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[W. PHILLIPS.

78. At what do you estimate the cost of drainage ?—I can give no information upon that, but it will be a very large amount. 79. It is absolutely necessary ?—Yes ; and it will be very costly. 80. You estimate the waterworks at £10,000 more ?—£25,000. 81. And is that an absolute necessity ? —An absolute necessity. We are dependent upon the Waihi Company for water. 82. They could cut it off'—Exactly. 83. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] Do you know what the Thames County Council is paying its employees ?—I could not answer that. 84. Did the Waihi Borough recently fix any rate of wages for the men employed by the Borough ?—-Yes ; Bs. a day. 85. And out of an expenditure of £14,000 all the public pay is £410 ? —Yes; but a large portion of it has gone by the award. 86. That is your only income ?—All the rest has gone in roads, bridges, and general works. 87. Mr. Herries.] Is it not a fact that the gold duty is in lieu of rates?— Yes, that is so. 88. Do you not consider that if the Government takes away half the gold duty it will be the same as taking away half the rates on mining property ?—Yes. 89. Mr. W. Fraser.] You said just now that the gold duty was security for the works you propose to carry out: if this amount were liable to be diminished that security would be diminished ?—Yes. 90. You were asked about striking a special rate as security for this loan?—We would not require to strike a rate if we retained this gold duty. John Anderson Beown, Councillor, Waihi Borough Council, examined. (No. 2.) 91. The Chairman.] What is your name?— J. A. Brown, councillor of Waihi Borough. 92. Will you make any statement with regard to the Bill before the Committee ?—I do not know that there is need for me to make a statement; I will answer any questions. 93. Mr. Herries.] Is there anything you can add to what has been said?—l do not remember anything. 94. Have you seen the Bill ?—Yes. 95. Do you take it to apply to every borough or county that produces gold ?—Yes. 96. That half the gold duty can be taken from every borough or county that produces gold ? —■ Yes. 97. It does not apply to Waihi only?—I read it otherwise. 98. But Waihi is more affected than other places because of the larger gold duty ?—Yes. 99. Are you of opinion that it would cripple your finances ?—Yes, for a considerable time. We should not be able to go in for necessary works, 100. And you consider abattoirs and drainage-works, and lighting and waterworks should be undertaken by the borough ?—I do, sir. Abattoirs we have to start by law ; drainage must be gone on with ; water we cannot do without. 101. And the Waihi Borough was formed to get all these advantages?— The borough would never have been formed if we thought the gold duty would not be retained. 102. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] You said you would never have formed the borough unless you believed the gold duty would be retained ?—Yes. 103. And before that the whole of this duty went to the county ?—Yes. 104. Do you know the extent of the roads the county had to maintain before that?—l could not tell you. ■ 105. The county had a large area of roads to keep in repair. Included in that area were the roads and streets belonging to Waihi. Most of the gold duty at the time was obtained from the area now occupied by the borough. I wish to know if it was not the idea of the residents that if they could get the whole of the gold duty within their own surroundings they would have better streets and footpaths ?—Certainly; but I think you are not quite right with regard to the gold duty when we started. 106. Do you think the Waihi people would not be unwilling to allow a portion of the revenue from gold duty to go to help some other body in trying to improve the navigation of the river ?— Yes; provided a proper Eiver Board was set up, and we had representation based on our contribution. 107. Mr. Moss.] You know that the river is filling up ? —Yes. 108. The river between the junction and Mackaytown ?—Yes, by the tailings. 109. These tailings will have to be taken out of the river or the town will be swamped ? —It will never be swamped. 110. Do you know what the gold duty from Waihi was two years ago ?—About £10,000, I think; lam not certain of that. 111. You know it has gone on increasing?— Yes; but it might decrease. 112. Do you know how much the Waihi Borough has spent during the last twelve months ?— At the end of the financial year, £14,000 on the town. To the County Council our liability was £11,235 —that includes the money we pay this year. 113. The Chairman.] Previous to the Waihi becoming a borough, what rates were levied upon the people of Waihi by the Ohinemuri County Council ?—I do not know. 114. Was it more than is levied at the present time by the borough, or less ? —I cannot say. Hugh Poland, Chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council, examined. (No. 3.) 115. The Chairman.] What is your name ?—Hugh Poland. 116. What are you ? —Chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council. 117. Have you anything to say as to how the Gold Duties Bill will affect the county?—lt is somewhat on the lines We have been asking for. We opposed the formation of the Waihi Borough