T. BANKS.

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I.—2A.

167. This country —which costs, as a maximum, £15 per acre to bring in—is comparable with Pukekohe country worth £70 per acre ?—Yes. 168. That is your opinion as an expert on that country ? —Yes. 169. There is then only one other question —that is, the country can be developed ? —lt can be developed. 170. Then it is a question as to the method of development to be used ?—Yes, that is so. 171. And on the railway must depend development ? —Yes, because it would give access to the country. 172. Seeing that that country is like the Hautu land, the railway going into it would make for its development ? —Yes ; if Hautu was on the main line it would not be virgin country. 173. Mr. Lye.] Do you consider that you have a very wide knowledge of the Rotorua-Taupo lands ? —I have been all over them —pig-hunting, and looking all over it, tree-planting. 174. Is it right to say that, substantially, there are three qualities of land there ? —Yes. 175. With regard to water on the Taupo lands—not at Taupo, but at Waiotapu—do you know of areas up there comprising 10,000 and 20,000 acres with no running water on them ? —There may be. I have not taken much notice, but water can be got anywhere on the plain. They bored for it at Kaingaroa Plains and got it. 176. In large quantities ? —ln fairly large quantities. 177. Do you think that in any area of pumice land, say up to 200 acres, water could be got by boring to feed stock ? —Yes, I think so. 178. Do you think that that would be beyond doubt ? —No, I would not say it would be beyond doubt. 179. Have you any idea of the depth it would be got at ? —Say 200 ft. to 300 ft. 180. You say that the cost of breaking in this land by the Prisons Department was approximately £15 per acre ?—Yes. 181. Do you think that a private individual could break it in for that money, paying for labour and the, cost of doing the work ? —No, I would not. 182. Would it be correct to say that the cost would be anything up to £20 or £23 per acre to bring it in ? —They would be able to do it for £15, but the trouble would be that it would take a long time. 183. You do not think a private individual would be able to bring it in for £15 per acre —as cheaply as the prison farm land has been broken in ? —No. 184. Do you think.it. reasonable to suppose that the unemployed would make suitable settlers for the breaking-in of this land ? —I do not know what the average unemployed man is like. 185. The average man that might be got from the city, and was physically fit and had ambition ?— If he is physically fit and has ambition he would be able to do it. 186. About cattle-sickness : would it be correct to say that most of that land is subject to cattle-sickness ?—That I could not say ; probably there are cattle-sick districts. 187. You have seen evidences of it ? —Yes. 188. Over widespread areas ? —No, only some places. 189. Would you describe this land, apart from the system of group settlement, as suitable land for settlement for men with limited means I—No,1 —No, not for a man to take up by himself. 190. You think that for breaking in that country it should be done under a group-settlement scheme, where the State finds the implements and the cash to bring it into a state of productivity ? — Yes. 191. You think that less than 300 acres would be too small a farm when it had been broken in ?— Yes, too small. 192. Under present conditions you think that good roads in the meantime would serve the purpose of development and the bringing-in of this land? — Well, it all depends upon what you mean by " good roads " —do you mean concrete or bitumen roads ? 193. I mean a road that would carry a 3-ton load on a motor-lorry ?—With a concrete road I should say it would be all right, but this pumice will not carry heavy traffic. 194. Mr. Mahitanara.] Are you not farming on the Waiotaka Flats, on the side of the road there ? —My farm extends to the Waiotaka River down to the Tongariro Bridge, and from there two miles up the road to the fish-hatchery, and in a straight line from Maungamapitipiti River. That is all green pasture to-day. 195. And you are on the Waiotaka Flats I—Yes. 196. Does not that Waiotaka Stream have an influence upon your pastures ? —None whatever. 197. Are you aware what the Government paid per acre for that land ? —They paid over £1 an acre for it. Are you aware that they cannot get ss. an acre for the Native land there ? —I do not know —but how much did they get for that land over near the fish-hatchery ? 198. Mr. Semple.] Mr. Banks, you stated that in your opinion it would be wise to put the land in order and to hand it over to settlers as a going concern. At what point of development do you think that a man should go on to that land ? —When the land was clean and laid down in pasture. 199. Mr. Samuel.] Arising out of the cross-examination by Mr. Makitanara, in reply to his question you said, I think, that pure pumice land has been turned into excellent pasture ? —Yes, into good pasture. 200. The Chairman.] Have yov ever farmed any of the land between Rotorua and Taupo ?— For myself, do you mean, sir ? I have farmed 400 acres at Kaingaroa. 20.1. How far would that be from the railway ?—About twelve miles. 202. East or west ? —East —or south. 203. Have you ever bored for water in that area ?—They did bore in the Kaingaroa area.