The Yanco Inquiry. Allocated

that the matter and instructed Mr. Brewster to pre Minister, Mr. Ashford. was considered as one which be pare plans of the proposed farms. Mr. A. E. Cook, president, M.I. could remedied in the THE YANCO Witness stated he had visited Settlers' Association, admitted that application. Witness said in reply INQUIRY. could not to Mr. McEachern that sometimes Mildura in company with Mr. they substantiate any with the of evidence to the made applicants apply for a block on the McEachern, A object prove charges the officers. understanding that someone else is AT LEETON. seeing how , that Irrigation' Area against OPENED to a .farm for was run, and picking up dseful in In reply Mr. Brewster, witness granted neighboring which he has so that formation if possible. He further admitted having stated that the applied, land held lay Mr. Cater and his they can work stated that he was on Jba;ve' at the together: Advisory board is The Cater Syndicate. time and that he paid his own ex friends comprised some of the manager, sub-manager, choicest on teams Messrs. Alexander and McEachern penses. The . meeting , with Mr. the area, and that and no I have but Cater was accidental. and gangs had been moved from legal standing, Mr. other blocks on to those leased merely advise and recommend to E. J. Polkinghorne, secretary by ' Officers. 1 Land Board. is not Charges Against of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Mr. Cater. He further admitted Occupancy that he had no of this and necessary until six months after Settlers' Association w&s the , next proof witness examined. He stated that that when he yisited Mr. Cater's granting of farms. did In to Mr. Mr. ' Not Substantiated. to the rumors land he not see any teams reply Hogan, owing persistent 1 admitted that two or more reaching the executive . officers of working there. Hegarty settlers could not work . his Association, that large tracts of Mr. A. E. Blade, vice-president conjointly and in. some cases settlers had been - country were being acquired by a of the M.I.S. Association, likewise Permissive called to show cause Occupancies. syndicate of business men and that admitted that he had no evidence upon why their blocks certain officers of the W.C. and I. to substantiate the charges made should not be forfeited on account of Commission were implicated in the against the officers. working conjointly. matters for inquiry. Mr. Cater that neither was deposed transaction, his association had The Commissioner (Mr. Car It decided that they be given a The of Mr. W. nor Mr. F. (a) granting permissive McEachern if certain time to terminate the , asked other to R. taken action and appointed a michael) any person occupancies Mr. Cater and others, Brewster had financial ; any interest, in the room wished to evidence partnership. He had not' seen v and the made officers deputation to wait on the Minister give charges against of in the land recently of the Water Conservation and otherwise, for Mr. on the the made many applications for dry areas, Irriga taken Lands, AsHfofd, concerning charges tion Commission in thereof. himself and his friends but there a fair up by had been number of ; respect occasion of his visiting the area, against the officers of the W. C. and (b) The values and disposal of land, on the area; Under crossexamin re same. and these matters under his I. Commission. There no inquiries and and concessions bring being irrigable dry, whqt ation .Mr, he ad by Polkinghorne further evidence that To Mr* Polkinghorne : There have been granted to settlers in respect' notice. The names of the officers forthcoming, mitted that , Mr.' McEachern had were more thereof. supposed to be implicated were not particular portion of the inquiry considerably^ applications a ; ? (c) The policy of allotting farms to guaranteed small overdraft for for blocks than for small. - mentioned at this meeting, but at was closed. large officers of the commission. him with the Bank of New South Mr. Whitcombe the of the Minister To. : Commission The and request they PERMISSIVE OCCUPANCY. ? (d) management working Wales, but this was done in the could resume Cater's if re- were forwarded, in; , iat a land, of farms by officers of the writing Mr. Cater to prepared capacity of a friend and not because / (Mr. Moore) : In for small as lease commission. later date through tbe;:}ocal mem quired;, blocks, of ; wrote to any interest in his ? ? August, 1914, he Mr. for area is seven . years. (Mr. Cater's) : (e) The management of the busi ber, Mr. McGarry. .dry land McEachern re land for self and - ness on transactions. Witness further Mr. Broach to Mr. Carmichael