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H. HUNT

48. You have never tried spreading your washings on the grass?— No. 49. Do you wash all the cans at the factory?—No; there are no cans washed at the factory at all —only the separators and the churns. 50. That is all the washing you have ?—Practically. 51. Supposing you were able to spread your washings on the grass by some system of spraying, or something of that sort: with the great evaporation in the summer-time, do you think that would answer? —I do not think it would. 52. Supposing that damages were given against you under the new Bill, how many farmers along this great length that you unfortunately have to carry your washings would be claimants upon you? —About seven or eight, before we get into the main drain. 53. Would there be any complaint on the part of those along the main drain? —I could not say. They would have the same cause, I dare say, but to only a limited extent. 54. Mr. Buick.] Does the effluent affect the main drain? —No. 55. Can you see any effect from it in the main drain?—Y T ou might find traces of it in the middle of summer when the water is very low. 56. The Chairman.] The nuisance is practically within a mile? —Yes. James Bain Robertson, Chairman Bunnythorpe Dairy Company, examined. (No. 12.) 1. Mr. Nathan.] I understand that you are going to work casein at your factory? —Yes. 2. You had complaints about the drainage of your factory from a certain section of the people up there ? —A complaint from one person. 3. Who is not interested in the dairy? —No, he had no stock, as far as I know. 4. You are draining into the Mangaone Stream? —Yes. It eventually goes into the Manawatu River through Jack's Creek. 5. When you had this complaint you consulted the Health Department?— Yes. 6. And they reported there was no nuisance? —The Health Officer examined the water, and told the man there was no nuisance. 7. You did purchase land for £100 to mitigate what nuisance there was as far as possible? —We bought an acre of land so as to safeguard our drains into the main drain, and I suppose the price of the land for farming would have been about £25 or £30. It was no good as a town section, because it was partly flooded with Jack's Creek. 8. It is absolutely impossible for the factory to drain in any other direction than that in which it is draining?— That is the natural channel. It is the only drainage there is there. 9. You are alive to the situation that any person on this Mangaone Stream adjacent to your factory could prevent you from polluting the water by running your drainage into it? —Yes. 10. You have a creamery situated on the Aorangi Road in the Aorangi Settlement? —Yes. 11. The drainage from that creamery goes down a drain through Mr. McFarlane's property? —Yes. 12. Through a private drain ?—Yes. 13. Mr. McFarlane is a director of the company?— Yes. 14. If he sold out to some one who did not have the interest of the Bunnythorpe Dairy Company at heart, that person could shut up the creamery by stopping your drainage? —Yes. We have another way by which we could put the drainage into the same creek. 15. It would still have to go into that creek?— Yes. 16. You cannot drain in any other direction than that in which you are draining?— No. 17. So that if anybody did purchase this property you could be stopped there? —Yes. It is different land at Aorangi from Bunnythorpe—it is very porous; and we clean the drain out occasionally by throwing the stuff up on to the land, and it seems to get right. 18. How much of the drain do you clean out?— About 5 chains, I think. 19. And beyond 5 chains from the creamery there is no smell or odour? —Not so far as I know. We have had no complaint from the settlers round there. 20. Speaking as one who is interested in the industry and holding a responsible position in connection with a co-operative factory, you are prepared to carry out any regulations, and would welcome any regulations issued by the Health Department or Stock Department for the supervision of the drainage from the butter-factories? —Yes. We built a new dairy about two years ago, and we sent to the Health Officer at Feilding to come out and make any suggestions, and we followed his idea. We have no open drain at the factory. The drainage goes through a blind creek. The vegetation is growing there, and the Health Officer advised us to leave it to soak through. There is artesian water flowing there, and we have practically no nuisance at all. We have a fat-collector. 21. The Chairman.] You have no closed pipe carrying away your washings?—We have a closed pipe leading into this blind creek, about a chain from the factory. 22. Has that been at any time choked? —No, it is all practically new. We have drain-traps and all, according to the Inspector's requirements. 23. How far from the factory is the creek into which you discharge?— About 100 yards. 24. There is nothing running in this drain to the creek in the summer-time except your own washings? —The washings and the artesian water. The artesian overflow is running all night. 25. How far from the factory is the nuisance that was complained of by this one man?— About 300 yards or a quarter of a mile away. 26. How far does this man live from the factory?—He lived there—about a quarter of a mile away. 27. The milk of how many cows is put through the factory?—We put through 3,000 gallons at the main factory. 1 could not say from how many cows.