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there is wind to carry the sparks?—l do not know of any fires that have occurred in calm weather. 48. Have you travelled on those trains yourself ?—Yes. 49. Can you speak as to sparks falling ?—Yes, at night. You cannot see sparks in the daytime. 50. You do not notice them to the same extent ?■—During the day I have felt sparks alight on my hands—that is when I have been standing on the platform ; and I have especially felt it when the train has been going against the wind. 51. You have seen sparks coming from the engine?— Yes. I have seen a perfect blaze of sparks all along the side of the train. 52. Were there any fires last year?— Only paltry ones. It was a wet season, and no damage to speak of was done. We never needed to whip a fire out. 53. Anything that caught burned out of itself?—lt smouldered for a time and went out. 54. It was an exceptionally wet season ?—Yes, the grass was never withered. 55. The season before—the time the paddock was burnt—were there many fires that year ?— There was one on the paddock that was burnt, and a few small ones. 56. Mr. Cooper.] You had taken a crop of hay off the paddock just before the fire ?—Yes. 57. There was no growth then, was there? —Yes, very thick growth. 58. How long was it before the fire that you had cut the paddock?—lt would have been stacked about the first week in December. 59. About five weeks, then ?—Yes. 60. It was a dry season, was it not ?—Yes, a very dry season. William Ferguson Massey, sworn. 61. Mr. Brookfield.] You are a farmer, Mr. Massey ?—Yes, at Mangare. 62. Do you know Mr. Wallace's place ?—Yes. 63. The one on which the fire occurred two years ago ? —Yes. I know the whole of Mr. Wallace's properties. 64. And you know the particular part that was burnt at that time ?—Yes; I saw the place. I did not see the fire. 65. You know the property generally ?—Yes. 66. What would be fair compensation to Mr. Wallace for his loss ?—For the damage done on that occasion ? 67. Yes?—l have heard Mr. Wallace's evidence, and I know he claimed £20 for 17 acres of grass destroyed, and I think that is a very moderate estimate, because when a fire runs over the grass it practically destroys the best of it. It kills the ryegrass and the clover, and I would not like to put the paddock into its former state for £20. I think it is a very moderate estimate. 68. Did you see the place after the fire ?—I saw it a few weeks ago. I did not see it at the time. 69. You did not see it shortly after the fire to enable you to say where the fire occurred?— No. 70. You do a good deal of travelling on that line, do you not ?—Yes. I live out that way. 71. Can you tell us anything about sparks coming from engines on that line ?—So far as Mr. Wallace's property is concerned the line runs almost north and south. Mr. Wallace's farm is on the east side of the line, and the prevailing winds come from the south and the west; consequently nearly all the time the wind is blowing the sparks on to Mr. Wallace's land. It is more subject to sparks than the land on the other side of the line. 72. Are the fires caused by sparks?— Most certainly. I have no doubt in my mind about that. 73. Why do you think so?—ln travelling about the line I have very often seen fires start just after the engine had passed. Of course, it is almost impossible for any one to say he has seen a spark in the daytime as it was leaving the funnel of the engine, but I have no moral doubt about the fires being caused by sparks from the engines. 74. In travelling at night-time have you seen sparks ? —Yes, showers of them. 75. There is no doubt the engines do throw out sparks ? —There is no doubt about it. 76. The engines are supposed to be fitted with spark-catchers ?—Yes, I believe so. 77. Is it a spark-catcher? —No ; it does not keep the sparks in. 78. Mr. Cooper.] You did not see the paddock until quite recently? —No. 79. And you base your estimate on what you have heard from Mr. Wallace ?—Yes. Christopher Bailey, sworn. 80. Mr. Brookfield.] Where do you live ?—At Papatoitoi. 81. Close to Mr. Wallace? —About half a mile away. 82. Part of Mr. Wallace's property is close to your house ?—Yes. 83. Do you remember a fire occurring on Wallace's place about two years ago? —I do. 84. Did you see it start ? —I did. 85. What started it, can you tell us ?—I put it down to a spark from the engine of the train that was passing. 86. How long before that fire occurred had the train passed ?—lmmediately. When the train passes you can see the smoke rising. 87. Did the fire occur on the line or in Mr. Wallace's place?—ln Mr. Wallace's paddock. 88. It started in the paddock ? —I would not say whether it was started in the paddock or outside the line or the fence. 89. Did you see the train pass ? —Yes. 90. Was there anybody about who could have set fire to the place ?—I think not. 91. You saw nobody about? —N6, there was no one near the place.