[J. DUNBAJJ.

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i. —l 6.

179. What do you reckon out the prices and charges at, including everything I—Approximately £2 per ton. 180. You said in a few years there ought to be a population of ten thousand people working in connection with this industry ?—Yes. 181. Have you ever calculated how much per head they would be worth?—£3 2s. 5d., according to the New Zealand Year-book. 182. That would be £30,000 for the payment of Customs ?—Yes. 183. So you could take them at £3 per head and get £30,000?— Yes, and on the goods that come in now we only pay Is. sd. per £100 Customs duty. The Industrial Association passed resolutions in favour of the protection of the iron and steel industry in New Zealand. 184. Are there a number of the members of that association iron-manufacturers?— There are all sorts of industries represented, including iron people. 185 Are the ironmasters sure this would be a benefit to their business, and are they practicaily unanimous about it?— Yes, so far as I know. There may be one or two, but they are practically all importers who would differ. 186. You expect to get a royalty of 6d. per ton more in the coal: that royalty would only apply if the coal is got, from Crown land?— There is no coal in Parapara—on the particular block. 187. You can get coal and iron—say, for instance, the Blackball Company is working on the field?— They may have to pay 6d. per ton. 188. How would you get on with the ore?—l hey pay 3d. per ton on the ore. 189. Have you ever been to Parapara? —I have not. 190. Mr. Blow.] You have had no experience in the production of iron from ore, iMr. Dunbar? —No. . ~ ~ 191. Nor of rolling-mills? —No. 1 was brought up in Lanarkshire amongst the blast furnaces, but have no intimate knowledge. . 192. You cannot speak with authority as to the cost of producing iron from ore <—Only Irom the authorities and from reports I have read. . 193. You are of opinion that it would be unprofitable to establish ironworks in Mew Zealand for the supply of New Zealand only ?—I believe it would. 1.94. Why? —Because there are so many side lines, and you can manufacture a larger quantity cheaper than a smaller quantity per unit. . 195. Is not the quantity of iron used in New Zealand sufficient to keep a moderate-sized works going?—lt is not sufficient, in my opinion. 196. Do you know what the quantity imported i5?—137,000 tons a year, which includes corrugated iron. 197. I think it is 146,000 tons per annum, and of all sorts : those are last year s figures, and it was'not a particularly busy year? —How much of that was pipes? 198. 27,900 tons. That is the total quantity—l46,ooo tons. Would that be sufficient to keep a reasonable-sized works going?—ln the Old Country they specialize and make pipes, galvanized iron, plates, bars, &c. We would be specializing for all lines, and have a whole lot of small units in one large works, all half-employed. 199. So far the company has not told us what they are going to supply. Unless they supplyall the iron required for the brick buildings and reinforced-concrete buildings and rails this industry will not be much good to the Government. Do you not think, then, this 146,000 tons, or so much of it as it would pay to make in New Zealand, would be sufficient to keep the works g o i n g?—To keep the works going, but not to keep another works going. 200. Do you not know the company only guaranteed to put out 65,000 tons? —They want a bonus to put that amount out. 201. The company apparently considers that an output of 65,000 tons would at any rate be sufficient to be going on with?—lt would be a guarantee of good faith with the Government to show they mean business. 202. Have you ever been in New South Wales? —No. 203. You know the ironworks at Lithgow: they have been there for some years? —I have seen pictures of them. 204. Do you know what their output is? —I do not know. 205. Would you be surprised to hear it is much less than 65,000 tons? Have you heard of the proposal of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company to establish ironworks in. New South Wales? —Only from a paper cutting, which is as follows: "According to a statement made in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly by Mr. Griffiths, Minister of Works, the State Government does not propose to put any obstacle in the way of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company establishing iron and steel works at Newcastle. These works are part of the scheme which the directors have formulated for treating the ore from the Iron Knob Mine owned by the company in South Australia. Mr. Griffiths made the interesting statement that it was expected that the company would ultimately expend £3,000,000 in its iron and steel works. So far the directors have not, in the statements they have made to the shareholders respecting their financial intentions, disclosed that they propose an outlay larger than £750,000 or £1,000,000. It would be interesting, therefore, to learn the authority for Mr. Griffiths's statement that such a large outlay is contemplated. What is disturbing is that Mr. Griffiths indicates that the Government intended itself to establish ironworks. In the State of New South Wales there are some verylarge deposits of iron-ore, notably at Cadia. There are also deposits at Lithgow and on the south coast, all being fairly close "to coal. It would be exceedingly interesting to have the private enterprise of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company in competition with the State works. There then would be an opportunity oi seeing how, working under even conditions, the two enterprises would compare. Of course, if the Government intends to start a coal-mine, and