ance conditional purchase, at 10s. per acre. It is all fenced, 25 acres cleared. I have a house of five rooms, four horses, four head of cattle, and about 12 pigs. I started with about £100 capital, and have since put what I have earned as wages into the farm. I am practically free of debt to-day. I have 18 acres of good orchard planted to various fruits. My living has been derived until two years ago from my trade as a carpenter. I was managing a timber yard also for Millars until a few years ago. Under normal conditions I can make a living from the land and after the war I consider we shall do well. We must have cheap lime in this district. There is plenty of lime around here which, however, is not available, and we have to bring it from Fremantle or Dongarra. It costs about £2 to land it here. Two years ago the Government advertised, offering a concession for burning lime. The terms were absolutely absurd. The number of men to be employed —about 20— was impossible. The conditions were framed by someone without any idea of carrying on the business. From Albany right out to here I do not consider that you can go many chains without striking lime outcrops.

11530. By the CHAIRMAN : What do your apple trees yield? About two cases per tree. We have been unfortunate in the way we planted. We put in unsuitable trees. We have had to take out hundreds of them. Would it be possible to get the Government to reduce the price of fruit cases? They have gone up 200 per cent. in the last two or three years. Last year I got what I wanted at 5s. This year I have to pay 7s. 6d. I refer to the price charged by the spot mills round here. I was 20 years in Millars' employ and fruit cases are the best payable line that they have to-day.

(The witness retired.)

ALFRED LAWRENCE, Farmer, Young's Siding, sworn and examined:

11531. To the CHAIRMAN : I have been six years on the land in this district. I hold 170 acres in three blocks. The original price was 15s. per acre for one block, 17s. 6d. for another, and £3 2s. 6d. for another. I understand that the reduction is being made in regard to the lower-priced blocks. I have both swamp and hill country. The heavily-priced block is swamp about 30 acres in the Lake Sadie No. 2 location. All of the land is fenced, and of the 140 acres 14 acres have been cleared. I have a four-roomed house, six head of cattle, five horses, and seven pigs. I have 7½ acres cleared at Lake Sadie. I started with £600 capital. I came from England, where I was a market gardener and dairyman. I have borrowed from Agricultural Bank £120 and from the Industries Assistance Board £100. I consider that I cannot make a living from the land as I am too much in debt. I have been flooded out for the past two years. I estimate my ;loss at 40 tons of potatoes, and this year I have lost nine acres.

11532. To Mr. VENN : I got heavy yields from the swamp country. I consider I can get 8 to 10 tons from the swamp. My last season's crop was only three tons to the acre. I use about 12 cwt. of mixed manure.

11533. By the CHAIRMAN : Are there any other matters you would like to place before the Commission?—What with the Agricultural Bank interest and the rates payable, and having no further capital to go on with, I do not know what to do. I have to go out and work. I do not feel inclined to go further into debt, and I consider the case of each settler in these parts should be individually investigated, and, where possible, the interest struck off. I have worked hard on my place, which will bear inspection. I was out working for four months of last year, and after selling some cattle I put all the money into potatoes, which I lost. The drainage has not been put in properly. The classification of the Lake Sadie land is very misleading. When I came here the immigration office handed me over to the Lands Department and I was given this land, which I now find to be highly charged with minerals. After this experience I went in for other land, with the result I have been flooded out.

(The witness retired.)

ROBERT FREEBOROUGH, Farmer, Young's Siding, sworn and examined:

11534. To the CHAIRMAN : I have been five years on the land in this district. I am renting my property, which comprises 320 acres. It is all fenced and subdivided and 12 to 13 acres are cleared. This is hill country. There is a house on the land. I have one horse, four head of cattle and two pigs. I am receiving money from England. I have been trying to get some swamp land, but so far have not been successful.

11535. What matters do you wish particularly to bring under the notice of the Commission ?—This country requires drainage and good roads.

11536. By Mr. VENN: You say you have been trying to get some swamp land?—I have been trying to get land for the last five years and cannot get even a few acres of swamp. I consider this is the worst managed country I have ever been in. I have been on four continents and have lived in eight different countries and this is the worst of the lot.

(The witness retired.)

MICHAEL RYAN, Farmer, Lake Sadie, sworn and examined:

11537. By the CHAIRMAN : We have already had a lot of evidence here, and I shall be glad to know if there is anything you wish particularly to place before the Commission?— Yes; the necessity for the proper drainage of the Lake Sadie district. We want a bigger outlet for the water and deeper drains to take the water off the blocks. This is a most important matter. There has been a great deal of trouble and loss of crops there is year. The outlet is smaller than the inlet to the lake. We have very bad roads here and something, I think, should be done to improve these.