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Ralph Stock examined. (No. 20. | 1. Mr. Mueller.] Your name is Ralph Stock, and you are a da i rv-fa liner residing at Netherloii/ Yes, 0U komata North. I have 200 acres of land. 2. What frontage have you got to the liver?— Thirty chains. 3. During the last three years has your land been subject to || | s / Very much so I. Previous to that I Previous to three years ago I never saw afl 1. Just in the bend at spring tides, and with a fresh in the river, ihe water may have covered mv place to the extent ol an acre and a half, but m, further. As goon as the tide went out the water went away It was xvvy rare. 5. During the last three years what area of your land has been Hooded?—ln that flood three years ago every bit of the land was flooded. I do not think there was half a chain but what was flooded. I had the Hood ,n my house. It left a big deposit of silt. 1 have raised mv hm.se 2 f,. 6. How long have you been in the district?—ln the immediate district between ten and eleven years: but I have been on the river twenty-eight years. i. I),, you remember a flood in September last/ Yes. 8. Did that flood your land/ Yes. About 20 acres were not flooded. That flood was not so high as the 1907 fl 1. 9. Did those floods leave layers of fine slimes over the land?—The 1907 flood completely killed all vegetation, and there was a big loss of cattle and pigs. After the Sopteml>er Hood I had to resow a part ot the land at the back of mv place. 10. After the 1907 Hood did you practically have to resow the whole of your land/ -A, that time it was not drained so well as it is at the present time, and I was dependent on Ihe back land for feed for the winter stock. After that I had to sow it. 11. After the 1907 Hood you did sow your land?— Yes, the greater part of it. 12. After the 1909 Hood you had to resow part of it?— About 50 acres. 13. The Chairman.] Was that surface-sowing/ Yes. 11. Mr. Mueller.] Your means of livelihood is the dai lying/—Yes. 15. What difference did that 11)07 flood make t,< your livelil 1/ -It practically crippled me for the time. I had practically no milk after it. Hi. And after the 190!) flood was your milk affected?—The milk was on the increase then, and it did not increase as it should have done. H did not affect the milk-returii as much as the previous Hood. 17. Have you lost cattle or pigs by drowning/—ln the fl 1 in March I had twenty pigs drowned. I had no idea of a fresh when I went to bed that night. We had practically no rain to warrant a fresh. 18. Did that last March Hood destroy your winter feed for the coming winter? —It ruined all my grass, ami I had crops of swedes which I had to use. 1 put the cows on what I was reiving on for the winter. 1 have been feeding them with hay for more than a month now. Ii). The Cl,airman.] Was that hay that you have grown yourself ?- Yes. 20. Mr. Mueller.] Previous lo three years ago was your land H led? —1 have never seen a Hood since I have been there, nearly eleven years. 21. Is there any of the land that has been practically rendered useless on account of the deposit of tailings/ Yes, I imagine from Bto 10 acres. 22. You can do nothing with it?—No: because if I clear it and plough it and try to get it into grass, a fresh comes along in the meantime and ruins everything. 2.1. Do you own a launch on the river? —Yes. 24. Do you cany milk in your launch? —Yes. 25. To ihe Netherton creamery/ Yes. 2(i. You are vtiy often on the river?— Yes. every day. 27. And at all stages of the tide? -Yes. 28. Can you say from your experience with your launch on the river at all stages of the tide whether the river is shallowing between your place and Ihe Netherton creamery? Most decidedly. When I got the launch four years ago I could go down al any state of the tide to the creanierv aiid not touch at spring low tide. Now in three miles you must touch for a mile and a half. 29. Four years ago were you able to go full speed at low water?— Yes. 30. The Chairman.] What draught is your launch?—2ft. to 2ft. bin. •'II. Do you remember the •■Chelmsford" being stuck between your place and the creamery last month/ Yes : she stuck opposite Thomas's place, practically in the channel. Yesterday morning the " Waimarie" stuck practically in the same place. •'l2. Mr. Michelson.] What state of the tide was that ? - The tide was Ml lining out. She just managed to crawl over the spot. •'i.'i. The Chairman.] I suppose you could fix ihe spot to half a chain/ -It was almost opposite Thomas's Wharf. Where there was I ft. opposite my lauding (en years ago there is none now. 34. How far is it from the creamery to your property?— About three miles. The " W'ai marie " stuck about half a mile below my place. .'l5. Mr. Mueller.] Have yon taken any samples? — Yes, from my wharf. It was from 2 in. to ■'I in. deep on my wharf. [Sample produced.] That is a sample of a deposit left by the last flood. •')('). Is that wharf near the channel ? -Yes. The channel is being forced over to my side of the river. The river took the land at Robinson's, came right across mine, and went into the river again further down. •'l7. Mr. Tunks.] How long have you had this property? -Between ten and eleven years. 38. And the 1907 Hood was the first flood you noticed?— Yes,

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