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the south side of the Arahura Eiver. It is at about 5 miles 60 chains, I think, that the deviation commences. 88. Mr. Seddon.] It states in the printed evidence, 3 miles 70 chains. —If so, the 3 miles 70 chains must be a misprint. 89. At 4 miles and 60 chains the line reaches the foot of the terrace. — Yes. 90. That would be on the north of the Arahura.—Yes. 1 find that what the printed evidence really says is that at 3 miles 70 chains the line crosses to the east side of the road, and then passes over the Arahura Eiver at a point 50 chains from the sea. It does not state the mileage on line at which the crossing occurs. 91. Then the bridge over the river would be of 60-feet spans? —Yes. 92. What is the distance here between the points of leaving and rejoining the old line?—-Eight miles and three-quarters. 93. You would propose making a branch line, would you not, from the Teremakau (Whitcombe) to Kumara ?—Yes. 94. What is the length of that branch line? —Six miles. 95. Would the distance from the bridge at Whitcombe to Kumara be six miles? —Yes. '.Hi. And what is the distance from the junction of the deviation with main live at Flowery Creek to Goldsborough ?—Five and a half miles. 97. That would be eleven miles and a half for the two branch lines ? —Yes. 98. Then the length of the two branch lines necessary to connect the main line with these two places, together with the intervening length of main line itself, amounts to twenty miles and a quarter? —Yes. 99. Well, now, what is the total length ofthe road from Whitcombe through Kumara and Goldsborough to Flowery Creek ?—Twenty miles. 100. From the junction at Whitcombe to Kumara, and thence through Goldsborough and Stafford Town, and down to the proposed junction with the main line at Flowery Creek, would be twenty miles ? —Yes. 101. Would the cost of the branch from Flowery Creek to Goldsborough be anything more than the average cost along the other part ? —Yes. 102. Do you mean the branch lines ? —No ; I meant if constructed as a main line. If constructed as a branch line it would cost about the same as the average of the line along the beach. 103. Are there any great difficulties between Whitcombe and Kumara, or would it be as cheap as running along the beach ? —There are no great difficulties. It would be practically as cheap as the beach line. 104. Now, from Kumara to Goldsborough is there any very expensive work if you went round the extra distance, or any very serious engineering difficulty?—lt would be a very heavy line. 105. Would it be heavy in grade?— Not very heavy in grade, but heavy in earthworks. 105 a. Then, as to the portion between Goldsborough and junction with main line at Flowery Creek? —With regard to this portion I would wish to explain that if a branch line was made to Goldsborough it could be made very cheaply ; but if it is to be part of the main line it would be very expensive. It' it is a portion of the main line it would have to follow- steep hill sides, and in order to get up to the level flat at foot of German Gultyyou would have to pass Goldsborough at a point about fifty or sixty feet above the level of the creek, and you would also have to pass above Stafford Town a very considerable height. 106. You would not surely take it on the side of the workings. Have you any levels along the hillsides in question ? —We have taken the levels of the creek itself. 107. And would you lay it out through Stafford Town on the side of the hills at south side of creek or where ? —lt would have to go on the south side, or otherwise you would have to bridge across the Waimea Creek at an enormous elevation. The Waimea Creek runs at right angles to the sea, and the railway would have to go on the south side of it —that is to say, if it is made as a portion of the main line. If it is made as a branch line it could be made on either side, whichever is preferred. 108. There would be two large bridges on present proposed line along beach across the Waimea Eiver and Kapitea Creek, would there not ?—Yes. 109. But they would not be required to be so large in order to cross the same creeks on the deviation line, would they ?—No, they would not. 110. Is there any chance of getting a line of railway between Whitcombe and Goldsborough direct ? Is there not a chain of ranges running along between Waimea, Stafford Town, and Kumara, which would prevent this ? —Yes ; there is a range of terraces there that you cannot get through, between Chesterfield and Goldsborough. There is no chance whatever of getting a railway along any route intermediate between the beach route and the deviation now under consideration. 111. Is there not good forest along the deviation line ?—Yes ; w rith the exception of three miles, there is good timber on the whole line. 112. Now, what would the formation of the original line cost ? What do you anticipate the cost of that line would be, according to the price paid on recent contracts? The construction of the line simply —viz., formation and permanent way ?—As stated in my report, I think the cost of construction only would be £6,000 per mile. The total original estimate, including rolling-stock and stations, was £220,000 for 23| miles. 113. The Chairman.] Do you think that estimate low or high? —I think it is a liberal estimate. 114. What would the estimates extend to by making the new line, as compared with the old one? —In the report I have just read I gave it as a minimum. It is rather hard to make an estimate without having proper surveys, so I put it at a minimum based on the cost of the original line, in order to be sure that I was not overstating the case as against the deviation. There is no doubt, therefore, that it would cost more. Taking the minimum, we made out it would cost £60,000 more. 115. You gave the minimum? —Yes, I gave the minimum; so that I think it would cost more than that.

Mr. O'Connor.

2nd Dec, 1879.