W. MABSH.j

13

C—l 4.

15. You estimate it to be worth about £50 per acre?— Yes Ido 46. Have you ever had that offer for it/-No; it is not in the market for sale 47. Do you knew o, any other property that has changed hands at £50 per acre?— There is HO other land near mine, except that owned by the Natives ' U W want you to explain to the Commissioners how you arrive at that result /-I, is what 1 bought li'uVirUiat 1 ' 1 " S " " WOrtb fiso *** ™'— >"" P Ut «* P»<» « it?-] have Abthub Wight examined. (No. 4.) 1. Mr. Mueller.] What is your name/—Arthur Wight I own about IRn ~ ~ ti i K-a.a North, 5ee,,,,,, No. 1 8 , mainly lying between , ' vZc t he v "* 2. JJ, < .airman] Ross much frontage to the river have you / -About 00 chains .he wain';,. wSS2£T^JSr " 3 ' land liea ■— T1 * Rai!^ "- - I. Do the floods come over your land?— Yes, anything up to 18 in •>. What effect has that on the vegetation? If ii is any time early in .1 •, , n grass and throws it right back ;if,,is ,„ the winter i, d£7notTo so IcL £L"" ' *" the sLp UVe 7 ° U ° m "° Ve 7 ° Ur St '" k ' -1 have 1 "" 1 *" tak * them "" <" "gher land, especially 7. How long have you owned that land?— Since about 1893 8. The Chavrnian.] Is that freehold .'-I, was leasehold then: 1 have since bought it. 9. Out ot the profits you made on the land /—Tract icallv 10. Mr. Mueller.] In the earlier times you say this laud was not affected by II Is' Not al al . have known land round the Puke a, Paeroa to be Hooded when mine was' no, ' at times. 7 ° m '"'"' '"" hy ,1 '"" l *^ l < °as been flooded for years, 12 You have outfall drains going into the Waihou : what effect has a I d on these drains? Il hlls the mouths ol them up with tailings. 13. Does that cause expense/ Yes. I have to clear them In, SterS t nW. tha< ,mK ' ' ' WheneTCr HIS , -'""- 1 ' Th « "" " — "** H °"' """• ' lnii " S "* " U " V ;,i "" X ""' ''" , vl " ,U '- ! Six > ' tl,illk - *** «'"' 16. How far up the drains do the tailings run?-Not a great distance just a few chains. 8 Wh.tT'' T"W!" ?" • dr t m? , ' n1 ""' 1 ' 1 sa - v aboui two dft y B ' "'"' k »«■ <*"* drain. 18. What do you do with the tailings/ -Just shovel them out on the side of the drain 19. J/r. M«««er.] Are there deposits of silt on the banks of the river on your frontage? 20. What would you say would be the width of the deposits on your land?—On the banks of the river, anything up to half a chain for about 40 chains on my frontage 21. And the other part of the frontage, is that a little bit higher than the other?—l think so 22. In the river itself, is there a deposit of tailings?— Yes. 23. On each bank?—On both banks of the river. 24. During the recent floods, were there fine tailings distribute"] on your grass?— Yes the grass was whitewashed with tailings in one or two places. „ ?•"'•. H , ow , do .v" H,ul that is affeoted by rain?—lt takes several showers ~f rain to wash it oil : I think there is still some there. 20. Have you known any cattle to be damaged through that?—No iV\ t S re^ r,is *" V v f itsclf ' you look U P«» that as the natural drain of the country : how has that been affected?—l should say the carrying-capacity has been reduced by over one-third iS. Jhe Chairman.] How is it reduced—in the width, or depth?—ln both 29 How do you know it is reduced in the depth ?—When I went down there first I took down a punt-load of posts, and I judged the river to be about 12 ft. deep at low tide 30. Have you any reason to think it has filled up since?—l have seen slock walking across the river at low tide. I judge the river to be about 4 ft. deep at low tide. 31. Then, how do you account for the water getting away?—lt cannot get away anywhere else I ban through the river. 38. Does the river run more rapidly now ?—About the same, I should think. 33. Mr. Cotter.] Did you know the district at all prior to your buying this land, or leasing 34. How long did you know that locality prior to your leasing it?—l should say about ten years. 35. Then, you have known the land practically for about twenty-five years?— Yes. 36. Was it not always considered as low-lying land, with a great'difficulty of drainage? No I do not think so. 97. Can yon tell the Commissioners about what fall there was when you first took it up? I think there was about 1 ft. of fall in 50 chains. 38. In some places was not actually the bank of the river higher than the land just inside it?—No: the bank of the river on my place is lower (ban the land, bar at one place, where it is about level. 39. Can you give any other instance that supports your deduction about the depth of the river?—We used to swim in the early days, and cross the river in a boat. 40. And what difference have you found?—The river was then deeper.