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That is the stand which they still consider it their duty to take up m the interests of the farming community As regards the damage, it will be the main point of our case that the damage can be put down-firstly, to the land, and, secondly, to navigation. That will come into the matter, of course, on account of the farmers also. And the damage to the land is not only to the surface of the land, but it is damage to the other land in the way of the stopping-up ot drains; the outlets of the drains to the rivers become choked, and the laud which may not be covered with silt is affected by the want of drainage. We will attempt to place the matter of damage as far as possible before you, starting from the top of the river as near as possible, and taking the properties in sequence, as near as possible, down the river. We will try to give the actual area which is absolutely destroyed, in the opinion of the owners, and we will also try to give the actual area that is partially damaged. The question of damage of course, not only refers to the land which is damaged, it refers to the cattle also; and ... that respect 1 shall specially mention to the Commission one particular, and thai is this : that the very fine deposu that wil sometimes be made over the pasture- is so fine that it actually adheres to the grass itself, ami when the sun comes out after the flood-waters have subsided, tins deposit is adhering to the grass and the sun turns the deposit into a sort of paint almost The farmers call ,t whitewash but it is worse than whitewash, because it does not wash off with ordinary ram It has either to be eaten off by the cattle or grown off by the mass. Evidence will be given to show that some ot the cattle have been found after slaughter to have this stuff inside of them-in their lungs—stufl which is presumed to have come from the pasture itself. The land is not only European land, b here l ;' also Native land. A very large portion indeed of the land ,n this district is Native land AYe have one or two representatives of the Native race who wil give evidence before the Commission on behalf of their different tribes, *ho are very largely interested in this matter. They s,v that at the time this district was ceded the Government, m asking them to sign the deed of'cession for mining purposes, gave then, a promise that they would not be injured at all ), mining: and they consider, whether righth or wrongly, that they have a grievance h , con nection with the silting-up of the river and the damage to their land. It may be saw na the evidence which will be given in connection with the assessing o the damage to the land will be overestimated. 1 wish to draw your attention to this fact : that these farmers, who will be glad to give evidence as regards the damage to their land and as to the deprecation m valueever one of them would sell out to-morrow, if he got an opportunity. I think lam justified , vi, "that all of them are willing to sell at once. They do not like to put the damage done very Seat amount, because they are under the impression that if they depreciated the value O their land out of their own mouths, how could they ask a purchaser to give them the figure the v think-thev ought to get for the land? So that, instead of the damage being overestimated. thinkyou will see that it will be rather underestim, I, because they are in that Position that hey are'willing to sell at any time. I think it is a foregone conclusion that will be admitted by •ct cdlv all the parties to this inquiry that some damage has been done The question wll hi the amount of damage As regards the navigation. I dare say the Commission have seen the different heads navigation that have existed from time to time in this rive, At one time the S„ went right past the Paeroa Township by a couple of miles, right up to Mr. Cock s nlace When the bridge near the Criterion Hotel was erected that prevented the navigat.on place. vvnen wJ . Snodtrrass's Wharf, a little below the Criterion Hotel: and KmtLrl ft went down to wharf at the end of Wharf Street, about the centre of the from ttiere it c rairwav . D ridee was built, which prevented any traffic above that. Sen the Wo VarfJas buflt, near the junction of the Ohinemuri and Wa hou Rivers Thathas been discarded, and new the lead of the navigation ,s at Te Puke-that is, K,vers. It at nas oeen regards the Waihou River, the navigation still continues as regards the" The evidence will be that the navigation has been impeded vS ZHa lv d that it is P still being hindered. After the question of. damage comes ■ The ouestion o the remedy. The association which 1 represent is not an association of experts: , is q mreh an association of farmers and business men. and they look upon the matter in this Lht-ThJv say that what has caused the damage is the silt that has been put into the river; Stored n tura, ST "S otffi deposit, of tailings ,no thr■ v<£ t will be aid that . ,ngs in the river There will be «icience t prevention of any further can be done m that respect. ™etby rromt dredging the channels and tailings is to be*do g ne-the question of cutting down the willows, and «J» «gj £? e to mention this: that the revenue which is men- ,„ „„. „ iniM di«rioi, ..a a.i fi'ritf.SS " * *S-1 b»« « ol the di.trict tor the law of m.nCT. right*, """ 0' "■'""»■