31

I.—7a

190. Would it be advisable to develop that land by means of a railway on the east side ?—-I consider that the east side for the course of the railway is the better of the two. 191. You said the gold was over the whole blocks : does this mean over all, or only just here and there on the blocks ?—lt means here and there on the blocks. 192. Am I wrong in understanding the gold covers all of these blocks? —I mean the gold is centred in isolated spots. 193. If the company got timber-value of £1 per acre, assuming that mining reserves had been made, and supposing that the mining reserve had not been made, would they not have got £1 for timber and £1 for land ?—Certainly. 194. Then the company would only get half the value if they got the timber only ?—Yes. 195. Are you aware that the company made an offer to the County Councils to allow prospecting on Crown lands within area and on blocks selected by them privately ?—No; I was not aware of that offer. 196. Hon. Mr. Seddon.] Is there valuable land on the south side of Lake Brunner—take from Greenstone to the lake, is that valuable forest timber?—l have never examined it as timbercountry ; but to the best of my recollection there are valuable patches of timber. 197. If the company said that that was the best land in the colony—that it was the finest forest-land in the colony-, full of untold wealth—would they have been misleading the general public or would they have been stating fact ?—I do not know that there is untold wealth there. 198. Have you been there ? —Yes ; many times. 199. What about the timber on the other side? —From the mouth of the Arnold Eiver round to Mitchell's it is very poor indeed; the trees are small, and the ground cold and swampy. That portion is worthless for milling purposes; but down about the Hohonu Eiver there is some large timber. 200. If, within 100 yards of Mitchell's, I could put you to the trees that are 6ft. through—redpine—and carrying thirty or forty to the acre, would you say that is of no value ?—I know of those trees, but it is only a small belt. 201.-1 see. But that does not agree with your first reference ?—I referred to the land between the Arnold Eiver and Mitchell's section. 202. Does that timber run right through to Greenstone now that is cut off by the railway?— Yes. 203. You said that the average block of land was worth £1 an acre for timber. I asked you the value of the land irrespective of the timber, supposing the timber was taken off it ?—lt is evident that it must have some value. 204. What is that ? Do you mean to say that it is worth £2 an acre ? —What I intended to show is this : the timber is worth £1 an acre ; after it is taken off the land is of more value than when it was standing on it, because it is then partially cleared; and consequently, I think, the land is also, after the timber has been removed, still worth £1 an acre.

Feiday, 26th August, 1892. Henby William Young, A.M.1.C.E., examined. 1. The Chairman.] You are a civil engineer and surveyor? —Yes. 2. You are engaged as Chief Assistant Engineer to the Midland Eailway Company ?—Yes. 3. Mr. Wilson.] You have a good general knowledge of the West Coast, and the nature and distribution of the gold-deposits upon it ? —Yes. 4. Are the deposits of a limited extent or otherwise ?—The whole of the West Coast is auriferous, in the strictly scientific sense of the term, or almost the whole of it; but the payable gold-deposits are of course scattered, and small in extent in relation to the whole area of the West Coast. 5. Do you think it possible to reserve large blocks, such as those coloured yellow, for gold- ,- mining purposes, without including a large quantity not required for gold-mining, and which may be required for settlement and other industries? —I do not think so. sa. Conversely, would it be possible to set aside large blocks for settlement or other purposes without including possibly payable auriferous land ?—Not large blocks, such as from 6,000 to 10,000 acres. 6. Could the parts likely to be required for gold-mining be defined ?—They could only be defined by some such method as that suggested by Mr. Lord in his evidence yesterday ; that is, by cutting out the creeks and known gold-deposits, or places where it is considered probable that there may be gold-deposits, and to cut them out in detail. 7. Do the reserves in the Grey Valley affect any lands beyond, and which might be opened for settlement ?—They affect any land outside of them, because, of course, they throw the other land a considerable distance from the line of the road, and of the railway. 8. If these reserves were made, would the land available for settlement be near enough to the railway to receive full benefit from it ?—No; they take up a great portion of the land available for settlement, and which would be accessible from the railway. 9. Mr. Saunders.] Does that apply to the reserves as they are, or to the proposed further reserves ?—To these reserves made, and indicated in yellow on the map. 10. Mr. Wilson.] Do you know the country around Lake Brunner?—Yes. 11. Have you. formed any opinion as to the most suitable side of the lake for settlement and general development ? Which is the most valuable for timber and general purposes ?—The eastern side, that on which the line is now made.