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355. Mr. Gully.] You were at the Paeroa at one time ?—Yes; and I reside there at the present time. 356. Whereabouts? Mr. Jones : No. 7. 358. Mr. Gully.] Is that objected to ? Mr. Jones: No. 359. Mr. Jones.] Do you know the reason of that?—why is Block 7 not objected to? —Because it is all a freehold there. 360. Mr. Gully.] Would you mind looking at that block on the reservation ?—I know it very little from Martin Eoad to the sea-beach westward. 361. You have been living on Block 7 for years. Do you say that the whole of that block ought to be reserved ? —No; there is a small piece to the south-west of that block— Montague's farm ; there is no gold there. 362. Is it the part which is hatched which you say ought.not to be reserved—is that about the area which you say ought to be cut out from the reservation?— The south part of the hatched piece, I think, ought to be reserved. 363. The south-west portion—about half?— Yes, about that. 364. About the rest of the block?— There is another small piece between Cameron's Track and Montague's. 365. How much of the south-west corner, roughly, ought not to be reserved? —Between 200 and 300 acres. 366. About how many acres, do you reckon, in the south-west part hatched do you say ought to be cut out of the reserve ?—I think about 150 or 200 acres. 367. The rest of the block you say ought to be reserved ?—Yes; there is digging all over it. 368. How many do you reckon there are on the block at the present time ?—lt is the best district on the whole of the coast, with the exception of Kumara. 369. Are the workings going on all over the block, excluding what you say ought to be cut out of the reserve ?—Yes, everywhere, more or less. 370. Did you ever petition the Minister of Mines against an application for a hundred-acre dredging-claim taken up in any part of that block?— Yes. 371. What part of the block was it ?—lt would be about half a mile from 372. On the New Eiver Lagoon, south of Saltwater Eiver ? —Yes. 373. You also objected to that 100 acres being granted before the Warden's Court ?—Yes. 374. On what ground ?—The contention was that it would interfere with the natural channel of the New Eiver, and prevent mining on this block. 375. That giving this dredging area would interfere with the gold-mining on the rest of the block ?—Yes. 376. In the course of your visits to the various blocks on behalf of the company, did you make inquiries in all cases where there were residents as to where the best places were to look out for gold ?—Yes. 377. Did you in all cases get localities pointed out to you as being the most likely for finding gold—picking out the best ? —I am sorry to say they could not tell us where there was any payable gold. 378. Did you get recommendations to try any particular places ? Were you recommended by the resident miners to try any particular places ?—The only place I was requested to try was between Barrytown Eoad and the Terrace. 379. Nos. 94, 95, 96, and 97 —are those the blocks on which you say the men were ?—Yes. 380. It was only on those blocks you got information as to the best places to try?— Yes; they asked us to do so. 381. You say that the gold industry on the West Coast has declined, and no doubt it has. Within your knowledge, were frequent applications made to the Government to assist the goldmining industry on the West Coast ?—Yes. 382. Quite a common thing from all parts of the West Coast ?—Yes ; we made applications, but we never got any assistance. The promises were not bona fide. 383. You think the gold-mining industry would be assisted if a subsidy were given by the Government ?—ln my experience of such matters—and it has been a long one —the Government usually happens to pick the worst men; and when local bodies get hold of the money from the Government they give it to Tom, Dick, and Harry. 384. These applications, so far as you know, are bona fide ?—Yes. 385. They are honest applications for assistance ?—Yes. 386. Assistance is asked for from the Government because it is really wanted?— Assistance is wanted to try and develop a reaction on the old goldfields, but not outside. 387. You say it is reasonable to ask the Government for money in order to develop again the old gold-mining areas ?— Yes ; in a great many cases. 388. And in marking off your reserves you stuck to that idea?— Certainly, when it was quite likely there was a second bottom. 389. You made no allowance in marking off your areas for anything outside old or existing gold-workings ? —A great margin. 390. But no separate areas? —Kumara does not occupy 1,000 acres, even taking in the township. 391. You have allowed in Block 1 a portion for timber?— Yes. 392. Is that the only instance in which you have allowed a certain area for timber to be cut off a block and taken elsewhere to be used ?—That was not the only block that is required actually for timber for mining purposes.