D.—2.

10

83. How much agricultural land is there upon the route by Tarndale, how much pastoral, and how much barren ? —There is a good deal of both agricultural and pastoral land. Every ran betwixt the Hurunui and the Waiau could spare a quantity of its land for agriculture, but I could not estimate the quantity. 84. Can you give us any estimate of the extent of agricultural country between Eenwick and the Hanmer Plains ?—I should think there is not very much. 85. Have you any idea how much there is ? —I have not the least idea. I should say that the greater part of the Delta Run, although not the best country, might be put down as agricultural land. I think, for the most part, the country up to the crossing of the Waihopai from Blenheim might be termed agricultural land, with the exception of river-beds. I think a good part of Summerlands might be ploughable, but Ido not think you would make much out of it in cultivation. 1 should think Bankhouse Sun could spare nothing for agriculture, nor Avondale. There might be some agricultural land at Lansdowne and Billersden, but I could not say the quantity. From Hillersden to Tophouse there is very little agricultural land. From Tophouse to Tarndale there is nothing but a bush valley, with Tery little agricultural land. Then from Tarndale to Hanmer Plains I should say there is very little land to spare for agriculture ; in fact, all these valleys are wanted for the hills. In the Upper Awatere there is a considerable portion of land that might be available for agriculture. Then the Muller and Langridge is very fair country, but very high. It is ploughable, and could grow something some time or other. 86. Can you give us an idea how many acres of agricultural land there are between Eenwick and the Hanmer Plains via the Tophouse ?■ —No, I could not. 87. Having brought before the public a proposal to carry a railway that wajr, do you know the mileage between the two points ?—I do not. 88. Have you gone into the subject of the gradients of such a railway?— Yes. 89. What is the steepest gradient ? —1 in 50. 90. What was the ruling gradient? —The ruling gradient was much less than that, but. the steepest gradient was 1 in 50. 91. Have you made any estimate as to the cost of the construction of the railway ?—No, I have not; but I have given the matter consideration, and the cost of it per mile would be much less than a railway by the East Coast. 92. Not having made an estimate of the cost, how can you compare it with the East Coast railway—by what means do you do so ?—From my thorough knowledge of both the East Coast and inland routes. 93. Have you made any estimate of the cost of the East Coast railway ? —No. 94. Then you can give no information as to the cost of cither of them ?—No. 95. Have you gone into the subject of the cost of maintenance ?—No. 96. Or the annual receipts of the railways ? —No, nothing of that sort. 97. Have you gone into the question as to the extent of population in the district between Eenwick and Hanmer Plains ? —I have. 98. Will you kindly state it ?—By the latest census returns of 1881 the central railway would affect beneficially 47,000 people. 99. Would you be so good as to state where these people are living between Eenwick and the Hanmer Plains ?—I do not mean that they are living between Eenwick and Hanmer Plains. I think there is a population of about 700 between Eenwick and the Tophouse. 100. I am asking as to the population between Hanmer Plains and Eenwick, including Tophouse? —I should say that the population between Hanmer Plains and Eenwick would be about 700, not including the people living on Hanmer Plains. 101. Have you considered the mileage between Kaikoura Township and Wellington by sea?— Yes. 102. How many miles is it?— About ninety miles. 103. Then supposing the railway was to terminate in the meantime at Kaikoura Township, how long would it take a first-class steamer to run up from Kaikoura ? —A first-class steamer going eleven knots an hour would take about eight hours and a half. 104. Does the railway between Christehurch and Kaikoura Township go through good land or bad land ?—lt goes through exceedingly good land between Christehurch and Waipara. 105. Then between Waipara and Amuri does it go through good land ?—lt would go through some good land. 106. Not much good land ?—No'; not a very large quantity of good land. 107. Are the Cheviot Hills good land ?—There is-good land on the Cheviot Hills. 108. Can you state the quantity ? —I am not prepared to say exactly. 109. Do you know the quantity ? —Yes ; I know it pretty well. 110. If you know it well do you not think you are bound to tell us ?—I should be glad to tell you, but my estimate might not be exact. There is a good deal of good land on the Cheviot Hills. 111. How many acres ?—At a rough estimate I should imagine that 30,000 acres might be available for agriculture. 112. How much on Hawkeswood Eun ?—With the exception of the Government reserve at the mouth of the Conway there would not be 500 acres on Hawkeswood Eun fit for cultivation. 113. Is it your opinion that, supposing the line were carried from Waipara to Kaikoura Township it would not be a payable line ?-^-It would not be a payable line in my opinion. 114. Neither for goods nor passengers ?—No ; that is my opinion. 115. Then would it be useful, for through passage between Wellington and Christehurch, to take the line from Christehurch to Kaikoura Township and go from thence to Wellington by steamer ? I should say it would be useful, but at the same time it would not compete with a direct steam line from Lyttelton to Wellington. 116. Could steamers call at Kaikoura Township ?—Not always ; the only class of steamers that