67

8.—17b

W. J. WELOH.j

72. What do you think 1 can get my wool carted to Castlepoint at, per bale? —Say, 4s. per bale. 73. That is near enough—3s. 9d. How far is the Manawa property from Tinui? —Eight miles. 74. xVnd my place is about seven miles from Tinui. is it not fair to assume that they can carry their wool for 4s. a bale to Castlepoint?—Yes. 75. How much would it cost Maunsell to take his wool to the coast? -It would not be carried proportionately cheaper. There could be only one trip per day, the same as from your place or Manawa. 1 should say about 3s. a bale. 76. And from this place or Manawa —say, forty miles —to Masterton? —About ss. 6d. a bale; 77. And from Masterton to Wellington l —ss. It would run into about 10s. 6d. per bale from the farm to Wellington. 78. So that you think wool can be sent as cheaply to Wellington from (he East and West Ridings as from the South Riding?- I do not know what the charge for storage at Castlepoint is. 79. The charge is ss. for shipping and storage. There is no storage charge. Add that to the charges at this end? —Then there is very little difference. 80. By the coast is the cheaper?— Yes, a iittle, 81. Do you know how far if is from Maunsell's to Langdale?—About ten miles. 82. It is seven miles. How much longer do you say that distance would make on the drive to Masterton? —Two days, taking a, man starting from Langdale and another from Maunsell's. Kvery day's travelling makes a difference. 83. Are you aware that fat stock are driven from here to the rest-place, at the bottom of Black Hill, in the first day ? —1 am not aware of the different stages. 84. Are you aware that when the drafters pick up a lot of fat sheep they always bring them to one point, which takes a day, and that point is Black Hill? —I was not aware of it, but i think it could be done. 85. With regard to this two days' extra driving, do you say it takes two days to drive a mob of sheep seven miles, or less than seven miles, to Black Hill ? —I said it would take two days longer to drive to Masterton. 86. Are you aware that our sheep from the South Riding travel more than three miles and a half to get to the same point as Mr. Maunsell's sheep get to?—lt dejjcnds on which road you take them. If you took them down the Mangapapa it would be easier. 87. Do you know the distance from my gate to the Junction Hotel, whichever way you go?— I do not suppose it would make much difference. 88. You are not aware that some of the sheep that get to this point from Langdale travel further than Maunsell's do to get to that point?— Perhaps they would. You are picking out one isolated property. 89. Ido so purposely. You still maintain that it takes two days longer to get to Masterton ? —I do, because you must put them in the paddock after mustering them, and, taking that into consideration, it must take two days longer from the North or the West Riding than from Langdale. Buyers allow a 4 lb. wastage from Langdale. 90. 1 want you to take it that we start from Mauusell's? —If you start the sheep fresh off the paddock from MaunseH's there would only be the difference in time it would take to drive them, but that is not a fair way to put it, because all the lambs are not bred at Maunsell's gate. Starting fresh from Maunsell's and from your place there would be no difference. 91. How long would it take to drive sheep from Annedale to the foot of Black Hill—ten miles ?—I always look on ten miles as a, decent drive for fat sheep in one day. 92. That is one day's drive to the market longer than for stock from the South Riding?— Yes, 93. That is to say, that wool is marketed cheaper from the East and the West Ridings than from the South Riding, and fat sheep from these ridings only take a day longer to get to the market than sheep from the South Riding. It has been stated that the cream of the county lies in the South Riding?— Speaking generally, it does. 94. Do you know the South Riding well? —I have been pretty well round it. 95. Have you been on any- of the properties? —Yes. 96. Have you been on any of the properties in the West Riding? —Yes, on Manawa and Annedale. 97. Are you aware that there is only one property in the South Riding that can in any waycompare with country in the West Riding?—l dare say that if you take out one or two of these properties the carrying-capacity would be quite as good as, if not better, in the West Riding than it is in the south. 98. Where is all this bad country in the West Hiding? —There is some very hard country adjoining the North Riding, as I remember it. lam rather at a loss to know where the boundaries are. 99. I am quite sure you are, or you would not make that statement. Can you mention any particularly hard property in the West Riding?—l could not name it. I could perhaps point one out to you, but I could not say whose property it is, 100. Do you know Mrs. Andrews's lea Estate?—l was on it some years ago; I do not know it very well. 101. Are you aware that there are about 2,000 acres that will hardly carry a sheep to 10 acres? —I am aware that it has some very poor country. 102. Are you aware that, 5,000 acres carry 4,000 sheep?—l was not aware of it, 103. You are not aware of the bad country there is in the West Riding?— No. I only state what I know from actual truth.