D.—2.

54

911. Can you say whether or not any pressure was brought to bear upon the Provincial Government by the General Government to induce them to abandon the scheme for the construction of this line by private enterprise? —Yes. 912. What shape did that pressure take? —In 1870, the Railways Act superseded altogether the Nelson and Cobden Railway Act which enabled the Provincial Government to enter into a contract. The General Assembly Act provided that the Government might enter into a contract on the terms contained in that Act. That took the matter out of the hands of the Provincial Government altogether. 9-13. Were there not some secret negotiations between the General Government, or some members of it, and the Provincial Government, by way of inducing the latter to abandon their pet scheme in view of the certainly of the thing being taken up by the General Government? —I can hardly say that there was anything definite. During the sitting of the Assembly I had a good deal of talk with Mr. Vogel before he introduced the Bill. There was no abandoning of the scheme on the part of the Provincial Government. Mr. Vogel said he could not have the two schemes go side by side; that he must take the matter into the hands of the General Government. Mr. John S. Bbowhtng, Chief Surveyor of Nelson Provincial District, examined. 944. Mr. Fell.~\ How long have you been here ?- —I have been here six years and a half. 945. Tour professional duties have of course taken you through the country ? —Tes. 946. I believe you have travelled over that part of it which would be atFected by the construction of what is known as the central railway ?—Tes. 947. Can you speak generally of its character and adaptability for settlement, assuming it to be open for selection ? —The general character of the country is pastoral, but there is a quantity of agricultural land up the valleys which intersect the bills. In travelling over the country, the impression I have formed of the way in which settlement would be most easy would be to divide the valley lands which admit of agriculture into certain sections with a proportionate amount of pastoral land attached to them for grazing purposes. By such judicious subdivision or apportionment of land the country would have the largest population of which it is capable. 948. Assuming the construction of a railway through this central route, can you give any idea of the land accessible to the line and suitable for settlement ? —We have hardly sufficient topographical knowledge of the valleys themselves. 949. From your own travelling can you say there are a good many of them ?—I have estimated as nearly as I can that the agricultural land in the various valleys accessible from that route would be 30,000 or 40,000 acres, and the remainder would be what is called pastoral land. 950. Within what distance of the line? —Most of them would be the tributary valleys from the main line. 951. You do not include the valleys which are tributaries of the Clarence and Waiau? —No ; nor the more distant streams. 952. If the land were apportioned as you suggest, would it be suitable for the maintenance of a population ?—lt would support a considerable population. 953. Have you been up the valleys of the Clarence and Waiau ? —Tes. 954. Is the land similar to that in the valleys you have referred to ? —The valleys lying westerly of the Clarence begin to get so near to the main range that they are not available. There is not so much available land. Hound Lake Guyon and the Ada there is. some very good land lying at a high elevation. 955. Mr. Thomson.^ You mean it is suitable for mixed settlement instead of close settlement, as in the Waimea Plains ?—Yes, about one of agricultural and five of pastoral. 956. Do you know the Alma Valley ? —Yes. 957. Is there agricultural land about it ? —Some of it is very good. 958. What is the width of flat land in the Alma Valley ? —The widest part of the Alma is the flat under Tarndale. 959. I mean where it enters the mountains to the westward? —It varies from 40 chains to 20 chains. 960. Do you know the Yarrow Valley ? —I only know the Yarrow Valley looking at it from the range. 961. You cannot tell us the quantity of agricultural land in the valley? —I have not been in it, but it appeared to be of considerable extent. 962. Mr. Fell] You say the proportion of agricultural land and pastoral land is one to five ? — Yes. 963. You think there might be 40,000 acres of agricultural land?— Yes. 964. Is the pastoral laud so situated that it could be conveniently allocated amongst the proprietors of the 40,000 or 50,000 acres of agricultural land? —I think so. 965. Mr. Fell: This concludes the evidence I wish to bring forward, but the Committee are preparing a written statement which will be forwarded to the Commission when completed.

Statement by the Nelson Committee. The Commissioners are charged primarily to inquire into the probable cost and economical value of the lines already proposed for the main trunk line, Middle Island extension, and whether any other would be less costly and more beneficial. This would seem to treat it as already settled that a trunk line is to be constructed by one route or another. Nevertheless, the question being practically open until funds shall have been appropriated for carrying out the work, the Commissioners will certainly feel at liberty to declare.their opinion on the expediency of carrying out any trunk line at all in the district referred to, at present or at any early date. The Nelson Committee therefore think it pertinent to the discussion to put on record the reasons in favour of completing the trunk line, independent of its immediate commercial value. These they conceive to be in a general way reducible to the political, social, and economical importance of bringing all the large sections of the population into close relations