[O. BUCHANAN.

8

C—l 4

The Chairman : It is common-sense to think that it would have been based on its then value. Mr MeVeagh: Exactly. It is rather important that we should have it made clear that the claim would have been upon its then value, and not upon its future value. 151 The Chairman (to witness).] The butter which is made from your cows is it largely exported, or is it consumed in the district/ -There is a very small percentage oi our total output goes to Waihi and .he surrounding district hast year about £800 profit roughly, was made by our association in the Waihi district. I think the total profit was about £4.000. Ihe chairman of the dairy company will Ik- here to give the correct figures. L 52 Mr Mitchelson.] You export to the old Country?— Yes, the greater portion of it. ).-,:;. What is the difference in price between butter .hat is exported and that which is sold locally?—The chairman of the association will tell you. 154 Mr MeVeagh I I think the method is this: The foreign buyer sends an agent here to buy |. -I'think'the chairman of the company will tell you that most of the butter is sent to London agents. Mr. MeVeagh: I have the figures in my hand. , . , , The Chairman: Why m„ reserve that examination until you get the right man as a witness? IV, Mr MeVeagh \ Very well. sir. (To witness) You have spoken oi pas, floods. 1 want fo know'whether you have any records of the rainfall upon which you base your ff I have no records of .lie rainfall, but my diary gives the dates of the largest floods that have occurred within the last nine years. ~**.. 1 f,„„ .v-; [«.« 156. Take the II I of nine years ago: it then rained tor three days continuous!} /-It was a steady, heavy rain. . ~ v 157 It took three days to flood the river on that occasion Dine years ago/ — Yes. _ Mr. MeVeagh: Are you aware that the rainfall before the last H0,,,! was compressed into fourteen CommisBion understands that there was practically very little rain here Therefore aiTy comparis f the ram that fell here with that which fell years ago or in another ' . \ lf he district, although it is in ,he same watershed, has no tearing upon . he quesion. The floods may have been due to different causes: there may have been a waterspout at Waihi. or the flood may have been due to another cause. 158 Mr. MeVeagh.] That is exactly it /-There was very little rain here. i;,!». You heard of people being taken from the roofs of their houses on the Waihi Plain ?- Y " S ', ( ;o. You neve, heard of that during any previous fl 1/1 doubt whether any of the h, " ,S Mir:'You'v;;.ue your band a, £10 an acre?-I would no, sell it at that. I hope to ge, some ~ 1 nut of the Commission. 162 What would YOU sell the land lor now/-It is not open lor sale a, present. ,<;:('. You want a fancy price, is that it /-No: it is not for sale at pr 05,.,,,. Kkkhkimck Cock examined. (No. 2.) I Mr Mueller.] Your name is Frederick Cock, and you are a settler residing at Paeroa?V - ■! T: River ?-Yes. .5 acres. It is called Ouerangi Ngahutoitoi, "nd Koronae. I have resided on the property during the whole of my stay in this ttrel £?£ £*S Water a?oT 3 place? When the tide was in there would be about , t,. or Bft. Th tide W(iulll make a difference at that time of about 3ft .or 4 tj Yes. *" The Chn,rmai,;\ Was the current fast or slow / Not particularly fast ,!' Mr Mueller.\ Did boats come up to your place /-Vs. boats drawing , ft. ot w ate, . Mx place was know,, as the end oi navigation in those days. LsSSSSwSSl^^^^NothiToould get up in the sha, fa vessel. You can walk across it. |<>. What does the tide rise now / From 2ft. to 3ft , ? s. «—*. 15 What sort / Very good for making roads. It. .Ciders? No. there are no boulders beW Karanga a ke. &g 17. Half a pound/ Oh, yes, bigger than that. In tormei la. , rvstal and we could get fish in the river. CryBt ltt ~ *-«***£.] What kind / - Whitebait, eek. re 77, c <Wr„m„.] How long ago is it since you lost the tish . channel was proclaimed / -It is many years since we lost the fish.