r>.—4.

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[W. F. THOMPSON.

as it is all even and fair land. The eastern side has got some far better land than on the west, with the exception of Tokatoka, but it has a lot which is bad. There is £15-per-acre land about Whatitiri. 36. Taking a general view, there is not much difference in the land-values?—l have not worked it out, but I should have thought it would have been in favour of the western route, seeing that the land is all of even quality. But it must lx- right if they have taken it from the books. 37. What is the distance between the ea-stern route somewhere about Maungakaramea and Whatitiri in a direct line to Whangarei, where the good land is?— Twelve miles in a straight line. 38. You have told us that about one-half of that good country will bo served by Whangarei and the other half by the eastern route? —Yes. 39. Mr. Stallworthy .] How far is Whatitiri from Whangarei? —It is twelve miles by road. 40. What kind of road? —A good metalled road, but not too well graded. 41. Do you know anything at all about the education reserves in the neighbourhood of the Lower Mangonui Bridge towards Tokatoka? I am told by the settlers that the western route is laid out to run practically through the education reserve land : do you know the extent of it? — That is quite correct. I suppose there would be 1,500 acres. 42. You referred to Mr. Bailey : do you refer to Te Kohuroa Block?— Yes. 43. How far is that from the western line? —Three or four miles. Then there is Mangarata, owned by Dreedon and Simpkin, containing about 4,000 acres. 44. And the only other large holding is near Omaunu?—Yes, Riddell's. 45. How is the rest of the land held going through towards the Wairoa River on the west?—Farther down towards the river, below Bailey's, a lot of it is held by the Hardings. 46. To the mouth of the river, keeping to the eastern side of the river, how is the land held there in the Arapohue and Tokatoka Ridings?— They are average holdings. It is all held by private people. 47. Can you give us any idea as to the progress of settlement in that part? Has the country been opening up more rapidly recently] —All through Arapohue and around there it is practically at a standstill. It is nearly all bought up. 48. You mean it is not being further developed and divided?—No, it is being maintained and used for dairying purposes. 49. And is the country generally developing outside that particular district which has been settled for a long time? —Yes. 50. Mr. Becroft.] Taking the quality of the land on both sides from McCarroll's Gap to Parakao, in your opinion which would carry the greatest population when opened up by the railway?—l think the west would, decidedly. All that land is suitable for cutting up into 300-acre sections, and of course each one of these sections carries a family. 51. Assuming these large blocks were cut up, what proportion of population would you give to the country on either route? —I feel sure the west will have the biggest, seeing that it is all even country, and that 300 acres will carry a family for dairying purposes. There is better land on the eastern side, but not a very large area of it, and all the poor land there will carry nobody. 52. That is as near as you can state? —Yes. 53. Mr. Steadman.] Does not the east carry the greatest population at the present time?—l suppose there will be more people on the east. 54. In small holdings?— Yes. 55. The people are making a living off much less than 300 acres on an average on the east? —I do not think there are many with much less than 300 acres. 56. Is the land not cut up into 40- and 50-acre sections?— There are one or two, but a lot of the people own more than one section. There are no families on individual sections. 57. Do you know in what area the land at Whatitiri has been made available for settlement? —In from 250- to 300-acre sections. 58. Are not a lot of the sections under 100 acres?— There is not one. 59. Do you say that?—l do not think there is a section there under 100 acres. 60. Will you swear there are no holdings under 100 acres?—l am not going to swear anything from memory. 61. Coming to Maungatapere, how many holdings have been cut up there lately that are now far less than 100 acres? —Tn the Maungatapere Parish there is one section, when you start at the school, of 75 acres, the next is 300 acres, the next is 400 acres, the next is 300 acres, then Hawkin's is 500 acres, and Jack's 175 acres, and the man alongside him has over 100 acres. Ido not know of any there under 100 acres. 62. As the east is carrying a large number of people now who are making a living on 100 acres, and you say the west is only suitable for cutting up into 300-acre sections, why do you think that the east is not capable of carrying such a large population as the west?—l think the west will carry more people because of the better quality of the land. 63. Will it not be served by the river?—Of course it will. 64. Do you not think that Tokatoka and Raupo will be served by the river?— They will be served by the river. 65. Is there any more reason to say that the produce from Tokatoka and Ruawai would go to the railway-line than to say that the produce from Whangarei Town would go to the railwayline? —Yes. I dare say Tokatoka is further away from the railway-line. 66. The, Chairman.] I gather from your evidence that the good land on the eastern route lies between the eastern portion of the Tangihua Range and Whangarei, approximately?—Thnt is so.