I.—Ba.

295. The Chairman. \ Mr. Barstow states, with regard to these 300,000 acres, that a new road was being opened up by Government from the Punakitere River to the terminus, which would bring the total traffic of most of the land to the railway ; do you know anything about that ?— No ; I do not. 296. Mr. Barron.] As to the 90,000 acres you speak of, is there any other means of access to it except by this railway ?—No ; it is virtually sealed up at present. Virtually there is no access to it except by foot or on horseback. 297. The memorandum says the railway " will form the best route to Auckland for the Waimamuku and Punakitere settlers." Is that so?— Yes; that is true. For instance, the settlers at Waimamuku, known as the Ganterbury settlers, if they wished to go to Auckland, they would go through by the Kaihu Valley, take a steamer at Dargaville for Helensville, thence by rail to Auckland. That would be their route, unless it were possible for them to take a steamer from Herd's Point, Hokianga. Speaking generally, the Ivaihu Valley Railway would be the best r#ute to Auckland from Waimamuku. 298. Mr. Rhodes.] Are these settlements important?—lt is likely to be. The Canterbury Settlement is a great success so far. There are only between twelve and twenty settlers of them —that is, heads of families. 299. Whose settlement was it?— Well, it was a party of men who saw Mr. Ballance in Christchurch when I was with him there. We arranged to open land there for them on the villagesettlement plan, but they received -no assistance in the way of money. They were gardeners and people who worked about the suburbs. They received no assistance from Government, except paying part of the freight up, I think. They have really worked wonders during the time they have been there. There were only twelve of them originally, but I think others have joined them since. Around them, ordinary village-settlements under Mr. Ballance' s scheme have been started; but, of course, these settlers have been assisted according to regulations. 300. Hon. Sir J. Hall.'] Are these Canterbury people?—No ; simply people from Auckland. 301. lion. Mr. Larnach.] They have done nothing?— They have done well, I believe, but the Canterbury people are decidedly greatly superior, and no doubt set an example to all the rest. The Canterbury people were thoroughly respectable men, and they said things were so dull in Christchurch that they would have to clear away somewhere, and unless Government opened up some land for them they would go to Australia. They were thoroughly decent, hard-working fellows. You could see that in their looks. 302. Mr. Barron.] You said you thought it would bo necessary that Government should take over this line, and, if they did so, it would be well if they took over the whole concern ?—Yes ; the main purpose is for Government not only to have the line, but to have the land and timber, and work it as one interest, directed from one head. 303. You would propose to make this line pay by taking over this timber-land, and putting men upon it, and felling it ?—I would not have Government to put men upon it, but offer it to the public on the usual terms —so much royalty. As regards the settlement of the land, it has to be borne in mind that at the present time the laud is tied up, and these companies can never deal with land as well as the Government, as they always want the cash. Government could sell the land on the usual land-settlement conditions—on deferred payment or perpetual lease—and, if offered on these conditions, these G,OOO acres would be settled. It was a matter of great regret to the department that this land was withdrawn. They took great trouble to get this land surveyed, and they made a road through all at a cost to the Government of £3,000 ; and the maps were lithographed, and everything was ready, when in comes this scheme, and the whole thing was blocked and stopped. If that land had not been given away, it would have been settled eight or nine years ago. 304. Mr. Moss.] The Maunganui Bluff ?—Yes. 305. Mr. Barron^] You do not think private owners wotdd be likely to take the same moans as the Government to develop settlement? —No; they would simply sell the land for the price they could get for it. They would probably sell the whole 5,000 or 6,000 acres to one man. 306. Do you not think it would be to his interest to deal with it just as the Government would? —The Government interest is not so much to get money as to get the people on the land; they look to the ultimate result. Supposing you get 100 settlers there : they would till the land and grow potatoes, and so on, and a splendid market is offered for their produce at Dargaville and Aratapu. There are something like 1,000 men there, and these people at the present moment are actually fed from Canterbury. If you had a local farming community there, they would produce and send down their produce by this railway to feed these people. 307. Hon. Sir J. Hall.] What would they send?— Potatoes, eggs, butter, poultry. 308. Mr. Rhodes.] They would not grow wheat?— No. 309. Hon. Mr. Larnach.] On which side of the Maunganui Bluff are these Canterbury people? —On the northern side away from the railway; on the Hokianga side of the Maunganui Bluff— have you been there ? 310. Hon. Mr. Larnach.] Yes.—Do you remember after passing the bluff riding along the beach and coming to a place where you would be warned to take care of the quicksands ? 311. Hon. Mr. Larnach.] Yes.—Well, that is Waimamuku. The settlement is inland from that about 3or i miles. That is where the Canterbury people are. 312. I understand the land the railway company has at present is not the original selection they made ?—Yes, it is ; as I explained already. 313. Let me put it in ancdher way. I think the first selection was approved by the then Chief Surveyor of Auckland with some gentleman appointed by the company. It was referred to the Lands Department, and afterwards the boundaries were altered by the Lands Department?—No; it was this way. There were 39,000 acres originally set apart, out of which the company were to get their endowment when they had earned it. This 39,000 acres was valued by the then Chief 3—l. Ba.

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