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F. C. BABNETT.]

77. What is it if you do vour own work? —If you do the work yourself you do not count your preparing. Y r ou do not count your own labour on a farm. 78. Is the country between Putaruru and Mokai the same as the land you are on?—lt is very similar. 79. Is there any settlement along that way?—There is a settler who is living some thirteen miles out there, who will give evidence. 80. Is there any quantity of settlement? —Not as far as I know. I believe there is at the Waikato River, some thirty miles away. ' 81. What number of settlers are there out that way? —Not more than half a dozen. 82. And the line is fifty miles long? —Practically. 83. I understand from the Order in Council and the evidence I have read that the company carry manures at reasonable prices along the line?—l believe so. lam not qualified to give evidence on that. 84. And the land along the line is available for settlement? —No; a good deal is Native land and a good deal Crown land. 85. It has never been available for settlement? —It has some miles out, and this has been taken up a little while ago. 86. Mr. You reckon 3 cwt. for the manuring?—Anywhere from 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. 87. You put down 15s. as the cost of manure? —Yes. 88. Will you give the Committee the detail of how that is made up? It costs so-much in Auckland, freight so-much, and cartage from Putaruru? —I never used very much manure where. I was before. 89. Put the cartage on one side : tell us how you make it up to 15s.?—A good deal depends upon your manures. 90. You have mentioned phosphate and basic slag: what is the first cost?—That generally costs me about £5 to £5 10s. 91. Have you been able to get first-class phosphate at that? —I am not able to say whether it is first-class or not. 92. And the basic slag—what is the quality of that: you know there are different qualities? —Yes; that generally runs about £4 10s. 93. What is the railage from Auckland? —That I could not tell you. I get most of my manures from an. agent. 94. Mr. Collins.] Are you in favour of" the company's land proposition? One alternative proposition is to acquire 200,000 acres of Crown and Native land : are you in favour of that?— No. lam strongly in favour of the Government taking over the line, but failing that, I am in favour of the other proposition. 95. Now, supposing the company were given this power, what in your opinion—very approximately—would be a fair price to pay the Native owners? One of the hapus north of Taupo, I understand, is objecting? —A good deal depends on the bush area. The bush is worth a little bit more. But approximately, about 10s. an acre as an average. 96. Supposing it would cut up into small blocks, what price would you expect it to fetch in the market?—l should say, from 15s. to 30s. an acre. 97. Provided suitable roads were first furnished before the cutting up, how much would you expect it to fetch in the open market : I am dealing with the lands between Mokai and Taupo? — I would not like to deal with it at all. 98. Not the good land? —No, because I think the freight on manures absolutely kills it. 99. Taking the extreme distance it would only be sixteen miles to the present terminus? —I might say that the price is much higher to maintain your horses. 100. You anticipate a considerable increase in values? —Yes, with a line through it. 101. Hon. Sir J. Findlay.] You have been how many years in the district?—Practically-twenty-eight. 102. How many years have you been farming in the district? —Off and on, over twenty years. 103. And on this pumice land all the time? —Yes. 104. I want to clear up what has apparently become a little confused : you took up some of this land in its virgin condition ?—Yes. 105. In the same condition as the vast area enclosed in this line to-day [map referred to]? — Yes; that is to say, similar to land at Putaruru. 106. In a similar condition? —Yes. 107. And seven years ago you began to farm it?—Yes. 108. It was valued then at 15s. an acre?—Not exactly that. I have two places at Putaruru. The one I began at seven years ago I took up at a little higher rate. It was valued at £5 an acre, but not from a farming point of view. 109. Confine yourself to what vou took up for farming purposes: what was it valued at? 15s. 110. That was absolutely in its virgin condition? —Yes. 111. What is that land worth to-day?—l should not like to accept £5 an acre for it. 112. What would you consider it has cost vou, net, to bring it into that condition? I suppose, from £600 to £800. 113. If you were to get £5 an acre for 407 acres you would have £2,035. It was based on a value of 155., which would be about £300, and it has cost you from £600 to £800 to brmg it into its present condition : that works out to a profit of about £1,000? —Yes. 114. In addition to this increase in the value of the property, have you made anv profit out of the land?--I suppose I have, because all I have made I have put back again. 115. I suppose we may take it that you have done fairly well there?—Yes.

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