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13. That loss of revenue would have to be recouped by increasing the taxation on the people ? —Yes, I suppose it would ; if it did not come out of the people's pockets in one shape it would have to in another. 14. Are you prepared to give any evidence on the political aspect of the question ?—No, I am not sufficiently conversant with it to venture an opinion ; but, speaking for myself, while I recognise what I consider would be the very great advantages that would accrue to this colony by having free-trade with the other colonies, I share the feeling of reluctance shown by most people to sacrificing any of our present political independence. It is simply a question of whether the commercial advantages do not warrant us in making a sacrifice in the other respect. 15. Hon. Captain Bussell.] Do you know the relative price of oats in Australia ?—Yes; and, of course, it varies in different parts of Australia. In Victoria oats have been very cheap the last few years, and they have exported a large quantity of their own oats to South Africa. 16. Then, is it not possible, if the growth of oats in Victoria is increasing, that that has really been the cause of a diminution in our trade, rather than the tariff question?—l do not think the farmers in Victoria would have grown the oats if it had not been for the protection they got by the heavy duty against New Zealand. Before the heavy duty was put on there was a large trade done with that colony in oats, but after the duty the Victorian farmers grew oats in increasing quantities, and now I do not believe a bushel of New Zealand oats goes into Victoria for home consumption. The quality of their oats is not as good as ours. 17. Does Tasmania export oats to Victoria ? —I do not think they do much trade with Victoria, for the same reason, that the duty keeps them out, but they do a considerable trade with New South Wales. 18. Is the cultivation of oats of vital importance to Southland ? —lt is of very considerable importance to Southland, because a large area of our land is not well suited for growing wheat, neither is our climate well adapted to growing wheat, and, as farmers have to break their pastures up at regular intervals to renew them, oats is the favourite crop. 19. Have you any idea up to what period of time in the future the cultivation of oats will be a matter of importance to Southland ? —I think as long as they can grow them profitably they will continue to grow them in large quantities here. 20. Are oats a very profitable crop ?—Taking one year with another, it has been fairly profitable of late years to the farmer; but, as I said, they are bound to grow some crop in order to break up their pastures, and they find they can grow oats better than wheat or barley. 21. Is it essential to Southland farming that oats should be grown, and through not fattening the lambs and stock, or cultivating their ground, they take a crop off of it ? Is the cultivation of oats the only profitable way of farming ?—Not by any means, but it is an essential part of the system of rotation the farmers go in for here. At one time fattening stock was not as profitable as it is now, and if it is a bad year in oats they sometimes make it up in stock, or if it is a bad year for fattening stock they make it up in grain. 22. Mr. Boberts.] In reply to a question of Captain Russell's you said that to a large extent the export of oats from the Bluff to Victoria during the last few years had ceased, and that had been entirely owing to the additional production going on in Victoria ?—I said it had ceased altogether with Victoria. 23. And that cessation of trade had come about through the production of extra quantities of oats in Victoria during the past few years?— That is so. 24. Have you noticed the relative proportion of the shipments from this colony and the production in Australia—that is to say, in lean years in Australia the export from here is greater ?—I do not suppose it is so, because there is a large surplus of oats in the colony which has all to go away whether there is a fat year or a lean year. It is simply a question of price; if they have a fat year in Australia our farmers get less for their oats in consequence. All would have to go away from here. 25. I have a conviction that to a large extent the export of oats from this colony to Victoria is entirely regulated by the crop on the other side — that is to say, the deficiency that has arisen there through a shortage in the crop must be supplied from here, no matter what duty is put on. Do you think that is so?—So far as Victoria is concerned, I think lam safe in saying that for the last seven or eight years they have not used a bushel of our oats in Victoria. 26. Is that to a large extent owing to the better seasons they have had there and the larger quantities of oats grown ?—lt is entirely owing to the large quantities of oats grown in Victoria, though my contention is that if it had not been for the extremely heavy duty in Victoria the farmers there would not have attempted to compete with our farmers in the growing of oats. 27. What is the price of oats there ?—Something about Is. 9d. to Is. 10d., and the cost of shipping the oats from Bluff, excluding the duty, is, roughly speaking, 3d. a bushel, while the duty in Victoria is Is. 2-|d. per bushel. 28. So that any export of oats that could have been made from here could have no effect at all on the local market, because it was impossible for you to sell them here at anything like the price they sell them at there ? —Yes. 29. Mr. Millar.] Can you give us any idea as to the percentage of your trade from the Bluff to New South Wales ? What proportion of your total export of grain and oats goes to New South Wales ? —I could not say, but I am quite satisfied that New South Wales takes far more than all the other colonies put together of Southland produce. 30. If there were free - trade to-morrow the Victorian market would have no say with us in regard to butter? They have taken butter from us before?— That is so. They would not be large customers for butter. 31. But we see from the latest statistics that they have been exporting butter largely for some years. In 1898 the value of the oats exported from the colony was £87,924 ?—I think