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acres; but if a fruit-preserving factory was established, one man attending to three acres of small fruit would be equally remunerated with the man who grew eight acres of large fruit. But small fruit need not be grown to any extent unless a fruit-preserving factory is established, as already most of the small fruit grown in the district goes to waste for the want of a market; but a factory would give a market for a much larger growth of small fruit than has ever been attempted in this district. i am well aware that tons of peaches and cherries, &c, go to waste in this district every year for want of a market, and also thousands of gallons of bramble-berries. I think an ordinary crop of berries should yield five or six tons of good, sound fruit per acre, and this is not by any means a heavy crop. If a preserving factory was established, the fruit-preserver could afford to give the grower l|d. per pound for every pound of good, sound fruit delivered at the factory; therefore, at the amount of yield above mentioned, this would average a return of £50 per acre to the grower, and a little more per pound might be given for some kinds of fruit. That the manufacturer can supply a good, sound, wellpreserved tinned fruit at prices quite capable of competing with the imported article, is beyond question; and if the consumer in New Zealand will draw the supply of tinned fruit from a New Zealand factory, and the business becomes fully established and enlarged, fruit can be produced at prices defying competition even with the present limited production. lam able to turn out and can sell my preserved fruit at prices fully competing with the imported article. I forgot to mention that I have started fruit-preserving on a small scale, this being my second year. This year I have turned out two tons of preserved fruit, and can sell it readily, my only drawback being the want of capital to make it a larger concern, and so more remunerative. With £1,500 to enable me to erect the necessary plant and buildings, I could preserve all the fruit grown in this district at present being wasted, and could continue to extend the plant and buildings every year as the supply of fruit increased, without requiring any more capital than what would arise from the profits of the business. This I could do more readily as I am residing on freehold property; but from my two years' experience of the business, and the profits derivable therefrom, I am quite prepared to continue the business, allowing it to extend as I am enabled to extend it year by year as the profits accrue, feeling quite sure that eventually it would grow into a large concern. In order to foster this industry and to assist in its development, it would be very desirable that some of the duty should be taken off the best refined sugar, also off tin-plate and solder, so largely required in this manufacture. It must also be borne in mind that the imported article, in the shape of tinned and bottled fruits, is now largely used in New Zealand, and very considerable difficulty is felt in inducing the consumer to use the colonial-made article ; therefore any assistance the Commission can give to the development of this industry will be a great boon to the grower and manufacturer, and will largely increase the extent of land in cultivation in this district.

No. 6. The Gisboene County Council Office to the Chairman of the Local Industries Commission. Sir,— 4th April, 1880. I have the honor, by the direction of this Council, to acknowledge the receipt of your circular of the 17th ult., to which I am to reply that this Council thinks the discovery of petroleum and coal, and the growth of tobacco and hops, should receive some attention, as being eminently calculated to lead to great results, and would therefore suggest that a bonus should be offered as a stimulus to persons turning their attention iv those directions. It is thought advisable that such bonus should be local — i.e., that there should be a separate and smaller bonus for each county, and not one large bonus for the whole colony (in each of these separate branches of industry) ; because, if there be but one large bonus open to the whole colony, many persons would think the chance of obtaining it too remote, and would not compete, the object of offering a bonus being thereby partially defeated. I have, &c, W. 11. TUCKER, County Clerk.

■ ■ . I No. 7. Mr. .Robert Phabaztn to the Chairman, Local Industries Commission. SrE,— The Poplars, Wanganui, Bth April, 1880. In reply to your circular I have the honor to inform you that, so far as I am aware, the few local industries pursued in this provincial district have but little connection with agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and that I can furnish no special information about them. Thinking, however, that the settlers in this neighbourhood might wish to have the opportunity of discussing the matter and making suggestions, I called a meeting to consider the subject generally, and particularly with regard to a letter I received from Mr. A. J. Burns. The result is fairly given in the attached newspaper report, to which I need only add that, in my opinion, any attempts to foster local industries by protection would be most injurious to the real and permanent interests of the colony ; and that, beyond collecting and diffusing information, the Government can only directly aid in the establishment of local industries "by"—to use the language of the Oxford Cobden Prize Essay "for 1878, on " The Facts and Fallacies o£ Modern Protection "■ -" promising to recoup the founder of the industry for what loss he might experience, during a short and definite period, by having to sell his goods at the low rate caused by foreign competition. Provided the most scrupulous attention were paid to the merits of every case, such a policy would at once reward unprofitable trouble and encourage hazardous experiment." I have, &c, KOBEET PhaEAZYN, President, "Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Association.