th April, the same agent writes:—

Can you not make a special effort to have Kwolyin and Shackleton wheat removed. If trucks do not arrive at Kwolyin in the morning we propose starting on Ulakine if trucks are available.

Our agent writes on the 27th May:—

UlakineI expect will be cleaned up in a week's time, also Erikin. Our trouble has been to get trucks, but I don not anticipate trouble now. The same agent wired on 4th June:—

Have ordered 90 tons trucks daily for Kwolyin. Cannot get trucks Erikin. we have lost four days out of nine. Get trucks through Wednesday. On the 9th March our Bruce Rock company writes:—

I received your letter re trucking from Jura, Yalbarin, and Narembeen. I have tried to get trucks from the station- master, but he says he cannot supply same. Please do what you can for us at Perth, otherwise lumpers will be going.

On the 15th March the same agent wires:—

Cannot get trucks here. Can you do anything with Railway Department, Perth.

On the 26th March he wires:—

No trucks at siding. Lumpers leaving. Can you do anything with Railway Department.

On the 8th May our inspector advises regarding Narembeen:—

The lumper here threw up his contract owing to shortage of trucks.

On the 21st May our agent writes:—

In reply to yours of the 17th, I beg to state that lumpers had to leave off trucking owing to no trucks being available. They have been going again at Narembeen.

On the 31st May Mr. Macgregor was at Bruce Rock. The Scheme had been telling us that special trains were being run, and that there were ample trucks. Mr. Macgregor made inquiries on the spot, and found lumpers idle owing to inability to procure trucks ordered. He interviewed the station-master, who intimated that he experienced the greatest difficulty in getting trucks, and that our representative's statements to that effect were correct. Mr. Macgregor tells me the station-master also told him that the special trains the Scheme were supposed to arrange for, had not come past Shackleton and were therefore of no use to the Bruce Rock sidings. On the 6th June the Bruce Rock Co-operative Company wired again:—

Only three trucks supplied to Enjinyn last week. Have been railing all this week at Yalbarin. Regarding these Bruce Rock sidings Mr. Keys tells the Commission that they were not cleaned up promptly because they were operating at five sidings. Does he suggest that this man and our own representative have been concocting fabrications throughout the season? Wickepin-Merredin Line.—Regarding this line I quote from a letter received from Corrigin on the 2nd April:—

Re: Trucking: As we have less than eight weeks to go before contract ceases between sub-agents and lumpers, and as we have over 50,000 bags to shift, we would like you to try and make a special effort to try and supply us with trucks. There are no trucks coming to us along the Wickepin-Merredin railway except what comes in loaded with goods or super. We have seven men lying idle, so please see what you can do in this matter. Please bear in mind this is not a complaint against the station-master here. He is trying his best for us. The last time I wrote re trucks it seems you took it as a complaint against him, as he got word from head office about it. On the 24th April, the same company wrote:—

Re Trucking: We would like to state after repeatedly sending orders for trucks for Bullaring, etc., we cannot get them, so we would like you to try and see what you can do in the matter at your end as we would like Bullaring, Nornakin, and Jubuk cleaned up as soon as possible. As there is only one train a week coming up the Brookton line, Kunjin is very awkwardly placed, which means if they put in a train load of trucks the men can fill them in two days. It is not fair to men to ask them too work two days and idle the rest of the week. We think it should be arranged somehow to get a special train to deliver trucks twice a week. If Kujin could be supplied, about fifteen days would see it through. We would like our stacks cleaned up by the end of May as we are sure that in that date the lumpers will stop and then demand more money.

On the 8th May or inspector wrote regarding the position at sidings between Bruce Rock and Wickepin as follows:—

On the Wickepin line on my last trip just over a week ago there was not a single empty truck until I came to Wickepin. Lumpers were all growling as I had been assuring them for two months that supplies would improve.

Yilliminning-Kondinin Line —On the 8th May our representative writes:—

I am in receipt of your wire of yesterday's date, reading:"Scheme complain they cannot get wheat from your line, although plenty of trucks available, etc.,etc.," I wired a reply that the Scheme's complaint was not based on facts—that loaded trucks were left standing here upwards of five weeks. The wording of the wire insinuates that the cause of the delay is the fault of this agency, and although delays have taken place, it has purely been the muddled state of the railways. Innumerable written requests, telephone messages to the station master in charge of our line, telephones to the Transport Department and to the District Super-Intendent for trucks have been made almost daily, and we could not get trucks. Our sidings were without trucks for as long as 10 days, and when we were fortunate enough to secure any trucks they