H.—2

Saturday, 11th May, 1901. The Commission met at 10.30 a.m. Present: Mr. McKenzie (Chairman), Mr. Fraser, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. McKerrow. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Dalston (attorney for the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company) was in attendance. A letter was received from Dr. Pindlay covering a return of the valuation, by Mr. J. G. Heslop, county valuer, of mining property in the Inangahua County, and asking the Commission to fix a time on Monday to hear Dr. Pindlay in support of an application to admit the return as a record of the Commission. Besolved, on the motion of the Chairman, That Dr. Pindlay be informed that the Commission will hear him at 2.30 p.m. on Monday in support of the application. Henry William Young, civil engineer, Greymouth, was called, and produced further returns (Exhibits Nos. 146 to 148). Norman Howard Maxwell Dalston, attorney for the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company, was called, and produced a further return (Exhibit No. 149). The Commission then further considered the printed proofs of Exhibits Nos. 115 to 139, and the secretary was instructed, on the motion of Mr. Eraser, to authorise the Government Printer to proceed with the printing of these returns. At 12.5 p.m. the Commission adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Monday, 13th May.

Monday, 13th May, 1901. The Commission met at 2.30 p.m. Present: Mr. McKenzie (Chairman), Mr. Fraser, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. McKerrow. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was received from the Under-Secretary for Public Works, forwarding, to the order of the Commission dated 9th May, 1901—(1) A return showing the value of 53 lb. permanent-way materials, at Lyttelton and Greymouth, for each of the years from 1886 to 1894, and also for 1900 (Exhibit No. 152); (2) a return showing the weight of rails and fastenings necessary to lay one mile of railway (Exhibit No. 151) ; and (3) a return showing the cost per ton, in position, of the cylinders and girders in the Teremakau Bridge, on the Greymouth-Hokiti'ka Eailway (Exhibit No. 150); and it was resolved, on the motion of the .Chairman, That the returns be made records of the Commission. Mr. Bell (counsel for Crown), Dr. Findlay (counsel for Eeceiver), Mr. Coates (Eeceiver for the debenture-holders), and Mr. Dalston (attorney for the New Zealand. Midland Eailway Company) were in attendance. Dr. Findlay promised, in reply to the request of the Commission, to furnish a return showing the amount of the debenture capital and the share capital of the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company. The Commission considered the printed proofs of Exhibits Nos. 140 to 145, and the secretary was instructed, on the motion of the Chairman, to authorise the Government Printer to proceed with the printing of these returns. At 3.30 p.m. the Commission adjourned till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.

Tuesday, 14th May, 1901. The Commission met at 10.30 a.m. Present: Mr. McKenzie (Chairman), Mr. Fraser, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. McKerrow. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Bell (counsel for Crown), Dr. Findlay (counsel for Eeceiver), Mr. Dalston (attorney for the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company), and Mr. Blow (Under-Secretary for Public Works) were in attendance. Horatio John Hooper Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, was called and further examined on oath. The Commission considered Mr. Bell's memorandum of the 26th April, 1901, in reference to the moneys contributed by the Midland Eailway Company or its debenture-holders towards con-struction-works on the line carried out by the Government; and it was resolved, on the motion of the Chairman, That the memorandum be made a record of the Commission (Exhibit No. 153). The Commission heard Dr. Findlay in support of an application to admit a return of the valuation of mining property under "The Gold Duty Abolition and Mining Property Eating Act, 1890," for the years 1891 to 1901 inclusive, for Inangahua County, as a record of the Commission ; and, on the motion of the Chairman, it was resolved, That the return be made a record of the Commission (Exhibit No. 154). Norman Howard Maxwell Dalston, attorney for the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company, was called, and produced further returns (Exhibits Nos. 155 and 156). A letter was received from the Under-Secretary for Public Works, forwarding, to the order of the Commission dated the 30th April, 1901, a return of the approximate estimate of passenger

XXXIX