FRED PTTRNELL.I

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May 20. 50 sacks wheat, Bichter Nannestad Company, Hokowhitu ; 120 sacks wheat, Richter Nannestad Company, Hokowhitu ; 68 sacks oats, Monteith Bros., Woodville ; 116 sacks oats, Williams and Kettle, Napier. May 22. 100 sacks oats, Williams and Kettle, Spit. ; 50 sacks oats, Barraud and Abraham, Dannevirke ; 168 sacks oats, Patterson and Co., Gibbs ; 72 sacks wheat, Eichter Nannestad Company, Hokowhitu; 1 truck chaff, Barraud and Abraham, Dannevirke. May 24. 72 sacks potatoes, Grumwold, Palmerston North ; 1 truck chaff, Barraud and Abraham, Dannevirke ; 50 sacks oats, Barraud and Abraham, Palmerston North ; 84 sacks oats, U.F.C.A., Palmerston North ; 84 sacks oats, Patterson and Co.,' Wellington ; 116 sacks oats, Patterson and Co., Wellington. May 27. 252 sacks oats, Patterson and Co., Wellington ; *80 sacks oats, New Zealand Loan Company, Wellington. May 29. 1 truck pigs, Dimock and Co., Wellington ;14 sacks oats, Mr. Port, Ashhurst; 7 dead pigs, Dimock and Co., Wellington ; 1 truck pigs, Nelson Bros., Woodville ; 66 U.F.C.A., Palmerston North ; 76 sacks oats, U.F.C.A., Palmerston North. May 31. 100 sacks oats, Brewer and Bauckham, Ashhurst. You will see in the return that the whole produce has gone south below Feilding. Mr. McKerrow, in his report, says that in the absence of detailed survey the estimate could not be less than £200,000 to construct this line ; but the conditions have altered since then. First of all, we have 14 miles 12 chains constructed —by Government railway and by steam-tram which is laid with rails 40 lb. to the yard—therefore leaving only twenty-four miles to provide for, and out of these twenty-four miles eight are constructed which would only need to be renewed with heavier rails. If £15,000 were provided for that, it would leave £185,000 to complete the sixteen miles untouched. As only eight miles of the tramway is required to be relaid with heavier rails, this would leave only the sixteen miles untouched, and this would, according to Mr. McKerrow's estimate, represent £185,000, which we consider would be doubly adequate to complete. 4. The Chairman.] What would be the cost of relaying the line with 40 lb. rails—the construction of the tramway with 40 lb. rail ?—lt is from £1,800 to £2,000 a mile—you mean the extension ? 5. Yes ?—-The extension would be from £1,800 to £2,000 per mile. That is entirely new work with 40 lb. to the yard and Government standard sleepers. 6. Mr. Vile.] I would like to ask what would be the cost to complete the remainder of the tram-line by laying 40 lb. rail—that is, that which is laid with 28 lb. rail ? —lt would cost not more than £2,000 per mile ; probably the sleepers would have to be renewed. 7. The Chairman.] How many miles ? —Eight miles yet to be renewed. 8. Mr. Lawry.] Does the tramway-line cross the Rangitikei River ?—No ; it runs to the south bank. It is about a quarter of a mile south of the traffic bridge —not quite a quarter of a mile. 9. The Chairman.] This would complete the whole line that you have if this eight miles were laid with 40 lb. rail ?—Yes, 40 lb. rails throughout. 10. Mr. Lawry.] What is the distance from Greatford to the tramway terminus—about six miles ?— Probably it would be from the Pukenui Siding —six miles would be a liberal estimate. 11. The Chairman.] What about the charges by tram and railway ? —The position is this : that our tariff is drawn up on the lines of the Government tariff. There are some classes of goods on which our charges are higher, but in most cases the tariff is the same. Alfred Fraser examined. (No. 2.) 12. The Chairman.] What is your name ?—Alfred Fraser. 13. What are you ?—Town Clerk of the Borough of Foxton. 14. What have you to say in regard to this matter ? —This line will be of paramount importance to the inhabitants of the Borough of Foxton, because it will save twenty-three miles in the railway journey from Foxton to Wellington, which is the principal centre to which Foxton people go. To show you the traffic that already goes this way, I may state that four coaches leave daily from Foxton to the Manawatu line and return the same day—two to Shannon and two to Levin. At the present time there is a considerable quantity of goods being carted which are seaborne from Wellington to Foxton, and the Foxton carters are being paid 15s. a ton, and also a considerable quantity of timber is returned, and goes from Levin to Foxton. The return freight on timber is 2s. 6d. per 100 ft. There would also be a considerable increase in the shipping dues at the wharf at Foxton through the opening of this line, on account of goods being taken from there to Bull's. These dues would go really to the Government —mostly to the Railway Department. There would also be a saving of an hour in the through journey from New Plymouth to Wellington, which would be a considerable item in the carriage of mails and passenger traffic. The line now is considered by the settlers of the district to be warranted by the inhabitants, and by the considerable increase that has taken place within the last six years, a considerable portion of the district being under crop; the bush is being cleared, and the country is being more closely settled than it has been in the past. It means only the construction of sixteen miles of the railway as six miles is already constructed, that is, from Foxton to Himatangi, and seventeen miles of the tramline is also constructed. There are no engineering difficulties in the way —two bridges to be built, but they are not difficulties. The residents of the district also think that the outlay would pay a very handsome return to the Government in the increased traffic that would go over the line. Of course, in -addition to the number of people who use the coaches to Levin and Shannon, there are also a considerable number who go round, for the reason that the road between Foxton and Levin is unmetalled and a very rough road, and there is no metal procurable between Foxton and Levin. There are metal-