P.— 4.

86

[H. B. BLOANE.

12. What land did you have before that time? — I had the freehold. 13. Whal ;ir<: you doing with the land?— Grazing. 14. Does all that land lie on the eastern route? —No; the lino on the western route would go through the corner of my Tauraroa property. 15; Which corner? — The wee! corner. 16. Where does the survey of the eastern line go on the same property?—lt would be, roughly, «ght miles away. 17. You are not stock agent for the Farmers' Union on the west side of the Tangihuas?— There is no reason why I should not be. T have to go where lam told. 18. They have an agent there?— Yes, Imr he may come here and I may go there, just as the matter suits. 1!). Mow often have you U'on there in the last three years on business, purchasing stock?—l suppose within t lk- last three months 1 have been there twenty or thirty times. lam frequently there. 20. How long ago was it thai the cattle you refer to were delayed fourteen days at Mangapai? —This month, and it ha< happened on other occasions. 21. Is it a common thing for cattle to go from Mangapai to Mititai to be shipped?—No, the\ generally go to the rail-head after waiting a short time. 22. How do you know that half were shipped at Mititai? —I know that half went back to the paddock, and thai half were eventually shipped. 23. Do you say that Mr. Riddell's cattle all go by ship?— All he consigns in his own name do. 24. A very large number , of Mr. Riddell'e stock do go to the rail-head?—A good number of them do. 25. Although the conveniences at Mititai are SO gnat, they are not made much use of by Mr. Riddell? —By Mr. Riddell himself they are, but the general people who buy Mr. RiddelTs cattle pick up other cattle on the way through, and might just as well bring Mr. Riddell's through with them and ship at the other end. 26. We were told at Whangarei that seven hundred head of cattle a month and sometime* fifteen hundred head go through to the rail-head: is that your opinion too?— There have been cjuite that number. A great percentage of the cattle grazed on the Wairoa corns from Whangarei, and are reared principally on the eastern coast. 27. What do they go to the Wairoa for, to fatten ?—Yes, and to break in the country. 28. If they told us in the north that most of the cattle in Whangarei come from the north, would you believe it?— Yes. 29. What number of places are sales held at in the neighbour!) 1 of Whangarei?—Here and Kiiiiio and Whangarei and Towai and Ohaeawai. A great number of the cattle sold at these --ales go through Whangarei to the rail-head. •'SO. Are there many cattle sold on the western side?-—Yes. 81. Where do they go from. Whangarei] A good many are driven through and sold there. For every beast that comes from Wairoa to Whangarei live hundred go from Whangarei to Wairoa. 32. Who are those who buy cattle at open sale in Wairoa ?—Mr. Dreaden and Mr. Harding. 33. Is Mr. Dreaden on the Wairoa?—No, in Waikiekie. 34. Has Mr. Harding no land at Mauiin |- Yes. 35. Does he not take stock to th<» Whangarei sale?— Not unless they are pedigree stock. 36. Do you know proportionately the number of cattle that go by the rail-head and that L r " I>\ water?—l could not say. 'M. Mr. Steadman.] Do you know the route from Mangapai to Auckland?— Yes. 38. How long are the cattle at sea on that run?—l think they reckon on about twelve hours after getting outside. 39. The Chairman.] What is the number of your section at Tauraroa?—l can supply you with it. 40. Who is the present owner/—C. E. Hayward. Witness: From the 31st March, 1910, to the 31st March, 1911, there were shipped from Mangapai the following stock : 6,950 head of cattle, 200 head of sheep, 148 pigs. There were landed at Mangapai in the same time: 148 head of cattle and 2,348 head of sheep. I think nearly all this stock would go by rail in preference if we had the railway to Whangarei.

WaIKTEKIE, SATfcRDAY. 29TH APRIL, 1911. George Hugh Smith examined. (Xo. 53.) 1. The Chairman.] Where do you reside?—At Waikiekie. I am a school-teacher, and have been residing in this district for about twelve months. 2. Do you wish to make a statement to the Commission as to the matter we are inquiring ; n tn I — x committee representing the settlers of this district was formed sonic time ago with the object of obtaining statistics to place before you to-day relating to this part of the country. They are as follows: The area of the Waikiekie Road Board District is 33,314 acres; rateable value according to the 1909 valuation. £60,302; unimproved value, £35,257; value of improvements, £25,045. The statistics wo have been able to collect bear upon 25,948 acres. There are in grass, 1.T.592 acres: in arable land, 13,005 acres: in crop. 49 acres. There are 6,252 sheep, 4,468