ON COLONIAL INDUSTRIES.

F.—No. 1,

13

120. Mr. Macffarlane.] Is the barley grown in the Colony equal to that grown at home ?— Generally it is not so, owing to the use of inferior seed ; but I have seen samples in Christchurch equal to any English barley. 121. The Chairman.] Do you ever experience any difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply of barley ? —Not now. 122. If the rate of duty upon foreign malt were raised, would not the effect be to stimulate the use of Colonial malt ? —Tes, it would. 123. The Committee understand you to state that if the brewers once got into the habit of using Colonial malt, they would not use English malt, owing to the cheaper price of the former ?—There is a prejudice against using Colonial malt, but it is gradually wearing away. 124. At what price can Colonial malt, made in Otago, be laid down in "Wellington ?—At Bs. a bushel. 125. What is the ordinary price of English malt in Wellington ?—I think, at present, it is 10s. 6d. per bushel. 126. Do you use Colonial hops in your brewery ? —We use very little Colonial hops, as there is a difficulty in procuring them. We prefer Colonial hops to English hops, if we could procure them. 127. Do you not find the Colonial hops stronger than the English hops ? —I am Hot able to give an. opinion upon that matter. 128. What is the price of Colonial hops ?■ —I would say Is. 9d. per lb., but I can obtain English, hops of good quality at an average price of Is. 6d. per lb. 129. Have any attempts been made in Otago to grow hops ? —Not for manufacturing purposes. If we had cheaper labour, we could grow an abundance of hops. The climate of Otago is admirably adapted to its growth. This industry should be developed. 130. Is it desirable that, by any legislative action, encouragement should be given to the development of this industry ? —Tes, I think a bonus ought to be given. 131. Would an increase of duty tend to develop this industry? —No, I think not. 132. Can you make any general suggestions to the Committee, bearing upon the brewing, malting, and hop interests of the Colony ? —No, I have no suggestions to make. 133. Do you think, eventually, that the beer produced in the Colony will be adapted for export trade ? —Tes. 134. At what price can you produce beer fit for the English market to compete with the Indian market ? —I do not think we could at present compete with the Indian market. The very best ale. we could produce could be landed in Calcutta for about £9 per hogshead. The English ale could be landed there at a lower price. 135. How do you obtain the casks required for your trade ?—By the purchasing of English hogsheads sent out here fall of ale. No doubt brewers must give their early attention to the manufacture of hogsheads. 136. Are not several woods of the Colony adapted for cooperage purposes ? —-No, not for the manufacture of hogsheads for ale. All the hogsheads are manufactured from oak. Staves are generally imported from America. The large tuns are manufactured from New Zealand wood ; but the Colonial wood will not bear the same usage as oak. 137. Mr. Macffarlane. —Is Victorian beer imported into Otago; and, if so, of what quality ?—No Victorian beer is imported into Otago that I am aware of. 138. Is there any English beer imported ?—Very little. 139. Is it of good quality ? —Sometimes good, and sometimes bad. 140. Son. Dr. Menwiclc.] Is there much sugar used in the manufacture of beer in this Colony ?— I believe there are brewers who use a considerable quantity of sugar, but that arises from the circumstance that English malt is high in price, and it is not profitable to use it. 141. Is there much malt imported into the Colony from England ? —There is not much imported now. 142. The Chairman.'] With malt at Bs. per bushel, would.sugar require to be used? —A little sugar is necessary in the manufacture of beer for the purpose of clarifying it. Malt at Bs. per bushel would drive out the nse of sugar, except for the purpose of clarifying. 143. Son. Mr. Gray.] Did you ever know honey to be used in the manufacture of beer ?—I have never heard of it; I dare say honey would do as well, if not better than sugar. 144. The Chairman.] Do you bottle ale and stout ?■ —We bottle both largely. 145. Does it enter into competition with imported ale and stout ?—Tes, greatly. The Colonial article is sometimes sold as English. 146. Are the bottles readily obtained ? —Not readily. At present we pay Is. 6d. per dozen for ale bottles, and Is. for stout bottles. 147. Will this supply of bottles fall off as the consumption of the English article diminishes?— Tes, we have experienced some difficulty at times in procuring a supply of bottles. Witness was thanked, and withdrew. T. A. S. Kynnersley, Esq., M.H.E., in attendance and examined. 148. The Chairman.] The Committee are anxious to hear any suggestions from you with regard to the development of the gold-mining resources of the Colony ?—I think an adequate water supply is the most pressing requirement to the development of the gold-mining resource^ of the Colony. On the Nelson and West Coast Gold Fields there are many square miles of country —of low alluvial hills —all auriferous, and wherever there is any water the ground is now worked to advantage. Miners pay as much as £1 per day for a head of water to the proprietors of the few small water-races that exist at present. I know one large district alone, in the Grey Valley, where the levels have been taken for a water-race; and it has been estimated, by those best acquainted with the country, that if that race were brought in at an estimated cost of about £20,000, it would find work for between one thousand and two thousand men for the next ten years. 4