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J. B. MASON.]

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J. Blair Mason, Consulting Engineer, New Plymouth Harbour Board and New Plymouth Borough Council, examined. In regard to the detailed service which has been prepared, 1 may say that the scheme is turning out much better than I. anticipated. The general success of the scheme has been due to the discovery that splendid storage can be availed of. The amount of storage necessary to obtain all the piower of the Waiwakaiho River does not amount to more than 8 million cubic feet in the twenty-four hours. I estimate that if we get 10 million cubic feet we will be all right. The detailed service shows 32 or 34 million cubic feet. There are other storage sites which could be obtained if they were dammed, which would give another 50 or 60 million cubic feet. There is not the slightest doubt that 8,000 horse-power is now assured. I think that is a very important thing to Taranaki. It also makes one doubt whether hasty conclusions have not been arrived at with regard to the sources of power flowing down from Mount Egmont. lam inclined to think that if a thorough examination were made of the district, and the levels of the streams were taken, it might be possible to link some of them up into one, and thus get considerably more than New Plymouth is going to be favoured with. In fact, I h/ive come to the conclusion that there is further power in the neighbourhood. To the Chairman: 6,500 horse-power is the actual horse-power available at Waiwakaiho, but the fact that we have got this storage at our command helps any deficiency that may exist in the Waiwakaiho scheme in a dry season, and that to me as a hydraulic engineer is a very important point, It really means that the community is assured; but we must standardize our plant if we are to be assured that in a dry season that there will be no shortage of power. To Mr. Sidey: I have not considered this scheme in connection with Mr. Parry's larger scheme from an electrical point of view. I only know Mr. Parry's views through being acquainted with him; and the figures Mr. Parry has been supplied with for Taranaki have not been verified. I do not think that Waiwakaiho was considered. The Waiwakaiho and the streams on those slopes of Mount Egmont Ido not think have been discussed at all. I have been, engaged in connection with hydro-electric schemes in Tasmania and Australia for years. I know generally about the Waipori works at Dunedin, but 1 did not report upon them. To Mr. Graigie: If the scheme I have referred to were adopted I think the hydraulic works would only take about two years to complete. In the meantime it would supply a big area of Taranaki. As far as distribution is concerned, there is no reason why it should not take in the whole of Taranaki. I do not think the distribution losses would be high if it were taken as far as Hawera. Of course, the question of labour has to be taken into consideration. I have not taken that into consideration in speaking as I have done; I assume that the labour will be forthcoining. It will require some tunnel works. The question of labour is a general trouble throughout the Dominion. [Subsequently witness produced a plan of the Port of New Plymouth, and outlined to the Committee a number of suggested works to improve the harbour for shipping.] D. J. Hughes examined. I have been a dairy-factory director for a number of years. I want to emphasize to the Committee the point as to the exchange we pay to the banks on dairy-produce in connection with the buyers in England. The payment is on a f-per-cent. basis. Taranaki alone was saved £19,500 last year in exchange. We would like to know if the Committee will use its influence to see if something cannot be done in regard to this matter —to " get off " that exchange. With respect to buying the produce, we pay £170,000 to the commission agent for buying the dairy-produce in this country, on the basis of last year's prices; and Taranaki alone would have had to pay £52,000. These are huge sums. It seems to me that the methods in existence in this country in connection with the buying of produce will have to be altered. At present large sums are paid to buyers travelling in motor-cars all over the country. I would like to see this country do something up to date with regard to dairy-produce. The consumer and the producer seem to be getting no closer together. J am one of those who think that the producer should try and get into touch with the consumer. 1 think there are great possibilities in connection with that. It is a thing that will have to be considered. I am a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, but I am not now speaking as a Harbour Board official representative, but as an ordinary citizen 'who takes an interest in shipping. I would like to see the dangers minimized in the case of men working on boats. I think that shipping companies should be compelled to make better provision in respect to lights, and in other respiects, in order to minimize the danger of accidents. To Dr. A. K. Newman: I am one of those who think we ought to have a Board in the Old Country, and have our produce handled differently in the future to what it has been in the past. To Mr. Hudson: I think the Government should initiate some step that will make the system of handling our produce more modern than it lias been in the past. The High Commissioner is a commercial man, and he understands the business, but under the existing system he has had nothing to do with this matter. It is a shame. We have not got the insulated space on shipping that we ought to have; other countries have taken most of it, To Mr. Veitch: In respect to exchange, I think there is something irregular, and I ask if there is not a possibility of doing away with that waste. To Mr. Graigie: The buyers here buy the produce on commission, on a level 2 per cent.; they go to the different factories and make a deal with them. There are also men buying fat cattle. To Mr. Sidey: The banks' charge is § per cent, I think the system should be more modernized. It is pretty hard for a layman —a farmer —to suggest a remedy, but there surely is some remedy.