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16. Do I understand you to say that the Assessment Court would value the land according to the evidence they had before them of its worth? —Yes ; I suppose they would. 17. The Assessment Court would bring the value to the level of the evidence brought before them ?■—Yes. 18. And they would endeavour to be fair ?—Yes. 19. Then you valued at £2 2s. 6d. in order to be all-fours with what you expected the Assessment Court-would do, and to be on a level with the other valuers? —The Assessment Court w rould have nothing to do with it, unless where objections came in. 20. Then to be on a level with others that might be affected by the assessment ? —Yes. 21.- In other words, you thought it a fair value ?—Yes, taking into consideration the explanation I have given, I believe that it was under the selling value. 22. Mr. Mackintosh.] You have stated that what you did was the general practice among valuers?—Yes. Mr. Scobie Mackenzie : It has been stated that a value was put on this by a public officer at £2 ss. 3d. for property-tax purposes. The Chairman : That has not come out in the evidence. (Question withdrawn.) 23. Mr. Scobie Mackenzie.] You are thoroughly acquainted with that part of the country ? — Yes. 24. You know the Ashley Downs property?—Yes. 24a. How much land is there in it —approximately ? —I expect there is 6,000 or 7,000 acres. 25. More than 5,000 acres?—Yes. 26. Is it laid down in grass?—Yes, some of it. 27. Is it of good quality ? —lt varies. 28. How does it compare with the Pomahaka land ?—lt is similar; some of the sections of the Pomahaka are broken up. 29. Is it a little better?—They are very similar. 30. Which is the better of the two, in your opinion ?—The Ashley Downs would be a little better; not in regard to the quality of the land, but Pomahaka is more cut up. 31. Is it fenced?—Yes. 32. Is it subdivided ?—Yes. 33. Is the fencing substantial ?—Yes ; I believe it is. 34. Is it subdivided—well subdivided? —Yes. 35. Is there a good homestead on it?—Yes ; very good. 36. Out-buildings ?—Yes. 37. Any plantation on it?—Some; not a great deal. 38. Gardens ?—Yes ; there is a very nice garden. 39. Wool-sheds and everything else in a complete state? —Yes. 40. Access by road from Clinton ?—But not so great from Waiwera. 41. Level road?—Yes. 42. More than one ?—Yes; the distance is the same by both. 43. What would the distance be?—Somewhere about three miles ; I am not exactly sure. 44. But there are two metalled roads ?—Yes. 45. Is the garden a good one? —Yes ; very good. 46. What do you value Ashley Downs at? —I could not say from memory ; I believe I could get the information in the Land-tax Department. 47. Do you mean for land-tax or rating purposes ?—For rating purposes. 48. You cannot remember what you valued it at? Can you not give me an approximation?—l think it was up to £4 an acre ; that is my impression; that is, on the gross capital value. That is the value given for improvements, speaking from memory. 49. You valued the improvements separately?—Yes, 50. You cannot remember what they came to?—The unimproved value would be about £2 10s. an acre—l am still speaking from memory. 51. Yesterday you said it had depreciated a little ?—Yes, within the last six or seven months -it has come down a little. 52. Not before that ? —No; there is much more difference between the last six or seven months than there was before that time. 53. Do you remember the land boom in New Zealand ten or twelve years ago?—l cannot exactly say ; I did not pay much attention. 54. Do you remember the sale of the Waitepeka property ?—Yes. 55. Do you remember the prices?—l was at the sale. 56. What were the prices, do you remember?—Some of it went very high ; £8 or £10 per acre, some of it. 57. What year would that be in ? —lt is a long time ago; I think it is more than ten or twelve years, but lam speaking from memory. 58. Would it be in the year 1881 ? —1 really could not say. 59. But land was selling very high then ?—Yes, it was very high at that sale. 60. Would you give us some indication of the value of land in that country? —Most people laughed at it; they considered that it was an extravagant figure altogether; it was surveyed, I believe. • 61. Do you know the Mount Mistake, that is, Messrs. Brown and Eattray's?—Yes. 62. Do you remember when that was sold to the present owner?—l could only speak from memory; I cannot exactly tell. 63. You will find that it was in June, 1881. Now, if the property was sold then, and the price of land at that time was high, you would expect to benefit by the high prices would you not'?-—To