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I.—lo

(1.) That the said petition of the Taupo Totara Timber Company be granted, either in its present or some modified form. (2.) That your petitioners be afforded an opportunity to give evidence in support of the petition and in answer to the specious and misleading objections raised thereto. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, xvill ever humbly pray, &c. Trevor J. Grierson (And 72 others).

Note.—The Order in Council authorizing the Taupo Totara Timber Company to run a tramxvay was signed by His Excellency the Governor on the 29th January, 1908.

EXHIBIT No. 4. [Amended Proposals.] §m, — Wellington, New Zealand, 10th September, 1912. The prayer of the petition of the Taupo Totara Timber Company (Limited) is as follows : — (a.) (1.) Either to take such steps as may be necessary to provide that the Crown and Native lands to be benefited by the completion of the said tramway may contribute in an equitable proportion to the cost of such completion and the running of a passenger and goods service on such tramway; or, in the alternative, — (2.) To empower your petitioners to purchase at present values, and dispose of on such terms, conditions, and limitations as may be stipulated, an area of Crown or Native land in the districts to be affected by the said tramway not exceeding 200,000 acres. (b.) To issue an Order in Council empowering your petitioners to extend their tramway to Lake Taupo and the Toxvn of Taupo. («) (1) above set forth is expressed in general terms xvith a view to elasticity for the purpose of the recommendation, if an)-, of your Committee. Your Chairman has requested me to noxv submit in writing the detailed and definite shape the petitioner desires (a) (1) to take. This I now enclose. (a.) 1. To purchase the said tramway after it has been completed and extended to Taupo on a valuation xvithout goodwill, and in no case to exceed the actual cost of construction; or, in the alternative, the sum. of £180,000 : such purchase-money to be paid or payable on the followingconditions :— (a.) The Crown to dispose of such part of the Croxvn lands seiwed by the said tramway as extended, and such part of the Native lands served by the said tramxvay as the Crown may acquire from the Native owners. (b.) The proceeds of such sales to be paid to the petitioner from time to time after the said extension and completion of the said tramway until the full amount of the purchase-money of the said tramway has been paid. (c.) The petitioner for a period of say, fifteen years to run a service for the carriage of goods and passengers satisfactory both as to rates and time-table to the Government. (d.) At the expiration of the said period of fifteen years the question of whether the said tramway can thereafter be run xvith earnings sufficient to pay interest on its acquisition, maintenance, and working-expenses to be decided by the Government. (e.) If after such investigation the Government decides not to affirm the said purchase, the petitioner will repay to the Government the total amount received by it from the Government as the proceeds of the said sales of land. , (/.) The petitioner xvill secure such repayment to the Government by a legal first charge over the said tramway and its other assets, or otherwise to the satisfaction of the Government. Yours truly. The Clerk of the Taupo Totara Timber Company's Petition J. G. Findlay. Committee, Parliament Buildings.

EXHIBIT No. 5. [Translation of Telegram.] To Mr. Anderson, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, Wellington. Friend —Greeting. In regard to the petition of the company about the line to Taupo, and the request that the Maori lands shall pay for it: We, the majority of the oxvners of the Tihoi-Pouakani Block, object, for the folloxving reasons : — We sold our bush on the Tihoi-Pouakani Block for a small sum so that the railxvay should reach Mokai. We, the persons who handed over our bush on the Tihoi-Pouakani Block, hereby request that our land be kept out of the Order in Council, or from any other payments in connection with the Taupo Railxvay. We are heavily burdened in the freights paid for our goods conveyed by train to Mokai [i.e.], full rates to the people of Taupo, £1 2s. 6d. per ton. As to Mr. Findlay's accusation of laziness against us, we are being oppressed by the company, and therefore there is no room for action. As to the railxvay to Taupo, xve are in support of the line reaching Taupo, but the people must take care that the price is equal to that of the Croxxui. The lands adjoining the line from Putaruru to Taupo belong to the Crown and to the bigEuropeans.