1.—12 a;

62

A. CAMPION

embankment round it —it is a very strong one —and since he litis done that it has not been nearly so bad. 14. It is not, however, entirely effective? —It is not nearly so bad since he has done that. But, of course, it has been wet weather. We have not had a dry season since that has been done. 15. In dry seasons what effect has the emptying of this refuse into this particular stream upon the stock? —The stock will not drink the water. 16. What is the appearance of the water? What does it look like? —It is very dirty. It is the gum, 1 think, or the waste or wax, whatever you like to call it, that accumulates in the bottom. You would think it was alive in the bottom of the stream. 17. Does it make the water slimy? —Yes, it makes it slimy, and the stench is terrible. 18. The stench is terrible? —Yes. 19. So far as stock arc concerned, wdiat can you tell the Committee about the drinking of water?—l had to take the stock out of the paddock. They would not drink the water. 20. Do you refer to all kinds of stock? —1 had only horses in that paddock in the dry season. 21. Did the stock go down and smell at it, and then go away without drinking? —Yes, they would smell and go away. 1 could not make out what was up, and then I found that they would not drink the water, so I shifted them out of the paddock. 22. Are you largely dependent upon this stream for the water for your stock? —In that particular paddock that is the only water 1 have got. 23. Do you know anything of the effect of the flax-refuse in the stream on the fish and on the vegetation?—lt kills them all. 24. Does it kill the eels? —Yes. The first time I cleaned the drain the mill had not been running for a few months. It was simply full of eels. Now, since the mill lias been running, there is not an eel. 25. That is, of course, a very small stream in the summer? —Only a small stream. I should say it has only about 6 in. of water in it. 26. Has it got much fall to the sea? —I should not think so. 27. How far is it from the mill to the sea?— Anywhere from four to six miles. 28. And what is the fall in that distance?— From 15 ft. to 20 ft. 2!). There is not much chance of the stream itself washing the impurities away?—lt cannot wash it away?. 30. Is the stream polluted for some distance down? —Yes, till the way? down. 31. And stench arising from it? —Yes. 32. Do you think the emptying of the refuse from the mill into a stream such as yours would have the effect of choking the stream to any* appreciable extent? Does it accumulate on the bottom of the stream? —Of course it does. We have to keep cleaning it out, and we have to keep cleaning the drains out. 33. Suppose, Mr. Campion, that you wanted to finance on your property, to borrow up to the fullest possible extent on it: do you think it would affect your borrowing-capacity, this stream? — 1 should think it would. 34. In other words, it would depreciate the value of your property? —Yes. 35. Have you any knowledge of stock suffering in any way from it?—l do not, know. All 1 know is that my horses would not drink the water, and I simply- shifted them out of the paddock. I have never lost any stock through it. 36.- Mr. Buick.] You are a dairy-farmer, are you not? —No. 37. Is that the only water-supply y?ou have? —On that particular end of the place. I have got water about a mile and a half away?. 38. Do you think it would be possible for the mill to be carried on profitably without using that stream? —They could not carry on the mill without using that stream. 39. They could not carry on the mill without polluting the stream? —Oh, certainly, they could carry on the mill without polluting the stream if they took precautions and kept everything out of it. 40. What way do you think they? could deal with the material?— Either cart it away or shoot it away? with water. It litis not been nearly? so bad since the embankment has been put up. But that will get bad later on : there will be so much of it accumulated, it will get rotten, and perhaps be worse than ever. There should be some way of working the mill without accumulating this stuff. 41. Has there ever been an attempt made amongst the neighbours to stop the pollution going into the river by way? of injunction or in some other way?- —Never, to my knowledge. 42. In other words, you would rather put up with the pollution of the river than lose the mill. Which would you rather lose, the stream or the mill?—I would rather lose the mill than lose the water 43. You have lost the water practically now, but you have still got the mill?— Yes, that is so. 44. The Chairman.] Can you tell the Committee positively from your actual knowledge that you could not scrape up an eel in this creek in spite of the flax? —No, I never saw one. 45. Have you looked for them?— Yes; as I have said, when I cleaned the drain before you could chuck them out by the dozen. 46. And do y?ou say? that the watercress is killed out too? —Yes. 47. When you shifted the horses out of that paddock, what did you do with the paddock?— I let sheep in on it. They would have to do without water, or else drink it. 48. Did you ever notice them drinking it?— No. 49. Well, you know, in a dry summer sheep want a drink do they not? —Oh, yes, but sheep will live without a drink. 50. But will sheep do well in a dry summer without water? —No, they do better with it.