T. BALLAN.j

25

I.—sa,

m„JL At * im ® were there an y negotiations going on with the Government ?—My last communication with the Government was somewhere about the middle of January 14. At the time you were selling to Mr. Russell, were the negotiations in hand or had thev been abandoned?—That I really could not tell you. y in December. land r6mained in yOUr name for a considerable time?-Yes, until he took his title n. n! 6 ; + ? id Mr ;. R " ssell x ma ke any arrangements with you to negotiate with the Government or that the negotiations should go on in your name?—The title was in my name and TrT Zl suppose he could sell except by agreement. 7 ' dL d ° not 17. Did he say anything to you about it? —No n W lQll y T J S ° ld \° Mr> Russell on the 13th March > 19". ""til the title was given in December, 1911 did you have any negotiations with the Government ?-No: my time exfiled on the 13th March and I had no further connection with it whatever. WhlteZ transaction took place after that was clone by Mr. Russell vvnaiever transaction sion ontS d 13 y rM h ar V ch.' anytlling t0 d ° Wi * h *" h '° m &e 13th March? ~No, he took posses—Yw.°' Are y ° U familiar with the P° rtion of the lail d sold to the Government-the 1,400 acres? 21. In your opinion what was the value of that land?—There was a stream right through t and as the Government was taking a certain amount of the value off thep™tf L S the land it really reduced the value of it. They were getting the pick of the land J ? S 22. Did you consider it reduced the value of the Runanga Estate ?-One portion of it ar , , IZ any oon i,P e nsation on account of the road running up the valley-was that any benefit to the Runanga Estate?—l do not see that it would be 7 H' r\°!i i° W the Pohokura 8100k > which belongs to the Crown ?—Yes -No 26 ' Dld y °" 6Ver ° Ser Government sufficien t land up there to make a road for nothing? 27. Mr. Forbes.] You put a price of £4 per acre on the land?—Yes 28. Was not that far above its value?—l did not reckon so In w? c ° n " dered y° u 7 ere offeri ng it at a fair price at £4 per acre?—Yes , 1 W . h l dld J 0 " insider it necessary to offer a price so much above the other ?-Because they were taking a certain amount of the water frontage and a certain amount of the flat country Ss" IT r^T 1 ?7 &S ° f high6r Value ° n aCCOUnt of the trance fromlhewaterSe/' 33. And you think Mr. Russell carried on the negotiations2—Y P « All +h + ceased with me after the 13th March. renegotiations; Yes. All the transactions they ** haVe ' taken P lace exce Pt bet -een Mr. Russell and the Crown ?-No, agreement h *»* » regard to the land-it *" *" 13th UM ~ Y ™ '> J «** a * a certain price, with the balance on March 7 ' And Wh6n had Mr - RUSSeU t0 °° mplete th6 ?-He took possession on the 13th 3?' 5? t ? + oom P lete J the Purchase ?-His mortgage has four years to run 6\). Mr. Russell holds it now under a riyht of u„ i, * i ,• • , me a mortgage. I did not get a mortgage in £ fitt'pTat *"** *"* giVen 40. Did you have no negotiations with the Lands Department in regard to taking «,« r-n.A up he Waipunga Valley prior to your sale to Mr. Russell ?-No only on thahw! speaking about—only on the country they took. ' 7 & * bl ° ck ? on are 41. That is what I am talking about. AVere you nee-otiatino- with +h„ n sale of the 1,404 acres?—Yes. J negotiating with the Government for the I neg ° tiati ° nS ° eaSe with the Government on the 13th March ?-Yes, as far as I understood you to say that you thought this sale was detrimental to Runane-a 1 TW was a big hill up one side, and the road runs abutting on to the hill with w*L -T e 44. Would not that be more than made up by the fact thatthih.r»hllv °mT for closer settlement and that closer settlement wfuld say o it would-that is, if the Pohokura Block were cut up aTmSe J^otl^lj^Zl by tht 5 Mfo a ris the *"*"** Bl °° k "" ™ a d-access?-Up the valley. It has been used 47' %°™ Tau P° Koad?-The Taupo Road goes right through it 1M the date ° n WMch Ml RU - U -ceiv B eVhis title?memo^^h^nhe'goThis^Rlf Md *» "* ** could not say from 49. He was not the owner till he got his title? Tt> Q +;+i could not tell the date he got it.. I think ?t December*slP * ' * mortgage. y ° U hdd the tltk t0 knd UDtil De ° ember ' "IH-Yi, a nd then he gave me

4—l. sa.