I.—lo.

24

JW. L. LUXFORI).

8. You own land up there?— Yes. 9. In the vicinity of this railway? —ln the vicinity of Lake Rotorua. Part of this land is somewhat similar to the pumice land, and requires something of the same treatment. 10. I know you have a good knowledge of land there. Could you give the Committee any idea as to what would be a fair value of this land unimproved?—l have no idea of where this Native land is situated. I have not seen any map or anything. [The position of this Native land was then indicated to witness on the map by Mr. Guthrie.] I should say, from 7s. fid. to Ids. per acre. 11. In its present state? Yes. Of course, flint is approximate. 12. Are you acquainted with any of the swamp lands in that district 1 Yea. I know several of them. 18. What is your opinion, as a practical man, of ihe possibilities of the future of those swamp lands?— Some of them have possibilities and others have not. Some of the swamps are absolutely worthless. They have been tried, and would need very expensive draining. Of others —well, there are some very good swamps between Rotorua and Atiamuri—away in the back of the hills there. 14. Do you know Stead anil Watt's land in there, near Waiotapu J — ] only know it from just passing it. I have never been on it. 15. If the Government were prepared to build a railway from Hotorua via Waiotapu to Taupo, would you consider that service to be better than the present system?—As far as the service goes it would be better, certainly. It would not be the means of going through the same class of country. 16. Would it open up better or worse country?—A lot of it worse, ami a lot of it better. At present there are fifty miles going through undeveloped country. 17. As a practical man, what is your opinion as to handing over to a private syndicate such a vast tract of country as this?— Well, as a business proposition I think it is the only possible way that any of that land will lie developed. It is out of the reach of the Government to go into details, such as finding out the best fodder, or grasses that will grow, and experimenting with the different fertilizers with the incentive of making something pay. That could only be done by a private individual or private company. It strikes me Prom a business point of view, if I wanted to test 200,000 or 1(10,000 acres of that land I naturally should want something for my trouble, and the incentive would be in that; with the Government there is no incentive. We hope to get some benefit through the development of these lands. IS. Tn the interests of the Dominion as a whole, would you be willing to give full options to this syndicate over the hotels and spas, as well as the land?—l think the State is quite capable of safeguarding any concessions. 19. Do you consider, as a practical man. these ought to be safeguarded?— Yes, certainly I do. 20. They ought to be strictly safeguarded?— The State would be wanting in its duty if it did not safeguard the concessions; otherwise it is right, and otherwise the land is a menace to all settlement. 21. Now, in what areas do you say it would be suitable for settlement—roughly, say?—lt depends on the development. If they found something that would run a sheep to 2 acres it would pay in 2,000 or 3,000 acres. 22. What is the capacity of this land, improved I—That1 —That is what we all want to know. It is only to be found out by the expenditure of a large sum of money. 23. Would it carry a sheep to the acre, or half a sheep?— Possibly half a sheep. Mind you, there are many other possibilities. I would not like to venture an opinion as to the cost of bringing it into cultivation; it is only a matter to be found out by experience and experiments. 24. You have no suggestion to make? —To get the capital to do what we want done is a good one : that is my opinion. And wherever there is a means of getting cheap fertilizers, as a basis of development, then it must benefit us. 25. Tin- Chairman.] I understood you to say in answer to Mr. Guthrie that you thought that, if you had to decide, it would be the better line from Rotorua to Taupo. Take the one suggested by the company ; for (he whole Dominion, would you select the company's suggestion? —If you look at it from a traveller's point of view, then doubtless the Rotorua to Taupo line would be the best, but from a Dominion point of view, as to which will lead to most development and most benefit to a certain class of people-—to a la rue class of people—then the other line is by far the best. 26. If it is for the development of the country rather than the tourist?— Then no doubt the Taupo Totara Timber Company's line is the best. 27. If you were to be told that we have in evidence that the other line would be the best, would you be inclined to question that?— Most certainly, and show very good reasons for it too, I think. 28. The quality of the land on both routes would be just about the same —all pumice land? —It is pumice land, but there are more possibilities of getting large patches of better-class land on the Taupo line than there is on the Rotorua line. 29. Mr. DalrieU.] Talking about the monopoly of sites : do you think it would be more injurious to the country if these sites were held for the next forty years by a company, which would develop them, such as is Buireeated being done, than if they were held by private individuals separately? —The conmanv would develop them and make them more attractive. 30. You said you thought that this land was of average value from 7s. fid. to 10s. an acre: do you mean with the railway there?— Tn its present state. 31. .Assuming we had the railway completed to Taupo?—With the railway through, it would not make a (Treat deal of difference. 32. With the railway's access and facilities'? — Tes. 33. The Chairman.] Taking the country as it stands at present, the land is worth from 7s. 6d. to 10s. nn acre? —TeR.