undertakings Murrumbidgee Replying to Mr. Brewster, wit areas. stated that both Mr. McEachern friends (C. H. Hart, G. Hart, Did not consider that the' nesss admitted that the Cater ap The question of organisation for .deputation, ( W. R. Cater and his ? (f) and Mr. Brewster had been with Barnett, plication should be referred tothe the disposal of products. which- consisted of the president, him . Commissioner when he the land brother) agreed as Mr. Wade knew , (g) The alleged distribution of mis inspected and had not Land Board, all which vice-president himself, that each man would hold leading literature the Mur he now holds, but that they and be the facts of the case when he- made concerning, been by the association, areas. had appointed for his own but rumbidgee accompanied him because they responsible farm, the arrangement. He believed officers but were a self-appointed body. (h) The alleged acting by had been to do. so that would be worked con instructed by the, The they ; this arrangement was subject to the of the commission as agents. reason for this action being, late Commissioner, Mir. and jointly for the sake of economy. but in view of the fact that And, generally, upon all matters Wade, witness that there had law, Mr (i) continued, The the of the Water not on account of title, The Gater was 'was all* concerning operations any pecuniary Syndicate, Wade cojiversant with the , not been time- 'betwe^' t 'ze, , ^atc. Conservation and Commis of their own or friendliness a misnomer ; there was no Irrigation interest when these remarks reached his syndi facts he; did not consider it neces sion. cate. towards hi m\ He had visited the Mr ^Vade admitted that the to act or' advise the ears and the date of the' Minister's sary Advisory area and inspected the land at the area suggested was larger than the Board to refer the matter back to visit to call a Special meeting of the request of the late Mr. Wade, and present system allowed and said the Commissioner. He FRIDAY, 2nd JULY, 1915. association to consider the matter. (witness) all to arrangements in connection with he would have consult the then this land was to be used Mr. A. C. M.L. Witness considered the action taken thought Car&ichael, A,, the leases thereof, the for Mr.Trefle; this was done purposes himself Minister, for lucerne growing. This land - who arrived from Sydney the by and his colleagueiNas. by which the land was acquired, etc. and approval obtained. had not been graded; he did not resumed the being quite justifiable under the midday mail, were made Wade To Mr. 1 inquiry Mr. himself. Polkinghorne : He know nor did he consider it circumstances, as their (Mr. why, regarding the general administra Mr. rose to ask especially was the Brewster the action had been Cater) acting manager for his place to know, as the whole tion of the approved of by a Murrumbidgee Irrigation Commissioner matter (Mr. Carmichael J group, ma^e contracts, paid had been between ?: Areas at the 2 meeting of the association held arranged Leeton Club, at p.m. what the made etc. out of his bank charges against the Witness accounts, , own Mr. Wade and Cater. Mr. Wade this afternoon. He was accom subsequently. stated that officers of account ; W.C. and I. Commission ing the other into was keen on pf these paying very lamb-raising oanied? bvthe? A i n p-.rnm in t pr scandals had been ? supposed A_ w' O 7- sion actually were. Mr. Carmichael in it as it becomes on of area depleted. being introduced the area, hence v Mr. Dare, the manager of the talk the and that every Harvey reply read the letter written by the Mr. Polkinghorne tried to show this with Cater ^ second he met had some special arrangement the area Mr. J. B. the sub person Broach, officers that . Mr. Cater had more themselves, that than three and similar ; requesting thing to say on the subject. Pres hodings. manager Mr. F. S. Mr. full acres to Digby, a. be held, so that the of land that of but To . inquiry sed Brewster for the dry wet, Mr. Polkinghorne : Estimated Moore of by Mr. names ? the Crown Law Office, made Mr. Cater such was : charges against them could of with he denied that the the value of Cater's dry area, lfTnot and Mr. Evatt to the persons whom had dis secretary be substantiated or case, out that as .,, refuted, and the cussed the matter pointing propor wanted for closer settlement, value W.C. and I. Commission. witness could stated that in his opinion: this letter tion was 300 acres dry to one of to a' dry at 4^dto 6d per Mr. Carmichael the only give two or three. Mr. Pol grazier, expressed showed clearly that the officers who wet.

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