I.—4a.

T. N, E. KENNY.

127. You have not told the Committee that in the Waihou River the rise of the tide would vary very materially. If you took it at Matamata or Shaftesbury, or the Junction, or Paeroa in the Ohinemuri River, or at Turoe, or a place lower down—Kopu—would the rise of the tide not vary in all these places? —You spoke of the Upper AVaihou; you mentioned Shaftesbury. Well, the tide does not affect it, nor a long way down; not more than two miles up the Upper Waihou. 128. How far above Te Aroha?—lt does not go as far as Te Aroha. There is always a down current there. 129. How far does it go above the wharf on the Ohinemuri River?—l dare say about a mile or a mile and a half up the Waihou. 130. lam speaking now of the Ohinemuri River: you say that the rise of the tide there would be about 3 ft. 2—Yes. 131. If it is 3ft. there, what would it be at Kopu wharf?—l should say it would be considerably more. 132. The higher you go up the river the less the rise of the tide? —Yes. \ 133. You put in a very nice tracing of this Tairahi No. 2 Block, containing 9 acres 3 roods 28 perches : I suppose that from memory you could not give us the valuation of the piece of land ? —It is Maori land. 134. You do not know what the valuation is?— No. 135. This is the Ohinemuri River shown here, is it not? —Yes. 136. And this particular piece of land is virtually in the neck of the river? —I should say so. 137. The likelihood would be that in any flooding this land would be covered with water, unless it is high land: is it high land2—l do not know the land. 138. Mr. Nicholls would know: Is that high land, Mr. Nicholls! Mr. Nicholls: Yes. 139. Bon. Mr. McGowan (to Mr. Nicholls): Has it ever been flooded?-—Yes, it is flooded now. It was flooded at the last flood. 140. In case of a flood such as that of 1888, this piece of land must necessarily have been flooded, because the river goes right round it? —No. 141. It was not flooded in 1888 2—No. 142. It never was flooded until the last flood?— The January flood. 143. (To Mr. Kenny.) You stated in your evidence that you believed that willows had not the effect of helping to deposit slimes, or tailings, or anything of that kind on a river-bank?— Yes. 144. And you stated as a proof of that statement that if you put a stick into the river the current would wash out around it: have you considered that statement fully? —Yes. When I went down the river with Mr. Reed and Mr. Wilson, Mr. Reed pointed to a place. He said, " Look where the silt has deposited behind the willows." I showed him another place where the silt had not deposited, and I then had the audacity to pit my opinion against the professional engineers', and to show that where there is a snag or obstruction and the current is running thf scour will make it deeper. 145. How would you reconcile that statement with your statement in regard to the island •that is there now? —In what way? 146. If there was something deposited there, why is it that the water is not deeper instead of an island being formed?— There are many causes. Rubbish catches on the willows. 147. Are tailings not rubbish? —I am speaking of things like boughs or sticks, or anything of that sort. 148. But tailings are rubbish, in the river, at any rate?—l should not like to say that. I say they are a waste product that could be made use of. 3 49. I suppose that as a naturalist you have paid some attention to why willow-roots grow towards the water ?—That I admit. 150. If the willows are planted on the bank the roots will go towards the water? —Yes. 151. And they will come up in a nice bunch? —Yes, and strike down and grow. 152. And wherever that takes place tailings will be deposited?— Then there will be a solid obstruction. 153. The result is that the willows do causff an obstruction?—Oh, yes, in that way, undoubtedly. 154. Then, again, I think you made a statement that you have had floods in the Upper and Lower Waihou when there was no flood in the Ohinemuri River ? —Scarcely that. I think I said Waihou floods and Ohinemuri floods. The Waihou floods are when the Waihou is in bigger, flood than the Ohinemuri. 155. I was informed—and I want to know if the information is correct—that during the flood in January, I think it was, the flood-waters continued to come from the Piako; and I think Mr. Laughlin gave it in evidence also that the Piako water came into the back part of his land when there was no actual flood in the Ohinemuri—that is, the flood in the Ohinemuri had gone down, but the water continued to come from the Piako and flood his land. Mr. Laughlin: That was in Mr. Fisher's sworn statement, which I put in. 156. Bon. Mr. McGowan.] So it was: you heard that read, Mr. Kenny?—Yes. 157. Is that true? —I cannot speak from my own experience, but I believe it is true, from what I saw subsequently, that the water does break over the bank up the AVaihou. 158. Mr. Berries.] The point is, whether the water comes from the Piako?—That I cannot say. 159. Bon. Mr. McGowan.] I was informed that when the water from the Ohinemuri River and the Waihou had gone down, the flood continued higher for some hours, the water coming from the Piako? —If I might be allowed to explain, when a flood occurs in the Waihou River—that is, either from the Ohinemuri or the Waihou—directly the flood ceases the water very soon goes

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