I.—6b.

26

[j. RENTOUL.

12. What is that?—£l2 an acre. 13. Have you been beekeeping long?— Two years solely beekeeping. 14. At Cheviot?— Yes. 15. Is there space enough on a section like this for your purpose?—Oh, yes. It is the locality that makes the difference. 16. Is it a good district for it?—lt is a fair locality. My operations would not be confined to that spot. What I particularly wanted was a section to reside on where I could keep a number of colonies. 17. Mr. Nosworthy.] How many times did you approach Mr. Gibson with regard to this matter?—l have spoken to him—l could not say how many times. We meet occasionally, and it has been mentioned on different occasions. 18. Have you discussed it more than three or four times with him?— Prior to coming to Wellington ? 19. Yes? —Probably not. No, I should think not. 20. Mr. R. W. Smith.] Seeing that Mr". Gibson was a member of the Land Board, I suppose you would look on him as the correct person to approach on a matter of the sort? —That is why I approached him on the matter. I took him to be representing the Crown in the case, and I saw him in reference to the section —not that I desired his personal influence, but simply that I wished to see what the Board were prepared to do. 21. Mr. Coates.] In your opinion would your chances be as good by the land being offered at auction as by its being offered under renewable lease? —I do not think so, from what I have heard some of the local people down there are talking about giving for it. 22. In your opinion how many applicants would there be for the section if it were offered under renewable lease by ballot? —As far as I know I am the only ma'tied man with a family. I heard of a man putting some of his children in for it : that is all. 23. That is only two?— This man with the family might have put two or three of his children in for it. 24. Hon. Mr. Massey.] Was that Mr. Holton? —No. Possibly Mr. Holton may have been an applicant. I could not say. 25. Mr. Coates.] What is your reason for saying that your chance would not be so good by auction as by putting the section up by ballot? —I have heard some of the local people talking of giving a price that I could not afford to give. 26. You understand the terms on which it is offered : would that be a bar to you?—lt would depend on the price the section went to. 27. We will assume that it goes to a fair price—a price even above the value put on it by the Board ?—lt is sure to go to that. 28. Supposing it goes beyond that, do you think the conditions under which you would have to take the section —to pay cash, and so on —would bar a man like yourself?— What are the conditions? 29. As far as I understand, one-quarter down, one-quarter within thirty days, and the rest in five years at 5 per cent. ?—lt all depends just how- much the price is. 30. I am not asking the price you are willing to give. Would these conditions prevent a man like yourself from taking this piece of land, or any man of ordinary means in your position?— Yes, at the price I am willing to give; possibly I could not get the land at that price. 31. That is not the exact point. Would the conditions of a cash sale, as laid down by the Cheviot Act, prevent you from bidding for the land?— They would not prevent me from bidding for the land up to a certain price. 32. Would they prevent your taking the land up?—lt all depends on the price. 33. I want to know whether the conditions of sale by auction under this particular Act would prevent a man from taking up the land ? —I can only say they will prevent me if the price goes too high. 34. In your opinion are the chances just as good under renewable lease as under sale byauction : are the conditions just as good one way as the other? —Under renewable lease I would have the advantage of using what money I had got in building. If I had to buy the section at a good price—presuming I managed to get it—it would mean that thai money would have to go into the price of the land. 35. On the other hand, provided the price was satisfactory to you, it would not bar you?— No, provided the price was low enough. 36. Mr. Witty.] The land would be worth more, would it not, to a man who wanted to live on it and utilize it himself than it would be if let as part of a grazing-run with another area? — Certainly. 37. If you had the land on renewable lease you would be compelled to build on that land, would you not? —That is so. 38. And if you bought it you would have to build?— Yes. 39. Therefore it would not only be the price of the land you would have to provide, but the price of building would have to be added? —That was my difficulty with regard to having to buy it. 40. It has been suggested that the terms for cash are exceptionally easy, but easier terms can be obtained for land purchased outside the Government, can they not?—l have not been much on the market with regard to purchasing land, and really do not know what the conditions are. 41. But the conditions —one-half down within a month —are not particularly advantageous to the purchaser? —No. 42. Mr. Forbes.] Are there any other Cheviot sections that you can get for the purpose of making a home for yourself and having room for your bees?— Not so suitable.