D.—4.

62

\. J. STALLWORTHY.

line from the Main Trunk to Ruawai we could, so to speak, make the deep-sea trade shake hands with the arterial system at Ruawai. and thus develop a considerable inland trade for the railway. A brancb line at Ruawai would lie a great Feeder to tin , main system, and would be a distributing line for a large extent of country. 5. Mr. Evans.] You cay the only dividend paid by the Kaipara Steamship Company in thirty \cars was 2. 1 , per cent, ! I believe that to lie the fact : there is a director in the room at present to corroborate my statement. 6. Do most of the imports and expert i of this district come and go by steamers at present by way of Kaipara ! Timber goes by sea. and imports to a large exteni from southern ports and Sydney come over the liar. 7. If the railway were put through by the western route, how long would it lie before the country would lie carrying sheep and rattle '. 1 believe the development would In , almost immediate, and most remarkable. 8. Are you aware thai the Kaihti line at present is nol paying '. Yes : but lam also aware that if it were extended another lour or-five miles it would pay handsomely. The Kaihu line was one of the besi paying lines in t lie Dominion up to the last year in , two. 9. Would it not I" , very expensive to continue that line beyond Kaihu ? If the Government got 3d. per mo ft. royaltj lor the timber at the head of that line it would pay for the construction of the additional length twice over. 10. Mr. Cuoni. l You suggested a branch line from Ruawai to the Main Trunk : what object would that serve \ I am not suggesting that as an alternative to the western route, 'nit as an alternative bo the connection between Dargaville and Kirikopuni. 11. Kill it has no connection with Dargaville '. M would conned with a ferry service from Dargaville. 12. Is not Dargaville connected with Kinkopuni by a steamer ot ferry service now ( -Yes ; but if we could connect it V railway at Ruawai ii would be a much better service than the one we have now. as after getting to Ruawai we bave now to travel over impossible roads to Tc liana to get to the railway. If we could gel on the train a) Raupo or Ruawai verj little freight probably would go to Helensville. L 3. Would not the same result be obtained by connecting with Kirikopuni ( By the peopleabove or near Dargaville. yes ; below Dargaville, no. I do not think that people below Ruawai would go up to Kirikopuni. It. What would the average length of the connection be from Ruawai '. About seventeen miles. 15. Mr. Stallworthy.] What is the steamer [are from Dargaville to Ruawai i Sβ. single. IK. What is the distance '. Twenty live miles, roughly. I". Do you confirm the statement thai it is twenty five miles from Dargaville to Kirikopuni by water ' About that, taking the tortuous channel of the river into account. 18. If people wanted to go to Auckland by the Main Trunk, and had the alternative of connecting with the line at Kirikopuni. how many miles would they be then on their way to Auckland?— From Dargaville practically none. If they went from Dargaville to Ruawai they would be twenty miles or so on their journey. lit. What is the distance from Ruawai to I'aparoa '. I have ridden it easily in an hour and a half in summer, but in winter it takes five hours. 20. A coacb connection from Ruawai to the Main Trunk would be about two hours and a half '. Quite that ; but the line is not proposed to go w it hm three miles of I'aparoa. 21. Is not the point at which vim touch the main line south of McCarroll's Gap \ Yes, b\ about live or six miles. 22. Taking the District Engineer's figures, Kirikopuni is I2(i miles from A\ic.kland, and persons going from Dargaville to Auckland would have to go twenty-live miles to Kirikopuni and 126 miles to Auckland : is that no! so < --Yes, 151 miles in all. 23. And from Ruawai. how many miles would it be across to the line ) Nut more than twenty. 21. Mr. Steadmm.] There is very little difference bet wen the two routes in length ? That is so. 25. You advocate the western route as thi' Mam Trunk route \ Yes. 26. Can you give us any proof of your assumption that the eastern route is not a business proposition \ 1 have stated m\ own opinion from personal observations. 27. You have made the statement, but can you give us any concrete facts to support it ?—1 can give you many facts that lead up to my belief that this country will carry two sheep to the a 28. How do you arrive ai it >. By the extra quality and carrying-capacity of the land on the west •as compared with that on the east. 39. You take the country within seven miles of the railway as your guide. ( —No, the general nature ,of the whole country. 30. Do you go over to the Kaihu line in making your estimate i. -Yes. 31. Why do you not go over to the other side to the Uhangarei line \ Practically I do. Igo right into the ffikurangi district, and. in my opinion, there is no comparison as regards the carrying capacity of that country with the land on tin western route. 32." Do vim know what the I'urua district is earning now to the, acre, between Ruatangata and the eastern line '. -No. 33. Have you ever been into that district ?—Yes, and into Whangarei. 34. Do you know Manoia's place there f—No. 36. Do you know Knight's estate ?— Yes.