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163. 1 will read you Mr. Jackson's opinion, and then ask you if you agree with it. This is his opinion, written to me on the 20th July The Chairman : Where docs he write from? Mr. Massey: From Mangiao. The Chairman : Ho does not live in the district at all. Mr. Masse;/: I am going to quote his opinion . " I have been on perhaps the worst portion of the block, which, though broken, is of pood mixed hush on a good papa formation, which grows and holds grass excellently. A great portion of this estate is easy country of magnificent quality, and I believe few people realize the enormous quantity of coal in it. dial shows in nearly every creek on the Ohura side, and outcrops of reefs 18 ft. thick are numerous." Do vim agree with that opinion? -1 say that the papa land, which extends up to about an horizon of 1.500 ft., is the same as all papa land round about there. 1 do not agree with that gentleman. 164. Hut papa land is generally good land ? —Yes. J 65. And holds grass excellently? —Yes. 166. You agree with his opinion to that extent .' Yes. 167. And there is papa land there?— Yes, up to an horizon of L,sooft. it is not the value of the land you have to consider, but the difficulty and the cost of getting things in and out. It does not pay to engage a steamer to take your cattle and your sheep and your wool up and down a liver when you can cart the wool or drive the cattle and sheep along a road —and there is no road there. 168. Still, the Mokau Rivei is navigable?— Yes, for twenty-five miles; but it would never pay a farmer to put his cattle and sheep on to a steamer. 169. Do not farmers ever ship their stock? -Not unless they ane absolutely obliged to. 170. 1 am afraid you have not seen much of New Zealand? - I have been in New Zealand for fifty-two years. 171. And have you never seen cattle shipped? —Yes, and many of them killed and drowned. 1 have seen a whole boat-load of cattle drowned on the Northern Wairoa. where I was Government surveyor for fifteen years. 172. Leaving the quality of the soil : you have :i very poor opinion of the value of this land from a mineral point of view?— Yes. 173. Did you ever hear of a paper called the New Zealand Times? //mi. Mr. .Xiiata: Is Mr. Massev going to put all this into the evidence, Mr. Chairman? He has quotations from newspapers. It is time the Committee considered that class of question. Mr. Massey proceeds to quote a letter from any mar. who chooses to write to him, and then asks the witness whether he agrees with that. The Chairman: I think it is entirely irrelevant. Mr. Manse;/: 1 think my line of examination is a perfectly fair one. Hon. Sir J. Carroll: I do not think so. The witness may say lie knows nothing of what appears in the paper, but it is read, ami it goes in to the Press as the opinion of. say, the New Zealand Times. The Chairman: If my opinion is asked lam prepared to give it. It is all irrelevant, and I will rule it out of order if any member of the Committee objects to it. It is objected to: I rule it out. Mr. Massey: 1 will put it in this way: is the witness acquainted with a Mr. Cowan, who, I believe, is a member of the Native Department? /foil. Mr. Nffata: Is there any evidence before the Committee that Mr. Cowan wrote that article? Mr. Maguey: I am going to ask the witness whether Mr. Cowan is an authority on such a subject. The Chairman : Hut that is entirely irrelevant —tin' witness's opinion of a person outside. You can call Mr. Cowan if you like. Mr. Massey : Then may 1 put Mr. Cowan's (.pinion in evidence, as expressed in the New Zealand Times of last Saturday? Hon. Mr. Ngata: Can you prove it is Mr. Cowan's? Mr. Massey: I will call Mr. Cowan. 1 ask that Mr. Cowan be called. The Chairman: Certainly. It is the easiesl way. 17-1-. Mr. Masse;/.] About this £1.000, Mr. Hardy: you told us it was paid into a suspense account? —Yes. 175. And who controls the suspense account , —The people who paid it in. 176. Who paid it in? —T suppose it came from the company. 177. Do you not know?—l know who paid it in. 178. And they control the suspense account?— Subject to my guidance and the committee's guidance. 179. Then it is practically under your control?— Certainly: it is in suspense with me. 180. Is any part of that intended for the Native owners?—Oh, no. 181. They get no part of it?— Only those who can be supplied out of any funds that we get. The total expenses come to about £1,600. and included in that amount are some ex r/ratia payments to Native who supplied food and otherwise helped our side forward. I did not have any control as to who those persons were who were to receive money. The Natives themselves in committee decided who should receive compensation for anything they contributed towards the work we had in view. 182. The Chairman.] Is it usually the case for a committee to deal with these matters? — Certainly. Expense is entirely a matter for the committee. 18* Mr. Massey.] Will you tell us for whom the £1,000 is intended?— Yes; for payment of the (Vents' fees and the law-costs that is, as far as the £1,000 will go in that direction. If