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512. Hon. Mr. Campbell.) Do you think that this pieman you refer to has done anything to keep down rabbits ?—I am sure not. 513. Hon. the Chairman!) Have you any further remarks to make respecting the Act itself ?— The only point I would refer to is that adduced by the Hon. Mr. Nurse, that under the Babbit Act they will not hear contra evidence against the statement of the Inspector. That possibly was necessary in dealing with the pest at first, but now it might be fairly modified. 514. I would draw your attention to the 10th and Bth sections, as to the notices for " neglect to comply with the Act," and for " continued neglect " after the expiration of " one month : " it has been suggested that " one month is too short, and that it ought to be " two " months?—l think that would be a fair alteration.

Feiday, 3ed Octobee, 1884. Mr. J. Deummond, examined. 515. Hon. the Chairman.) You are Inspector under the Babbits Act, I believe ?—Yes, over a portion of the Wairarapa. 516. Is the Rabbit Act being carried out there strictly ? —Yes. 517. Is it working satisfactorily?— Yes. 518. Are the rabbits diminishing ? —Oh, yes. 519. We have had a good deal of evidence regarding the rabbits in that neighbourhood?— Yes, there is a wonderful decrease in their numbers. 520. Are you in favour of rabbiters and dogs, of poison, or of ferrets ?—A great deal depends upon the circumstances. If the rabbits are very numerous I believe in poisoning. Ido not believe in dogs altogether; they seem to harass the rabbits about. Where there are only a few rabbits dogs are the best till you get some other means —till you get the natural enemies. 521. You would not recommend dogs and rabbiters where there are natural enemies, perhaps? —No, I would not recommend them. 522. You think that poisoning and natural enemies—supposing the natural enemies were in sufficient numbers—would keep down the rabbits ?—Of course we have had no opportunity in the Wairarapa to test the case, but, as far as I can gather, I believe they will do so. Mr. G. S. Coopee, Under Secretary, examined. 523. Hon. the Chairman!) I would ask you whence the funds for working the Rabbit Act come. It seems that the expense has been very much greater than the amount of money set apart for it: how do they meet these expenses?— Well, there is no fund from which the expenses come ; they are charged to Consolidated Fund. 524. And put down as " unauthorized expenditure in excess of appropriation:" that is what they call it ?—You will always find every year a list of amounts spent in excess of appropriation, and also unauthorized expenditure, which means without any appropriation at all : these come before Parliament. You will find the excess of rabbit expenditure in the list of amounts spent in excess over appropriation. 525. Are you satisfied with the way in which the work has been done throughout the colony with regard to the Rabbit Act ?—I think it has been fairly-well done, as far as I can judge: of course it is not always perfect. 526. Referring to the expenditure : do you think it is greater than it ought to have been ?— No ; I do not see how you could have restricted it much. 527. Have you any check upon it? It was apparently the idea that it was left to the Inspectors virtually to make what arrangements they liked with the agents, and in that way more money was spent than was thought necessary ?—lt may be :it is quite possible. There are a great number of rabbit agents employed, and there may be a number of men who are useless and unfit for that office. It is impossible that I can say there may not be a waste there; but there is a great deal of money spent in what they call contracts. A man takes a block of country and says he will undertake to poison the rabbits in that country for so much money, say £100 or £150, as the case may be. These contracts are always reported to head quarters. They are reported on, by Mr. Bayly for the Minister's approval, and the District Inspectors do not enter into contracts until they get approval from Wellington. 528. The contracts of course you have control over; but it seemed there was some difference in the case of the agents. We have evidence to show that in some cases the agents got different sums paid to them? —Yes; from 10s. to to 15s. a day. They begin at 10s., then they get 125., and then 15s. if they go on satisfactorily. 529. It seemed that the Inspector had almost unlimited power to give what he chose ?—Did you mean the District Inspector or Mr. Bayly? 530. The District Inspector. —No; the District Inspector has not; he has to report and apply for authority in every case. 531. Have you any recommendation to make in regard to the alterations in the working of the Act or in the Act itself ?—No; I have not gone into that. Several recommendations have been made by different people—by Mr. Bayly and others; but it is a question that I myself have not gone into.

Wednesday, 17th Septembee, 1884. Mr. A. Walkeb, examined. 532. Hon. the Chairman.) Is there an inquiry prayed for in your district into the working of the Babbit Act ?—Yes; I am an aggrieved party under the present working of the Babbit Act. 533. You are managing a run?— Yes. 534. On the run you are managing is there a large number of rabbits? —We have poisoned heavily; there has been a great number. There was before I took charge. The company do all