D.—lo

5

enable the Governor to decide the main question, not to report upon the main question. Thus, in subsection (2), section 114, the question is whether a bridge should be erected and be under the Minister or local authority ; also, under subsection (7), to report on any matter, &c, that the Governor may consider necessary. Parties also should be made acquainted with particulars as to matters they will have to meet. Mr. Moore, for Levels County, said, — There are circumstances in this case which do not exist in the other cases, and much of the general matter given before might be eliminated from this case. Calls attention to the position of the two counties. Waimate depends upon Timaru because (1) it is the port for the upper part of Waimate; (2) it is the only considerable town and market; (3) the freezingworks are within Levels County ; Waimate is fast becoming a more settled county, and the whole of the produce from the north part comes to Timaru. The Harbour Board returns show that the cargo passing on the wharves has almost doubled in four years. In 1901 there were 475,000 carcases shipped. In 1899 397,000 carcases were shipped, and this was the next highest. In Levels County there are only 228,649 sheep ; in Waimate County there are 602,705. The increased number of carcases shipped is mainly due to increased settlement. Eecently Pareora Nos. 1 and 2 Settlements, in Waimate, have been started, also various small settlements in different parts of the county. By the Year-book it appears that the population of Levels was 5,496; population of Waimate, 5,653. Area of Levels, 273 square miles; Waimate, 1,343 square miles. Capital value, Levels, £1,493,000; unimproved, £1,098,000: capital value, Waimate, £2,403,000; unimproved, £1,906,000. The ways of communication from Waimate to Timaru: (1) Eailway along coast to Timaru; (2) Otipua Eoad via Upper Pareora Bridge; (3) vid Brassell's Crossing and on to Otipua Eoad; (4) Great South Eoad over Lower Pareora Bridge; (5) road from Cannington Settlement to Cave. The roads in Levels are divided into main and district roads; but if the road claimed for— the road from Otipua to Bridge—is a main road the others are district roads. With increased settlement comes increased cost of maintenance of roads : Expenditure on main roads, 1897, £609; 1901, £2,175: expenditure on district roads, 1897, £2,347; 1901, £2,124. The returns show that the increase has been gradual. Levels has sixty-four miles of main roads and 386 miles of district roads. Average expenditure, £34 a mile on main roads, £6 a mile on district roads. Total expenditure on all roads and bridges in 1899, £2,756; in 1900, £2,828; in 1901, £4,299. This clearly shows that the expenditure is increasing. The whole area of Waimate County affected by these claims is the whole of the Upper and Lower Pareora Eiding. The area of Lower Pareora is 105,000 acres; of Upper Pareora, 251,000 acres. The land in these ridings is the same as in Levels County, excluding the Elworthy Estate. Elworthy Estate has 52,000 acres, and all the portion on map coloured pink is Elworthy's. Nearly the whole of this estate is in the Upper Eiding. The traffic consists of: (1) heavy traffic —wool and grain ; (2) light traffic, especially on Saturdays ; (3) sheep traffic. The grain is the heaviest item ; six or seven horses are put to the wagons, and they do considerable damage to the road, possibly more than Mackenzie wool-wagons. There is practically no light traffic from this side into Waimate. Not far from the boundary is the Borough of St. Andrew's. It may be said that in this case there should be an alteration of boundaries. It is a remedy, but not the remedy now. A Bill was before Parliament last year, but it was not carried. The Elworthy Estate is an illustration. They pay £687 county rates to Waimate. They use one mile of Waimate roads and eleven miles of Levels roads for their carting. The Main Otipua Eoad is a main arterial road from Pareora Bridge to Timaru (see map). On that road there is very heavy traffic from Waimate. Waimate traffic preponderates. Only a small amount is carted by Levels ratepayers to Timaru, and there is no railway near enough to compete with that traffic. The evidence will be of two kinds : (1) tabulated statements showing holdings, &c.; (2) evidence of witnesses as to traffic by— (a) owners and carters, of their own knowledge; (b) witnesses who speak generally; (c) those who have tallied traffic. Table A will be put in (Exhibit 2). The method on which we arrive at tonnage carted is to assume that one-third of the land is cropped every year and that two-thirds are in pasturage. The Year-book gives 30 bushels of wheat and 40 of oats to the acre. Wheat averages 37 bushels to the ton and oats 56. Then, back loading is estimated on the basis that one-sixth of the two-thirds will be in turnips, and that requires 1 cwt. manure to the acre. Stores are also brought back. This leaves wool of two-thirds in pasture at one and a half crossbred sheep per acre, and each sheep gives 71b. wool. On this basis Table Ais compiled: Table shows 67,174 acres, less Elworthy's 52,287 acres; leaving 14,887 acres. It will produce—Grain, 3,900 tons; back loading, 166 tons; wool, 47 tons: total, 4,113 tons, Elworthy's Estate gives—Grain, 200 tons; wool, 167 tons, miscellaneous, 20 tons ; back loads, 75 tons ; stores, 35 tons: total, 497 tons. Mr. Elworthy's wool returns support this. If 52,000 acres, less the grain, equal 167 tons wool, then it shows that 47 tons from 14,887 acres is about correct. This gives a total tonnage of 4,113 plus 497 tons, totalling 4,610 tons. This does not include sheep or light traffic. All that traffic comes this way from over the river into Levels, and all comes this way except what comes over Brassell's or Jeffcoat's fords on to Main Otipua Eoad. Table B (Exhibit 3) shows the Levels farmers using the Otipua Eoad, and by the same process it will be seen that 2,246 tons is the tonnage of Levels people using the Otipua Eoad. This must be reduced by three-fifths, as the Levels traffic does not use the whole road. Then, the tonnage from Levels using the whole road would be 1,348 tons. The proportion, therefore, is—as lis to Levels County so is 3| to Waimate. We claim only half cost of that road. Looked at from another point of view, Elworthy's wool is 167 tons ; others in Table A, 47 tons : total, 214 tons.