Q. L. HRACOOKE.j

105

D.—4.

the North Auckland Main Trunk line was going to cross the river. Since then, within recent years, 1 was with a party from Waikiekie on the western side of the Tangihuas to Tangiteroria. Besides that I have ridden from Helensville to Dargaville on various occasions. I was also editor of the New Zealand Farmer for seventeen years. I mention this to show that besides having been brought up on a farm I know something about the values of land for cultivation purposes of various kinds. I have been mixed up with .■'.μ-iicultmal interests in this part of New Zealand for many years. I have been a member of the executive committee of the Agricultural Association for many years. 3. Will you please make a statement to us on the subject-matter of the Commission?—My ohief object in giving evidence was to urge that the construction of the Main Trunk line should not be delayed in favour of a branch line to Whangarei. The policy of our league has always been to urge the construction of main lines before branch lines were undertaken—to finish, as it were, what you might call the arterial system of railways in the country before you went into what might be termed the reticulation side of the question. I want to qualify that statement in regard to the north in regard to this Kaikoh< scoria Hat connection. Our league thoroughly approved of that, although it was in a sense a branch line, because they recognized that it was only fair to the Hokianga settlers and those further north that they should be given that means of railway communication as far as Whangarei so many years before they would get any railway communication at all if they waited for the Main Trunk line to reach them through the Mangakahia country. But it was not because we thought that thai would satisfy the north altogether-— that it was quite sufficient, and that therefore the oentral line or Main Trunk line might be hung up in the meantime—it was only to give these far northern settlers communication as far as Whangarei so much sooner than they would otherwise get it. Generally speaking, I think the central line would assist the development of the Northern Wairoa district more than it could possibly be assisted if the Whangarei line was allowed to become the main line to the north. It would also open up the very largo Mangakahia country, a good deal of which is grand country for settlement. I think I heard some evidence given about the broken character of a great deal of it. My experience of the north is that as long as tin , land is good the mere fact of its being broken does not altogether remove it from opportunities of profitable occupation for grazing purposes—even for dairying purposes. So long as it will carry good grass, broken country is quite available for profitable settlement. But besides that, as yon will have seen, no doubt, on your tour, there are a trreat many valleys and river-flats which in the aggregate amount to a large area of good land, not to speak of the quantity of land there is around Kaikohe and south of Kaikohe, before you get into.the Mangakahia country. Then, again, if the Whangarei line were depended on entirely for communication to the north it would leave such a wide extent of country between that line and the west coast which would have no railway communication. Scaling it on the map, as the crow flies, from Towhai to the west coast, drawing a line through the district called Opouteke, which is one of the best parts of the Mangakahia, it is about thirty-eight or forty miles. If you went to Hokianga, towards the Hokianga Heads ii would be even farther— forty or fifty miles. Then from Towhai to Opouteke there is a distance of twenty miles, and if you take it from Opouteke to Eaikohe (her,- is a distance of twenty miles again : and then, again, from Waikiekie to Kaikohe, as the crow flies, there would lie about forty-four or forty-five miles of country which would be left lamenting as regards railway communication. I meant to state that I am taking Waikiekie as the possible point of divergence. I do not know whether it is proposed to make the junction of the branch line to Whangarei beyond McCarroll's Gap : I assume it might be fixed near Ruarangi, which seems nearest to the Whangarei line, and that is quite close to Waikiekie. I consider there would be a very large tract of country that would be left without facilities for railway communication, and would be left, undeveloped for many years— a tract of country which, if opened by railway, would afford opportunities for the profitable settlement of a large population, and which, owing to the timber resources and possible mineral resources as yet undeveloped, and dairying and cattle-raising, and all that, would give a profitable traffic return for nny line of railway made through it. There is one thins; to be said about the land in the north: although there is a great deal of it which may be called second-class and even third-class land, yet the so-called bad land is capable of profitable cultivation for special purposes, such as fruit-growing, for instance. During the many '.ears I was editor of the New Zealand Farmer of course I had special opportunities of judging the kind of land that was specially adapted for fruit-culture, becnu-e that was one of our departments, and was a matter in which I took a great interest myself. That particular kind of land is better for orchard-work than the very rich land. And, again, the climate There are many semi-tropical industries in the way of fruit-growing which can be successfully prosecuted in the north. Those remarks all bear, of course, on the general warrant we have for putting a railway through the north at all: so that really, except where it is absolutely unworkable because of its mountainous character making it absolutely inaccessible—and that, I submit, is only a small proportion of the country—l think that all the land in the north can be profitably utilized for some purpose or another. There is a far larger area of absolutely first-class land than is (jrenerallv supposed. Then, again, it is made more profitable by the climate. Early lambs can be raised in the north at a time when they cannol be raised farther south, and thai necessitates railway communication, because, as everybody knows who knows anything about fat lambs, there is no class of stock so easily damaged in transit. Quick transit for fat lambs and sheep is everything so far as value in the Auckland market goes. I have heard of cases of fat lambs bred in the north to be brought down here that had to wait at Mangapai arid other places for a long time owintr to the weather, and by the time they could come down they had depreciated in value at least. 50 per cent, on their market value. In saying what T said about the Main Trunk route, I would like to sa\' also that I do not in the least depreciate the value of an ultimate connection between the Main Trunk line and Whangarei. 14—D. 4.