EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNDREDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 69, 5 June 1869, Page 3

EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNDREDS.

PBOrOSED HUNDRED AT TAPANUI. Wednesday 19th May. Present : Messrs. Hntchison, Clark,

and Eraser (chairman).

E. J. Schlotel, examined, deposed that two-thirds of his own run was of a broken and hilly character ; the remainder was undulating, but little of it could be ploughed. In the event of the Hundred, as petitioned for, being proclaimed, he did not consider that any portion of his run would be taken for settlement ; nor would it be worth £1 an acre for pastoral purposes. He considered there was not above 1500 or 2000 acres of agricultural land on run No. 163 (M'Kellar's). There was a wet fllat of 3000 acres on the banks of the Crookstone and Pomahaka Rivers which might be used for agricultural purposes. Of run No. 168 there were about 5000 acres consisting of low hills and flats. The soil on both was good. He thought very little of the land on tfhese runs would be purchased for any purpose other than that of securing grazing rights, He was sure there was no demand by the settlers in the neighbourhood for agricultural purposed. W» H. Si Roberts was next examined. He stated that the portion, of hia run

• comprised in the tracing referred to in the Executive Minute was all fit for agriculture. He believed the petition had been-" got up by parties antagonistic to the squatters. The' most respectable settlers in the district had not signfed the petition 1 . John M'Kellar's evidence fully confirmed that of the two previous witnesses. He did not consider there was more than 1500 acres of purely agricultural land on his run. Many of the inhabitants \ of Tapanui had told him they did not intend purchasing land: they had signed the petition because others had done so. He saw the names of several settlers attached to the petition who were running cattle on his run free of charge, and some were running cattle that did not belong to them. He believed the petition had emanated from personal spite to himself on the part of two or three individuals.

James Eodgers, farmer, Tapanui, was then examined. He believed that one half of the land petitioned for was purely agricultural. He believed there was a demand for land •in the district. He believed the 8000 acres put into the market last year were quite inadequate for the demand of the district. Of the proposed Hundred of 65,000 acres, he believed one-third of it would be purchased within three years.