L—sc.

6

[DUNCAN SUTHKKLAND.

2. Mr. Laurenson.] You said that the loss in an ordinary year would be fifteen hundred sheep ? —Yes. 3. What is your average loss —taking, say, one ordinarily bad year with a good year, would fifteen hundred be a fair average? —Yes, leaving out the two or three years in which there were heavy falls of snow, such as 1895. I have been there over thirty years, and the average would be about fifteen hundred, if you excejst, say, four years when we had a very heavy snowfall. We lost eighteen thousand on the same run in 1895. We got a .£3OO reduction in the rent, and the lease started anew for twenty-one years. 4. The rent is £1,400? —Yes/ It was £1,700 just before 1895, but the Lund Board reduced it to the original amount and renewed the lease. 5. In bidding for these runs did you not count on meeting with bad winters and heavy falls of snow? —It was only in two years that such extreme loss has occurred —in 1895 and 1903. 6. In how many years? —I have been there thirty-seven years. 7. And in thirty-seven years these have been the two worst years? —This was the coldest weather and the heaviest fall of snow that I saw there in thirty-seven years. We had 3 ft. of snow, and it did not break up for five weeks. 8. You say you would be in a better position if you had compensation provided for in your leases. The compensation for improvements is equal to three years' rental? —Yes. 9. If you had more compensation provided for would that be of help to you? —It would encourage us to subdivide more —to spend more money on fencing and the like of that. On a large property of 180,000 acres £3,000 or £4,000 would go nowhere in fencing. I put up thirty miles in one line. 10. Mr. J. W. Thomson.] You referred to the cost of keeping down the rabbits: are they as numerous as they used to be? —No, not nearly; but on account of the scarcity of the rabbits we have to give the men more money in order to enable them to make wages. We have to pay 3Jd. a head for the rabbits, instead of id. and Id., as used to be the case. 11. Mr. Buchanan.] If the rabbits have decreased so much, I presume the carrying-capacity of the country will have been increased proportionately ? —Yes; it will get better if we get the chance to stock up. The snowstorm of 1903 was a great calamity to us, because we were just getting; up to the number that we had before 1895. We cannot buy merino sheep; you cannot do it if you have the money. There is no such thing for sale as young merino sheep. I used to shear 45,01)0, and last year it was only 28,000. This year Ido not expect to shear 30,000. 12. Was 28,000 your minimum, or were you much below that number when the rabbits were very numerous? —We used to shear about 45,000 at first, before we had the rabbits, and for a number of years up to 1895 we used to shear from 36,000 to 42,000. 13. When the rabbits were most numerous to what number did your stock decrease- -what was your lowest number? —About 36,000. Our average was from 45,000 to 36,000. 14. That decrease was caused by the rabbits? —Yes. All the natural vegetation in central Otago is dying out. 15. Is the Committee to understand that the decrease from 36,000 —the point to which tne rabbits brought down the stock —to 28,000 has been caused by losses? —The number was reduced by snow last year to 28,000. Allowing for the ordinary mortality, there were 11,094 sheep lost through the snow. 16. Mr. Witty.] During the time you Lave been there, in how many years do you reckon you have lost above the average mortality of fifteen hundred —you say that during some years you have lost more? —There might have been six or seven in the thirty-seven. We had two or three bad winters, but they have been nothing like the winters of 1895 and last year. 17. Could you give us an idea of what the average loss would be over all the time, taking the bad years with the good ?- -I could not give you that from memory, bwt I know that wo lost eighteen thousand in 1895. The snow lay on the ground for three months, but it was not so heavy as that of last year. 18. Have you got as many ewes as you had when you were getting so many lambs? —Nc. We have to keep more dry sheep now. There are not so many ewes as there used to be. 19. Then, you naturally would not expect so many lambs? —No; we could not have the same number when we had not the same number of sheep. 20. When did you take up the last lease? —Ist September, 1896. 21. What was the number that you were keeping in 1896?— From 42,000 to 44,000. 22. Even before the snowstorm came the number had decreased to 36,000? —We ran from 36,000 to 40,000. 23. And the rabbits have also decreased ? -Yes ; they are virtually extinct on our side of the Waitaki River. 24. If you had more compensation you would put up better fences, I suppose? —We would subdivide the run more, where possible. Our country is very high. It runs up to 6,800 ft. above sea-level. 25. You would be able to keep your stock down on the warmer portion during winter?— The nature of the country necessitates that. The sheep have to come down to get out of the snow ; and then in the summer-time they go up to the tops. 26. Mr. Jennings.] What opportunities have you to get your stock out —is there &ny railway within reasonable distance?--The nearest is thirty-three miles away; but we never have stock to rail. ' 27. I think you misapprehend the drift of my question. I referred to a case where you wanted to save your stock —a case of necessity, such as has occurred? —We could not take a sheep out. We get a man there only once a week with the mail. Last year there was 3 ft. of snow all over the ground on the flat.