F. T. MOOBE.~|

33

I.—3a.

102. Mr. Field.] The benefits the Natives will derive will be threefold—that is, the royalty they will receive, the option of taking up shares by which they will receive dividends, and the employment they will get from the company ?—Yes. - 103. You intend to give them the full benefit of that employment clause?— Yes, we are bound to do so by our terms. 104. Who prepared these deeds ?—Messrs. Travers, Bussell, and Campbell. 105. Were they acting for all the parties?— Yes. 106. We may assume that they took care of the Natives' interests ? —They were really acting for the Natives in the first place, and we agreed to allow them to act for us once the terms and conditions were fixed. 107. They were originally the Natives' solicitors?— Yes. 108. And afterwards you agreed that they should act for you also?— Yes; because we regarded the company as almost a Maori company. 109. You are partly Maori yourself?— Yes, a quarter Maori, and it is owing to that fact that I became associated with the Natives—owing to my Native kinship. 110. A question was asked you by Mr. Carroll as to the remuneration or bonus to be paid to Te Heuheu ?—Yes. 111. Will you tell the Committee what amount of trouble he was put to in order to earn this money ?—Yes. He is put to the trouble of spending something like twelve months in negotiating and travelling the country discussing the matter with his fellow-owners; also, he undertakes to assist us to procure tramway rights, and generally to help and advise the company in order to make a success of the whole undertaking. 112. Does he pay his own travelling-expenses out of this money ? —Yes. 113. There would not be a very large sum in profit to him ? —Not very large, because he has to attend to the drawing of these documents and the signing of them round the country, which is a tedious and costly matter. 114. At all events, you are of opinion that he fully earns all he is going to get?— Yes. 115. Coming to the question of royalty, I notice that under your contracts, other than the royalties mentioned by you, there is mentioned heart of totara 4s. 6d. ? —Yes, hewn or squared. 116. That is per 100 ft. superficial ?—Yes. 117. On fencing-posts, 7s. per 100?— Yes. 118. On house-blocks, £d. per lineal foot ?—Yes. 119. On straining-posts, 6d. each ?—Yes. 120. And you consider those royalties to be very advantageous to the Natives ?—Yes, very. 121. Assuming your estimate of the quantity of timber on the heavily covered portion of the land at 100,000 ft. per acre to be correct, do you think it would be fair to say the average royalty would be Is. per 100 ft. ?—Yes, I do. 122. And the Natives would be receiving royalty there for £50 an acre ? —Yes; that is, on the best part of the block, say, 4,000 acres. 123. That is £200,000 that they would receive in royalties ?—Yes, if my estimate is correct. 124. Are you aware whether the Government have bought any timber land in the vicinity of your block ?—Yes. 125. Have they bought any land covered with as good timber as yours? —I do not think so. 126. Have they bought heavily timbered land?— Yes; but the country that I saw purchased by the Government contains a lot of waste country. 127. Have you in your mind any particular block which was bought by the Government ?— Yes ; on the south bank of the Wanganui Biver, opposite our own block. 128. How big is that block ?—I think it is about 16,000 or 17,000 acres. 129. How much of it is timber-covered?—A fourth; probably less. 130. What did the Government pay for that land ? —I am not quite sure, but the Native owners told me 2s. 6d. Of course, it is only hearsay. 131. That was for the land and the timber ?—Yes, the land and all. 132. You say about a fourth or so would be good milling-timber? —No, I would not say good milling-timber. It would be just good enough to mill. 133. Apparently the price paid was about £2,000 for the block ?—Yes. 134. Do you think that is a fairly good venture ? —Yes, of course ; because they would have the land as well as the timber. 135. Hon. Mr. Carroll.] When did they buy this land? —I do not know. I was simply told by the Natives. 136. Mr. Field.] It was a recent purchase—it would not be ten or twenty years ago?—No; it would be subsequent to the Waimarino purchase. 137. Hon. Mr. Carroll.] What is the name of the block ?—I do not know. 138. Mr. Field.] Are there any provisions in your agreement stating that the Natives have the right to use the land for residential purposes ?—Yes. 139. You do not intend to turn them off neck and crop?— No. 140. Hon. Mr. Carroll.] Is there a grant for this land ?—Only for the 640 acres. 141. Mr. Field.] Of course, you have no title for the land?—No; only the agreement to take timber. 142. You say you have a clause in your agreement under which you permit the Natives the use and occupation of the land ? —Yes ; the agreement speaks for itself. 143. If you had not that clause in the agreement, do you think you could turn them off at any time ?—No. 144. Mr. Mander.] Is the timber fairly easily got out of this property ?—Fairly easy. 145. What do you reckon it will cost you to put it to the mill from the bush—to crosscut and deliver it ? —Not more than 4d. to 6d. per 100 ft. to begin with. s—l. 3a.