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186. In which block ? —ln Block 5 and in Block 1; Block 1 chiefly, because the workings are there. The timber in Block 1 is ample provision for the requirements of the mining industry in Block 1. 187. And you also say they get timber from Block 5 ?—Yes. 188. You do not know anything about Block 5 ?—Not the upper portion of it. I know the general workings of the block. 189. Hon. B. Blake.] Block 11 is the next?—ln my opinion, none of that is required for mining purposes with the exception of a small reservation at the Seven-mile Creek. There are seven men at work there, and I believe one is making fair wages. The others are not doing well. 190. Mr. Jones.] What about Block 11'?— No reservation is necessary, with the exception of a strip of one chain in width at the Seven-mile Creek. 191. What distance do you say should be reserved up the Seven-mile Creek?— Prom a mile to a mile and a half of about 2 chains in width. None of the workings extend more than sft. or 6ft. into the bank. 192. What do you say about the land on the portion adjoining the Midland Railway?—W T ell, from the Teremakau about a mile back to the foot of the Kelly's Range there is about 1,000 acres of land. It is excellent land. It adjoins the Jackson Railway-station, and is practically the Township of Jackson. The same class of land adjoins on the Teremakau slope. It is a rolling flat, on which there are some excellent gardens and clearings. It is first-class agricultural land. Jackson's paddocks are adjoining. It is a similar class of land. 193. Do you know of any reefing about there? —I know of the Teremakau Company's operations ; but they never had a reef. They had a small leader, and I think they spent about £15,000 upon it and got out 68 tons of stone. I think it went two grains or 4d. a ton or something like that for the one crushing. Nothing under £10 a ton would have paid for crushing it. The place is abandoned now, and the company is in liquidation. 194. Do you think it was necessary to reserve that block simply because of the Christchurch people who were prospecting ?—I think that was all the more reason why it should not be reserved, because the operations of the Christchurch people had proved that the ground was not payable. A number of men were working there, and searching over the hills in all directions for reefs. 195. We come now to Block Ba, I think it is called?—l hold that none of. that block should be reserved. There are no gold-workings upon it. 196. Is there any gold-mining anywhere near it ?—The only gold-mining was in front of the railway-station ; it is marked. It was a working on the banks of the Arnold River outside the block. I believe there are also two men working some distance outside the block. There is nobody working ■on the block at all now, I believe. 197. Is it required for any purposes connected with mining on Block 8 ? —No ; a terrace runs in between the two places. 198. Has there ever been any mining on that block —No; there have been a number of shafts sunk, but nothing found. 199. Do you know where the railway-station is?— Yes. 200. Has there been any mining in that block?— There is one man working there by the Kaimata Railway-station. It is on the banks of the Arnold Creek. The nearest other workings I know of are at Brown's Terrace. That is away outside the block altogether. This block should not be reserved. 201. The same remarks would apply generally to all the blocks you went over in the northern part of the Nelson district, on the sea-coast, and the western blocks, that the Government could have made the blocks in a similar form ? —There is not the least doubt of that in my mind. Our party found no difficulty in making these reserves, and with the few exceptions, do which the attention of the arbitrators has been called, in all those blocks not a single ounce of payable gold has been found, and no mining-rights at present exist—that is, upon the ground hatched. 202. Have you in every block allowed for the requirements of timber for the mining operations in any of the known goldfields ?—Due allowance has been made for all timber requirements, for water-races, tailings, and everything connected with the mining industry. 203. Mr. Gully.] What are you by occupation?—A mining-engineer. 204. The manager of a mining company, I believe ? —I am in private practice, but I am the legal manager of one or two companies. 205. You have not been engaged in that practice since your arrival on the Coast ?—Oh, yes. 206 How long have you been on the West Coast ?—Seven years. 207. Residing where ?—ln Greymouth, or Duffer's Creek, or Nelson Creek. Greymouth was my headquarters. 200. Where were you in the latter part of 1890 and the beginning of 1891 ?—ln Greymouth, and on the West Coast generally. 209. Were you aware at the time that proposals were made by the Government with reference to the reserves for mining purposes on the West Coast ?—ln a general way, of course, through reading what the newspapers had said about it. 210. You were aware, then, that there was a proposal to make substantial reserves upon the west coast of the South Island ?—Yes. I saw that in the papers. 211. Were you aware that the particulars had been submitted to a number of local bodies, such as the various County Councils, and Borough Councils, and miners' associations, sharebrokers' associations, and other bodies ?—Personally, I was not aware; but I knew by common talk and rumour that such things had been done, or that similar things had been done. 212. Were you also aware that the Government had taken the opinion of the Crown Lands Commissioner in the Nelson and Westland Land District ?—No. 213. Were you aware there was a consensus of opinion on the West Coast that the proposed