H.—9a.

50

Herman Meyer sworn and examined.

lam an hotelkeeper in Hokitika. [Evidence of Peter Helming read to witness.] I acted as interpreter on the occasion referred to. Mr. Learmonth told me to tell these people that they were just in time for the Jackson's Bay Settlement. I explained it to them. They were under the impression that fifty acres of land were promised them, and that the land was herein Hokitika. I made it clear to them that Jackson's Bay was only another part of the province. They were satisfied. They commenced moving their luggage into the "Waipara," which was lying alongside, when several other Germans came up and tried to dissuade them from going to Jackson's Bay, as the settlement was no good. This stopped the moving of the luggage a little, and there was an inclination that they would not go. I told this to Mr. Learmonth, who was there with Mr. Bonar. He told me to tell them that they were not bound to go there j that they could go on shore and stop here, but they had to provide for themselves ; but, if they went to Jackson's Bay, the Government had built houses for them, and that they would get work, as was in the pamphlet which they had, and also fifty acres of land. The majority of them were willing to go to Jackson's Bay, but some five or six were taken away by Peter Helming, who told them that he could get work for them, and he would lodge them too. lam sure it was Peter Helming who told them not to go, for he could get work for them. I told Peter Helming there was no work for them here, and it would be better for them to go. The "Waipara" was lying by the wharf, and the "Murray" alongside the "Waipara." They had to go over the "Waipara" to get to the wharf. There were several persons calling out from the wharf to the immigrants not to go to Jackson's Bay. After my explanation made to them as interpreter the majority were willing to go to Jacksou's Bay. Ido not know of any inquiry held by Mr. Bonar and Mr. Learmonth on this matter. I was acting as interpreter for the Immigration Department at the time of the arrival of the immigrants in the " Waipara." I was generally employed by Mr. Learmonth as interpreter. I was not present at the inquiry held by Mr. Bonar and Mr. Learmonth. I remember something of such an inquiry, but I do not know the circumstances. I do not know any reason why I was not asked to be present as interpreter at this inquiry. There had been no difference between myself and Mr. Bonar, or Mr. Learmonth, which would have prevented my being employed. I do not know any other occasion of Mr. Eoebeck acting as interpreter. I received no remuneration for acting as interpreter. When the immigrants were putting their luggage on board the " Waipara" it might have been for the purpose of getting on shore with their luggage. I am satisfied some of those wdio were putting their luggage on board the " Waipara " did so with the intention of proceeding to Jackson's Bay. Mr. Macfarlane sworn and examined. In 1875 I received the appointment, through Mr. Bonar, to take charge of the settlement. I may say that I had passed several years in different parts of America, both in the Eastern and Western States, and in California. Afterwards IwasinVictoriaforeight or nine years, engaged in mining operations, and afterwards in business. I paid a second visit to America, after being Home, in 1858, travelling through the Western States and also Dpper Canada, where I had an opportunity of seeing the mode and plans of settlement in a new country ; and I had a particular object in view in ascertaining the success of new settlements in Canada and the Western States. The war broke out and changed my plans of settlement in the Western States, and I returned to Victoria. Subsequently I travelled through the greater part of the Middle Island of New Zealand, on two occasions, in company with a gentleman who was looking for sheep country. After permanently settling in New Zealand I was carrying on business as a merchant in Hokitika. I proceeded to Jackson's Bay in November, 1874, with Mr. Browning's party. I returned by the same steamer to Hokitika to make arrangements for the settlers who were about to come down to the settlement. I received applications from a number of people from the country. I took down their names and families, &c. In several instances I advised the parties not to go to Jackson's Bay, for this reason : that a man having a wife and ten children could not possibly live on 245. per week, that being the amount allowed by the Government. Some of them did not go, others went. At that time I was instructed to procure stores, tools, and other requisites for the settlement. I called on the different merchants in the town, and submitted a list of articles required for the use of the settlement, getting prices from the whole of them. I distributed the order amongst the different merchants by selecting the articles from each at the lowest prices at which they could be obtained in the town at the time. Materials were also taken down at the time for stores and houses for the settler's use until their own houses could be erected. Some time in the end of January, 1875, the " Waipara" sailed from Jackson's Bay with about twenty-five male adults. We then began to clear the sites for the Government store and the cottages. The town had been laid out by Mr. Browning and his party. Since that time I have resided in the Bay, aud had the general management of the settlement. I can furnish a statement of the shipments of immigrants, with their nationalities, dates of arrival, names of vessels, &c, location of settlers on land, providing aud paying for work, and keeping the accounts for the Government store. On the arrival of the first settlers the land was not open for selection. About seventy or eighty ten-acre sections were opened for selection in March, 1875. Afterwards Smoothwater Valley was laid off in fifty-acre sections, and the Okuru and Waiatoto sections were laid off next. In March, 1875, the first applications were made. Only the first batch of settlers who went down were kept waiting. There was plenty open for selection after that. The allotments were selected by the settlers themselves, and each one made his own application for his own selection. When the same sections wero applied for by more than one they were taken up by ballot. I had no control over the surveyor as to the plan of laying off the settlement into townships, &c. When the first selectors chose their ten-acre sections they knew exactly how the land was to be applied for. I have heard frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the ten-acre sections being separated from the fifty-acre sections, as it involved the keeping of two homes, as it were. There are parties now who have left their ten-acre blocks and gone on to their fifty-acre blocks. I had nothing to do with the selection of Smoothwater. I heard it highly spoken of both by the surveyors aud diggers. A number of the first settlers made application for some of the Smoothwater sections, and then abandoned them. At one time there was quite a rush