D.—lo

14

for homestead in a year. We have 58,000 sheep. We send between fifteen and twenty thousand every year, and of these about eight thousand are freezers. Last year we had a fair average of grain. We have six shepherds and about twelve hands all the year round, extra ones at shearing, and the ploughing is done by contract. Believes his brother supported the Bill. At present all their produce comes over the bridge and road to Timaru, but some of the sheep may go another way. Cross-examined by Mr. Hamilton.—The above is a fair average. Our estate is well roaded. Cannot say what is the mileage. Not much goes out of Upper Pareora Eiding besides ours. Thinks Elder uses the road to Cave. Evans's goes the same way as ours. Do not think he carts grain. Thinks he has about twenty bales of wool. Squire has all wool—about twenty bales—no grain. Collier sends his goods to St. Andrew's. Besides these and ourselves there is no other traffic on the bridge. Our estate is all in Waimate. The manure is manufactured. We get on the tracks in Timaru. It is chiefly bought by local dealers—that is, our sheep. Do not send wool to scouring-works. Ec-examined by Mr. Eaymond.—His brother was a member of Waimate County Council, and has been for years. Cannot say which way Elder brings his wool. Thinks it would be as short to Cave. Cannot say which way he goes. It is not necessary to keep the bulk of roads through our estate in repair. They are covered with grass, but some have to be kept up. The great bulk of our estate is in Waimate. There are 14,000 acres outside which are leasehold. Eough country. The part in Waimate is where we grow all our grain and the best part of our sheep. The freehold in Waimate is about 48,000 acres. We pay £1,087 rates to Waimate County yearly. David Caird sworn.—Lives at Pareora. Is a farmer. Lives on Levels side and has property on both sides. The largest part is in Waimate. Lives about 400 yards from Upper Pareora Bridge. Has 800 or 900 acres in Waimate. Carries between the two about two thousand sheep. The average amount in Waimate about one thousand five hundred. Cannot say what his average output from Waimate amounts to. Grows in Waimate 3,000 or 4,000 bushels and a quantity of oats. Carts grain over Jeffcoat's Crossing. All his stuff to Timaru comes that way. Grows more oats than wheat. Knows most of the settlers on that side of the river. Re Table A: Does not know Mrs. Benjamin or C. Hendry. Caldwell uses Brassell's. Sidey might come to St. Albans. With exception of above two, all people on Table A use Otipua Eoad. Very little traffic goes to Levels and Waimate, except Elworthy's back loading. Not much traffic from Levels to Waimate. Could not give estimate. Cross-examined by Mr. Hamilton.—McMillan might come to St. Andrew's with some of his grain. Same remarks apply to Parish, but has seen him drive all his grain to Timaru. Cannot say in tons how much is carted by settlers in Table A. Cannot say how much Youdale carts. Cox might cart his grain now to St. Andrew's ; he can go either way. Has seen Elder's wool brought down. He has brought it several times this way. Believe he has always brought it to Timaru. Does not know which way Sidey and Wake cart, but the light traffic comes to Timaru. Am an old resident, thirty years. Brassell's Eoad has been shingled in the last twenty years— part a long time ago and part not many years ago. There is considerable carting of shingle from river into Levels County. That road is principally used by Mr. Scott. This is the road they use for shingling the Otipua Eoad. Ec-examined by Mr. Moore. —Seldom uses Brassell's Eoad. Shingle has been carted for Otipua Eoad. Knows a few settlers about Brassell's Eoad. Table G : These are all Levels ratepayers who use the road. Ec-examined by Mr. Hamilton. —These settlers use it in addition to shingle-carters. John Luke sworn.—Lives at Willowbridge, Waimate. Does general work and is a contractor and carter. Has brought about two hundred bales to Timaru this year—about 32 or 33 tons greasy wool. It came from Pentham Hills, and part from Studholme, in Waimate Estate. Wagons weigh 25cwt. or 26cwt. Made five trips. Knows that one team carted two loads to Eedcliff, in Waikakahi. Came twice. Waikakahi is sixteen miles beyond Waimate. Cross-examined by Mr. Hamilton.—The wool was sent to Mills's store along the Main South Eoad. Met the wagon at Pareora Bridge. Very little wool is carted on Main South Eoad. Ec-examined by Mr. Moore. —The wool was delivered by witness at Timaru. The other wool was heading for Timaru. William Little sworn.—Lives at Cannington, and is manager of Cannington Estate in Waimate, 7,300 acres, the property of Mr. Eitchie. Seven thousand sheep on property. We shear on an average one hundred and seventy bales. It comes by wagon all the way to Cave, and then by wagon all the way to Timaru. We also send over three thousand sheep yearly by way of Cave down the Main Eoad to the freezing-works. The Cave-to-Cannington Eoad is our only road. We get our manure back by the wool-wagons, about 15 tons a year, and about 4 tons of grass and clover and 4 tons of other things. We only grow grain for contractors and for ourselves. We keep four contractors in summer, besides our own teams. We have two shepherds, two ploughmen permanent. In addition, Waimate people have heavy traffic, as per list, Table E : Shimbels sends 1 ton of wool; McPherson, 10 tons; Maxwell, 10 tons; Ford, 1 ton; Eitchie, 50 tons; Pringle, 6 tons; Fraser, 1£ tons; Nicholson, 2J tons; Winter, 4-J tons of wool, and 4f tons of grain, manure, &c. : total, 91 tons of heavy traffic. The New Zealand and Australian Land Company's traffic is not included. This is the export to Cannington Station. The wool comes right through to Timaru, but this refers only to Cannington Station ; the others send to the Cave Eailway-station. There is a bush —Levels Bush. Knocked off taking anything from there. The company has gone to another bush in Mackenzie County. Do not think Elder carts by Cave-to-Cannington Eoad. He would go along the Otipua Eoad to Timaru. Re Table F: McPherson gets timber from bush on hills. He lives one mile from Pareora Eiver, on Cave-to-Cannington Eoad. Acton and New Zealand and Australian Land Company use the road. These are the only Levels settlers who use the