I.—4d.

W. PHILLIPS.]

3

30. How much does the gold duty amount to?— About £14,000. 31. Do you get rent from the mines and licenses? —Yes. 32. Does the Borough of Waihi get two rents —from the surface and the gold duty as well ?— Yes; about £700 or £800 from these rents from the surface and gold duty. 33. Now, Waikino depends upon the reduction-works ?—Yes. 34. And that is outside the boundary ?—Yes. 35. Is the county at the expense of keeping up the roads and all the surroundings ?—Yes; and we are liable to pay £4,300 per annum. 36. The Ohinemuri County has had to pay for all works —water-supply, footpaths, &c. ?—Yes. 37. And get no benefit from the reduction-works?— That is so. 38. Then, there is a good deal of timber taken through Waihi?—Yes. 39. As a matter of fact, is not nearly every road used in supplying timber for Waihi ?—I do not know how you apply that matter to Waihi. 40. To supply Waihi ?—I am not going to deny that we cart timber to Waihi, but it is in common use for the public. 41. And when the Waihi Borough was formed the main road had been made and metalled the same as now ?—lt was better then. 42. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] What does the Government get out of the Government township ?— I cannot answer that question. 43. Does not the local body get the whole revenue ?—They have been getting it—they get it now. 44. What rates are the people paying at Waihi ?—Five-eighths of a penny upon the Government value. 45. Upon the capital value ?—-Yes. 46. You pay no other rates ?—Not above that. We intend making a Hospital rate. 47. You said one of the reasons why you need a large revenue is because you have a Hospital ? —Yes. 48. How did you obtain that Hospital ? Was there not a proposal made to provide a Hospital at a less cost, where the whole district would be contributory, but you decided to have the Hospital under your own influence ?—Yes. 49. You say the rate is fd. upon the capital value ?—Yes. 50. How is that capital value arrived at ?—I cannot answer that. 51. Who are the valuers ? —I do not know. 52. There is no unimproved value ? —No. 53. So that the capital value means the improved value?— Yes. 54. And the rate is fd. upon the improved value ?—Yes. 55. What is the total amount ? —At random, I should say £600 a year. 56. Can you not say nearer than that ?—Mr. Brown says £410. 57. That is, a town with a population of five thousand pays rates amounting to £410 ?—-Yes. 58. And that is all they are subjected to —there are no special rates ? —-No; but we intend making a special rate for water, &c. 59. If you make a special rate for water how does the gold duty for water come in ?—I think ■ 60. I do not mind what you think. I want to get the actual facts before the Committee. I have no feeling or opinion upon the matter ?—I do not know how to answer that question. 61. You have no reply to that question?— No. 62. I suppose you are aware that many thousands of tons of tailings are going into the Ohinemuri River, which continues to the Thames River, and that this is going on continually, and is likely to increase instead of decrease ?—Yes. 63. You know the Thames River is navigable not only as far as Paeroa, but to Matamata ?— Well, vessels can get up. 64. Is the deposit of these tailings which is going on month after month and year after year likely to affect the navigation of the river?—l think it must. The Government is putting a lot of stuff into the river. 65. Have you ever made an estimate of what your rates would be if you rated upon the annual value, say at 5 per cent? —No, I have not. 66. What would the £410 represent at |d. on the capital value ?—About £160,000. 67. If the Waihi people had been situated similarly to Paeroa, Thames, Mackaytown, Karangahake, or Coromandel do you think they would have been prepared to rate themselves to the same extent at the places I have named ? —Yes. 68. Do you know what rate the Thames has, for instance?— There are several rates; I could not give an idea of the total. 69. You know what the county rate is ?—I could not tell. 70. Mr. J. Allen.] Have you got the balance-sheet of Waihi with you?— No. The Borough was only formed in February twelve months ago, and the auditor is on his road to Waihi. I have not the balance-sheet. 71. Mr. Moss.] Do you know the value of the mines ?—I think the capital value is £2,750,000 —the market value, I mean. 72. Mr. Hemes.] You are liable for payment for the road leading into the borough?— Yes. 73. You have always been willing, if good cause was shown, to pay your share towards the maintenance of the roads? —Yes ; it is to our benefit. We have no selfish motives at all. 74. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] Did the Waihi people not want a Commission on this question ? — Yes, because the County Council and Borough Council could not agree. 75. So that the Commission was set up by joint request ?—Yes. 76. Mr. Herries.] What' Act did you borrow the money under? —The Act brought in by Mr. Jackson Palmer. 77. Did not that Act give the gold revenue as security ?—Yes. We have not got it so far, but we have the assurance of the Government that it will be forthcoming.