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1647. Do you say that the timber production of Southland is likely to diminish in future years ? —I am of opinion that it is on the wane now. 1648. Is there here a sufficiently extensive area of good timber country to maintain the production of timber from Greymouth for a large number of years to come ? —Oh, yes. 1649. Have you considered the subject sufficiently to answer this question : By how much within, say, the next ten years can we reasonably expect the output of timber from the West Coast to increase ? —Well, that is a hard question for me to answer. There is no doubt it will be on the increase when Southland is cut out. I should say by the increase it has made since the timber areas were opened, about ten years now —our output now is about 15,000,000 ft.—it ought to double itself in that time. 1650. Do you know anything of the forest areas served by the different branches of the Midland Eailway?—Yes, I know them all. 1651. How many years do you think it will take to cut out these areas? —Well, with light branch lines to work them all, I should say they will last over twenty years. 1652. You fix that as a minimum ; it might take much longer ? —Yes. 1653. You have had the advantage of being in the coal business: have you considered the possible developments of the coal production on the West Coast, limiting it to the coal which is likely or which must be carried over the Midland Eailway ; do you think that traffic is likely to increase ?—There is no doubt it will increase. It is want of development of the mine which keeps it as it is. 1654. From what locality do you think coal may be brought ? —I know of only the Blackball Mine on the Midland Eailway. 1655. Is there a large possible development there?—l only go by what I hear; I never was at the Blackball. 1656. Have you made any investigation of reports or any inquiry which would help you to arrive at a reliable opinion about it ?—Well, the general opinion is that the mine will last for a very long time. 1657. Do you know anything of the coal-measures beyond Eeefton?—No. 1658. You know that the Blackball present production is but a small part of the possible production of the mine ?—lt must be. I think the want of the railway to the mine retards its development. 1659. If the company made a loop line it would aid to largely develop the mine ?—Yes. 1660. We are here really to ascertain what the prospective increase of traffic is likely to be over the Midland Eailway sections, and, without leading you on any particular head, would you tell the Commission where you think there is likely to be, and to what extent there is likely to be, an increase of traffic over the Midland Eailway sections in the future—in other words, what are the prospects of the railway ?—There is no doubt the country is going ahead, and there is no doubt the Midland Eailway is one of the essential factors in its development. The Blackball Mine has been developed through the Midland Eailway, and the timber trade has risen from nil to 15,000,000 ft. per annum, of which, I suppose, 12,000,000 ft. is coming over the Midland Bailway ; but as to what extent that development of trade will go I cannot say. 1661. I understand you to say there will be an increase?— There must be an increase. There has been an increase from the start, and certainly there will be an increase for the future. 1662. Do you know anything of mining?— All I know is that the facility for mining in Eeefton has increased through the Midland Bailway. We have been paying £5 per ton freight for goods, and we pay now about 15s. or 16s. 1663. Mr. Bell.] How many mills are there served by the railway from Greymouth to Hokitika ?—Five that I know of at present. 1664. And there are 15,000,000 ft. exported from Greymouth. How many millions of this quantity come from the mills on the Hokitika line?—l cannot say, but I should think 3,000,000 ft. 1665. How much of these 15,000,000 ft. come over the Grey-Hokitika line ? —I cannot answer the question. 1666. Do you think half of it comes ?—I do not think so, because there are three mills at Lake Brunner —Swede's, Goss's, and Waller and England's—-who cut pretty nearly as much as our company's fifteen mills do. 1667. Which is your company?— The Timber Trading Company. 1668. Do you say that 3,000,000 ft. come over the Grey-Hokitika line ?—I cannot say positively, but I should say from what I cut myself that these mills would give about 700,000 ft. each. You must recollect that the mills close to Hokitika ship a good deal of their stuff from Hokitika by boats. If you put down each of the five mills at between 600,000 ft. and 700,000 ft. to come this way, that would give about 3,500,000 ft., and I think that is about as much as they send to Greymouth, because there are three mills sending a lot of the timber to Hokitika. 1669. Are there considerable forests about Kumara available for the mills on the GreyHokitika line and at Hokitika ?—There is a considerable amount of timber in that country between Kumara and Hokitika. 1670. Which is still available?— Yes. 1671. And that timber is there to compete with the timber at Brunner, and so on ?—lt is mostly all exported. 1672. Just as yours is?— Yes. 1673. You say that the timber at Hokitika is chiefly exported at Hokitika? —I do not say that half of it is, but a considerable quantity is. 1674. Then, the Port of Hokitika is sufficiently good to enable timber to be carried away from it?— Yes, in sailing-vessels. 1675. And there is that timber to compete with the Midland Eailway ?—Yes,