D.—lo

11

does not cart. Met him this year going to St. Andrew's. Do not know Sidey. With these exceptions witness said that all the people named carted by Otipua Eoad. Ec-examined by Mr. Eaymond.—Wake has been two or three years there. When Mack was there he came over Jeffcoat's and his successor comes same way. William John Black sworn.—Contractor. Is father of Overseer in Levels County. Was for many years in employment of Waimate County. Knows Pareora Eiding and Waimate ratepayers who use the ford and come on to Otipua Eoad. Was nearly sixteen years Overseer. Eesigned two years ago. Ec Table A : Some of these names were not there in my time. Do not know Mr. Benjamin. Never saw C. Hendry on the road. J. Elder goes over the bridge. Do not think Mary Squire does. Do not know J. D. Parish. Since road fixed up on other side G. Cox goes to St. Andrew's. Cannot say which way McKeown goes. Do not know Parry or Wake. With above exceptions rest come over Otipua Eoad either by Jeffcoat's or Brassell's ford. Re Table C : Do not know A. J. Gobbett, J. Hall, Gallatly, Abbot, J. Bowie, O'Loughlin, Spiers, La Mesurier, J. Ward. With these exceptions all the people in table use the Main South Eoad and Lower Pareora Bridge. Barring men taking back stores there is no traffic from Levels to Waimate by Otipua Eoad or Main South Eoad. Knows Cave-to-Cannington Eoad. Re Table E: Do not know J. Good, Knight, Scott, Elms. Is not sure of J. Collier. With these exceptions knows the people in this table use the road. Firewood is carted down this road. Eitchie sends wool, also Pringle. It is a wool road. Not much grain is grown there. Re Table F: Do not know if these people use the road. Cross-examined by Mr. Kinnerney.—Obtained knowledge of this road while he was Overseer. There is no traffic from Levels on that road. New Zealand and Australian Land Company do not use the road. Do not know anything about land in Mackenzie County. New Zealand and Australian Land Company cart timber on road. Has often met their bullock-wagons, P. or E. Eowe carted for them. Re Table E: These people crossover towards the Cave. Not heavy traffic, not good country. Cannington wool is the chief item. The wood is the most of the lot; not much grain sent. The timber is for fencing and firewood. Eowe also had a bush. The only traffic of importance on this road is wool and firewood. Do not know number of tons. If Levels carted 81 tons the other place carted much more. Re Table C : Cannot say how the heavy traffic of these people goes. Samuel Hansen re-examined.— Re tally : Does not say it is complete. Some may have gone through whom he did not get. Some would not give their names. Some traffic may have gone through at night. Cannot say tally is complete. Cannot swear if he was there on the 17th April. Anstey swore he took seven hundred or eight hundred sheep on the 17th April. It may have been on day he was away. Cannot explain why Anstey's sheep are not in tally. Alexander Hastie sworn. —Is a farmer at Springbrook, two miles on North side of St. Andrew's. Been there eight or nine years. Knows traffic on Main South Eoad. Settlers from Springbank use it for light traffic. Table C : Does not know Mesurier. All the others use the Main South Eoad for light traffic. Does not send much heavy traffic to Timaru. They take their loads on their traps. Mostly root-crops are sent. Takes back stores. There is not so much traffic from Levels to Waimate as from Waimate to Levels. Sometimes witness grows 50 or 60 tons. Others put in the same acreage. One or two have more than him. Some seasons grow up to 300 tons and some go by road to Timaru. The greater portion of what he grows goes to Timaru. Cross-examined by Mr. Kinnerney.—Ordinary light cartage goes to Timaru. Dairy factory not transferred traffic to St. Andrew's. Thinks of late years Drinnau, Hall, Gallatly, Catherwood, and great part of large holders send to St. Andrew's. Cross-examined by Mr. Eaymond. —A portion goes to St. Andrew's and a portion to Timaru. Can only say about his own that it goes to Timaru. From what he sees as a whole the small holders send to Timaru. Samuel Bee sworn. —Is a farmer at Kingsdown, about six miles and a half from Timaru, on Main South Eoad. Has been there twenty-five years. Knows traffic has increased a great deal of late years. Light traffic has increased more. Means light traffic to Timaru. The reason is on account of breaking-up of Pareora No. 1 seven or eight years ago, and No. 2 four or five years since. The traffic coming north is a great deal larger than that going south. It is twice as much. Re Table C : Does not know D. Keepe or Mesurier. Knows all the rest. They use Main South Eoad to Timaru for general carting. They take back stores. Levels ratepayers only use the road to go to St. Andrew's sale. Ec-examined by Mr. Kinnerney. —There are two stores in St. Andrew's. Do not know if they deal at St. Andrew's. Knows that a great many do bring stores back. Traffic is mostly light traffic. Very few drays. They often come to Timaru as well as on Saturdays. Thinks some of the heavy traffic goes to St. Andrew's. Has not seen Drinnan much north lately. Do not think Hall takes much grain to Timaru. Some of the others take much grain to Timaru. Gallatly and Catherwood do not often bring grain to Timaru. Some of the others take goods to St. Andrew's, but knows that some cross the river to Timaru. Witness lives one and a half miles from Pareora Bridge on Kingsdown side. Very few Kingsdown people cart to St. Andrew's. Charles Chivers sworn.—ls a storekeeper at Beacousfield. Lives on corner where three roads meet, viz., one from Elworthy's (road from bridge), one Brassell's Eoad, and one Otipua Eoad. The store is on the corner. Has been there thirty-four years. Is familiar with traffic on the road. Traffic from Waimate side is very heavy. No comparison with traffic from Timaru Three-fourths to four-fifths would be the traffic from Waimate. Elworthy uses Otipua Eoad a good deal ; so does Blackmore, Scott, Bell, Chamberlain, and others, and most of those on Table A use the road. Cannot give an estimate of sheep on the road. Cross-examined by Mr. Hamilton.—ln comparing traffic, means what goes over the river. Some traffic goes from Levels to Waimate. Is only speaking from general observation. Has