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177 Do these anchors hold on hard ground?— Equally as well. 178 Mr Flatman.] Where do you find most dead fish?—ln the Thames River only. 179' There has not been the same result in the Piako with the fishing there?—No 180' To what do you attribute that difference?—l can only attribute it to the bottom changing If it were the nets doing it, we should get them equally in the Piako as in the limine. River. 181. The bottom has not changed in the Piako in the same manner as in the Ihames ?-No 182 The Chairman.] Does the Harbour Hoard charge wharfage, on all fish going out of the Thames by sea /—Wharfage on fish has only been charged in the last twelve months. William Reddish examined. (No. 44.) 1 The Chairman.] Did you give this evidence before the Warden's Court on the 30th Sep tember 1909 : -William Reddish, on his oath, saith: Fisherman residing at 1 hanies. I have been nshin- all my life. There has been a marked difference in the fishing in the river during the last few The river used to support six or seven boats, and now a boat or two just go there occasional v- No fish there to catoh" I think the fish are deprived of the food they used to get Tthe r ver Something hard has formed on the bottom of the river m place of mud Used principal to catch flatfish in the river. We get flounder both in deep water and on the flats. Flounders in the river get their food amongst the sea-worms and cabs which they get on the mud. The coating of the mini with this hard substance prevents the fish getting their I Ihe weather h-is m effect on the fishing-bad weather prevents us fishing. In summer-time we could formerly fish n tho river when we could not lish outside. In summer-time we fish m shallow water. Former ywe se Ito Z a good deal of fishing in the river-it is not so at the present time We used generally to -1 v r nets with long poles. We cannot do that now because the bottom is hard I bis « between OprPoint and KopV About five hundred people dependent on fishing About i orty or•«* bog. engaged in fishing. The fisherman after his expenses are paid should make £4 per week. His g should be about £6 per week. The average is about three men in • krt-Hprhg not quite that. I think it would be fair to say that after paying expenses about £20,000 a jeai " mad at Thames by fishermen. The market, price for flounders is 7d. per dozen for small and Is 9dl per do en for large. In summer-time the retail price would be about double that There are two P f cc i,Tg-works established at Thames in connection with the fishing industry. I should think £30ttfah- value to put down for each boat-including fishing-tackle. Cross-examined During la. five years fishing-boats and men have increased. Have noticed decrease of fish in rive. for perhaps last five years. Fish as a rule never go out of a river that is a spawning-bed. This iver a P spaw„ing-place. Only catch a few there now. There are more fish caught now than were caught five years ago Occasionally catch fish at Piako. Not much fishing done there. He examined A few years ago fishing was clone by sailing-boats; it is all done now by oil-launches SETS** reason 7 why there are more men employed in fishing and why more fish are caught / —Yes J addty-thiiig-to it or take anything away think so. I may say that £300 only included the launch-it did not include the tackle. My boat cost £300 without the tackle. , r-ion 4. What did your tackle co.tJ-1 could not say exactly. Something under £100. 5. Your tackle wears out very considerably?— Yes. ~.... .„ ~,, , , «.._„ 6. Mr. MeVeagh.] How long has the fishing industry been established at the rhame.?—Somehave any steps been taken by the Government to establish protected or breeding areas? —Not that I know of. Cecil Hatward examined. (No. 45.) 1 1//- BiuccA You are a fishrman? —Yes. , . . 2. The Chairman.] You have heard the evidence of the previous witness, ami confirm it in every particular? —Yes. James Monteith McLaren examined. (No. 46.) 1, Mr. Bruce.] Up to two months ago you have been Engineer to the Thames County Council l-o,- -, number of years for about twenty years. „..,,, ..0 2 You were aE at one time District Engineer for the Auckland Provincial Government ?- YCS ' 3" TlfetuS o d fTour district at that time would take in Ohinemuri ?-Yes. 4 1,, September last did you have any samples taken out of the drains at Cryer s Landing, Wharepoa, and Oinahu ?— Yes, out of the swamp drains. pr „e the brought lhcm ,„ (hs Thame » „ nd ~„ded ,l»m to Mr. Baker, Director of the School of Mines, to analyse.