H.—2l.

1. J. MEIKLE.j

65. How long before?— About two years before. He stopped with me for three days, and left the offer open for two months. 66. Was it a definite offer he made?— Yes, a definite offer. 67. Was it open for any time?—-Yes, but my wife would not leave the place; she said No. 68. On which section are the main buildings?—On the boys' section —23. 69. What buildings were riiere? —A seven-roomed house. 70. When was that built? —It was built in 1882 or 1883. I carted all the timber down. 71. What value do you put on it?— The house was insured for £250. 72. You better give the other buildings on the same section. There was a stable? —A tenstalled stable. 73. Any other? —A barn 36 ft. long and 14 ft. wide, and at the end of it was a 12 ft. shed; that was a smithy. 74. The barn and smithy were really one building?— Yes; the smithy was put up after the barn was put up. There was a little shed about 2 ft. at the end for cows to stand to be milked. 75. What valuation were you putting upon these buildings?— Well, I suppose the buildings as they stand to-day, I do not suppose you could build under £1,000, because there was a new dairy there. 76. Is the valuation of this included in the estimate of the buildings you have given?—Of course, they go with the land; you could not separate them from the land. 77. These buildings are not included in the land that was valued?— Not on the land I had borrowed upon myself. 78. On Section 22 there were some small buildings? —A four-roomed house and three-stalled stable. 79. What value do you put on these? —About £300. The cartage was a great item. 80. These would be included in the Government Life Insurance valuation?— These would be included in the Government valuation. There were two valuers to value the land. 81. We shall get the valuation in Wellington. We have got a summary here already. There was a mortgage of £1,000 to the Government Life Insurance?—At 7 per cent. 82. And a second mortgage to J. G. Ward and Co. of £200?— At 8 per cent. 83. There was a third mortgage?— That was a crop lien. 84. Was it for a separate amount?—No, it was in the account; we did not separate the account as far as that went. 85. That is to say, the encumbrances amounted to £400. What is the amount of your own unsecured liabilities? —Do you mean at the present time? 86. No, then ?—I could not exactly tell to within £100, because my stock was sold shortly after I was incarcerated. 87. Can you give a rough estimate—within £100 or £200?— It might be £150 or £200; 1 could not say within that. 88. As to the stock: what sheep had 3*ou? —A little over eight hundred, with the lambs, altogether. 89. What value were sheep in those days?— There were some Leicesters, worth four guineas apiece, for breeding purposes. 90. At what would you average the lot?—At that time sheep were very cheap. I would average at 10s. per head, including everything. 91. What cattle had you?—l think thirteen head, or something like that. 92. About thirteen—at what valuation?— Well, they would be worth £5 apiece. I sold some at £6 55., and for some of them I had paid £7 10s. 93. Any horses? —Sixteen, all told. 94. How do you value these? —All over, on a valuation of £20 apiece. Carting-horses then were nothing like what they are now, and they were all young horses. 95. As to drays and implements: I shall not ask you for the items; I will ask the items to be given in a general estimate as to total value. At what do you value the general chattels?—lf 1 had a list I could tell you. 96. At what would you value the drays, binder, &c. ?—The binder cost £65. The lot at a forced sale ought to average about £250. 97. In addition to this land at Tuturau, there was a section at Gore?— That is so. 98. Do you know what the valuation of that was?—l do not know the valuation. Since I came out I had to sell it—when I was prosecuting in this case. 99. What purchase-money did you get?—l got £60; I was in a corner. I had to do it, and I got £60 from Jim Knight. 100. What value would that be in 1887? —Well, £200; but I was completely cornered the night before unfortunately, and had to sell it. 101. The Tuturau sections and your own land were sold by the mortgagee while you were in prison ?—Yes. 102. And the details are on the register here?—l had to sell another for interest, but I was powerless. 103. Had you any other stock besides the sheep, horses, and cows? —There were a lot of good pigs running about. 104. WTiat crops did you raise? Did you raise any for sale? —Oh, yes; as near as possible, from memory, about 200 acres that year. 105. lam speaking of crops for sale?—l grew potatoes for sale that year. 106. At what do you estimate your average income, year in and year out, at that time?— A little over £400. 107. Does that mean the net income after paying interest, &c. ?—Yes, about £400. 108. Your present income, in recent years, has not been as much as that? —I have had to go the streets of Wellington without my dinner, I am sorry to say.

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