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M, MORIUSUN.

12. You did not hear thai land over there was under flood /- No. 13. You are not far from the Hikutaia Stream/ About two miles and a half. ||. |s il mil a fact that farms along the banks of the Hikutaia Stream have been Hooded more during the last few years than in previous years/ Not that lam aware of. 15. Could you say they have not? —No. 16. The Chairman.] How do you get your milk to the crea,uer\ / By launch. 17. Have you noticed any variation' in the river/—During the last few years the depth of water has become less and less. 18. In the channel itself did you notice any variation? —I have never taken soundings in the channel. Clarke John Veddeb examined. (No. 23.) 1. Mr. Mueller.] Your name is Clarke John Vedder, and you own land adjoining Mr. Thomas's/--Yes: 117 acres, part of Koronae No. :i Block. I have 20 chains frontage to the river. 2. Has your land been injuriously affected /—Yes. 3. Have you suffered loss in the same manner as Mr. Thomas/ I'retty well. 4. How did you get your milk to the creamery/ In a small pulling-boat. 5. Can you'state whether the navigation has altered since you went there/ Yes, by the sides of the river tilling up. 6. Has the deep-water channel become narrower/ —Yes. 7. You have heard Mr. Thomas's evidence ?—Yes. 8. Can you corroborate what Mr. Thomas has said/ -In most things. 9. Mr. MeVeagh.] When did you measure the deep-water channel?—l never measured it: but there is a great difference between what it is ~t the present time and what it was three or four years ago. You can notice it with your eye, without measuring it. 10. Where did you observe it three or four years ago/—lust below my house and Mr. Thomas's. 11. What was the width of it three or four years ago?—l could not give you the measurements. 12. Have you any approximate idea of the width of the channel/ -1 put up the wharl between three and four years ago. and it was 2 ft. in the water at low water, and now there is 5 ft. fully of what they call silt and tailings between t la- wharf and the water. We have got lo lengthen the wharf. The river is narrowing from bank to bank. 13. Have you noticed the material that is causing this narrowing /—Yes. I believe it to lietailings. .., 14. Might it not possibly be something else/ —I do not think so. It is the same as the other stuff that is deposited along the river. 15. How do you distinguish between tailings and Hood alluvium?— One ,s a different colour from the other. 16. When did you take up this land?—l think between live and six years ago. 17. The Chairman.] Who owns the land immediately opposite yours/ -Mr. Moore. 18. Is Ihe river pinching immediately opposite you in the same way as you describe/ -Yes. 19. To a greater or lesser extent?—lt is more so than in front of my house.

Paeroa, Thuhkday. 26th Mat, 1910. Mr. Myers, with Mr. Tunks, said he appeared for the mining companies. CHARLES Dm.son examined. (No. 24.) 1. .1//-. Mueller.] You are a labourer residing at Paeroa?—Yes. 1 have been here for eighteen years. . . .. • , 2. And during that time have you spent much ol your tune on the river I — Yes, a consoler able portion of my time. , - • , ,-„ ~ ■ 3 Have you taken soundings for different parties.' I have been with different parties taking soundings. I cannot remember the first year I took soundings, but ii would probably be about 1895, when Mr. MoArthur became Engineer. 1 Were you taking samples for a company /—Yes. an Australian company. 5 From'your knowledge of the river during the last fifteen or sixteen years, can you state whether the floods now are more severe or less severe than they were/-They are more sever,-. 0 What do you attribute that to?—The tailings are silting up the river. 7 Can you compare the depth of the liver between those early times and the presenl lime/ Yes: there are places where eighteen years ago there was 10 fl. or 12ft. of water, and there are only a couple of feet there now. 't< How far down the river have you, observations taken you/ I used to lake soundings below Kenny's—between Thorp's Bend and the June, ion—in the Ohinemuri principally, and lielow the Junction. . . 9. What will Ik- the effect if nothing is d,,nc as regards the river?—lt will silt up altogether it they go on much longer. ~.»'»• ,i •> v 111 Have you had experience as regards the deposit ol line slimes on Ibe grass J- res, 11. What has been the result of that? You could see it lying on the top of the grass, and it works itself amongst the grass on top of the soil. ... 12. What effect has that on the feed of the cattle' So far as I can see. it injures the cattle. They cannot help eating it when they are eating the grass.