to.—4

36

115. I will not press you if you are not certain. You know that under the contract we are entitled to take timber from the mining reserves, subject to certain restrictions ?—But I am not giving my interpretation of the contract. 116. Your company, so far as you know, have made an application for timber from a mining reserve?—l have a recollection of one being made, certainly, down the Hokitika district, through the Hokitika Land Office. 117. You know that is not the proper course—to make application to the Commissioner. Do you know of a single application to the Crown, in terms of the contract, for timber from the mining reserve ?—I recollect that we made application for one. The land was applied for. It was down near Kumara, away in the Hokitika district. The land was applied for, and the Chief Surveyor of the district said it was wanted for gold purposes; therefore we said the company required that timber on it. The application was changed from one to timber. 118. Hon. E. Blake.] That was a written application, I suppose?— Yes. 119. Mr. Stringer, ,] Was that refused ? —No; they did not refuse things, but they did not grant them. 120. You have got no refusal of them ? —I do not recollect it being refused. 121. Was it not on the ground that it was wanted for mining purposes?— You do not realise the difficulty I have in remembering after the lapse of time without referring to correspondence. I think I must say I do not recollect. 122. Do you know of any other instance where the company made a formal application under the contract for timber on a mining reserve ? —I do not. 123. Hon. E. Blake.] Can you tell the nearest date to this application of yours—the year if you can ?—I think, roughly, about 1890. I should think so. It can be found. 124. Mr. Stringer.], That is the only instance you know?— That is the only instance that occurs to me. 125. I suppose you recognise that timber at the moment on mining reserves is generally the most valuable part ?—Yes, generally. The timber is of the greater value. 126. You said it on a former occasion. Is it a fact that settlers will sometimes follow the sawmillers, and take up the land which has been cleared by the sawmillers' operations ? —The men working for the sawmillers will, if they get the opportunity, buy some few acres near the sawmills. 127. Do you know of an instance on the Coast where land which has been cleared by the sawmillers' operations has been taken up for agricultural or pastoral purposes ?—I know of an instance where they wanted to do so ; but, so far as I know, the land was never sold to them. It was the first sawmill the company granted a license to. It was at Kokiri, the first station from Stillwater, on the Christchurch line. Some men applied for 10-acre sections. 128. Some persons wished to purchase that land from the company?— Yes. 129. These were some applications made under clause 33 ? They were some of a piece of freehold of the company. 130. Did the company sell ?—lt is not within my knowledge. 131. It was not sold within your knowledge?— No. Applications were made. The people spoke to me before I left the active business of the company. 132. Then, you do not actually know whether people have taken up land cleared by the sawmillers ?—I do not think I can recollect any on the Coast, because lam not familiar with the old sawmills. There were very few when we came there. I am not aware where the old sawmills were. 133. You do not know?—-No. 134. As a matter of fact, did not the company issue licenses to people to cut timber without limiting them as to the places where they were to cut ?—The company's license limits and describes the areas. 135. The company, in issuing timber licenses, roughly described the areas ?—Yes; roughly described them. 136. Did they take any precautions to see that the licensees kept within the boundaries?— Yes, the company had an agent who was frequently going to the mills. 137. Who was the agent?— Mr. Pavitt. 138. "Who lived in Greymouth?—Yes. 139. And it was part of his business to see that the licensees were keeping within their limits ?—Yes ; among other things. 140. As a matter of fact, do you know that these licensees cut timber in many places where they had no license to cut ? —As a matter of fact, I do not know. 141. Did you ever hear that they had done so ?—I heard of a dispute where there were adjoining boundaries, and one man cut over the other. I heard of that. 142. Have you not heard, as the land manager of the company, that your licensees were going beyond their limits?—Oh, no. The time I was there they had no time to cut to the edge of their limits. 143. You look upon the Grey Valley as being available for settlement—anything like close settlement —only in a great number of years ? —The Grey Valley can only be settled outwards from the railway. I have always thought that the land—setting aside the question of the conserving of timber —could only be settled in the course of from fifteen to twenty years—out from the centres of population. 144. Do you know whether or not the railway increased the value of the freeholds that had been alienated before the construction of the line ?—All the old freeholds ? 145. Hon. E. Blake.] Before the line was constructed ?—As a matter of fact, I do not think it made very much difference in some of the old freeholds. It improved them in some respects, and disimproved them in others.