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[j. HAY

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to the Board for an additional area of surveyed or unsurveyed land contiguous to the land in his selection, and the Board, if they think fit, but subject to the limitations of this Act, may dispose of such land to the applicant without competition, at such price not being in any case less than twenty shillings per acre, to hold the same on the same tenure as that of his original selection. " Lands which are separated only by a road or a stream shall be deemed to be contiguous for the purposes of this section." The following alteration was proposed : That in the first paragraph of section 114 all the words after " without competition " be deleted, and the following words be inserted in lieu thereof: "at a price to be fixed by the Board, to hold the same on any tenure.' I think that would be a useful amendment. 68. Do you not think there should be some limit about the cash : the section says not less than £1 per acre: do you not think that is giving the Board rather much responsibility?— The Land Board has the same power in the next section, which also provides for the approval of the Governor being obtained. 69. We know that there are over a million acres in Southland consisting of very high land : can anything be done in the way of improving these pastures ? They are a great asset belonging to the colony, and within my knowledge and observation they have depreciated very much within the last forty years : can you suggest anything that would tend to restore them to their pristine fertility?— Well, there is surface-sowing. 70. Has that been tried much? —No. There is no encouragement to do so, because it would not be considered an improvement by the outgoing tenant, and would not be allowed for in 71. Do you know if surface-sowing has been tried on any of the large private estates in Southland ?—Yes, in some places. 72. Do you know if it has been successful? —Yes, on the lower country I have mentioned — the Lillburn country. That is all fairly low country, and it was all surface-sown, and the grass took very well. But that is a different class of country to our pastoral runs. Ido not know what grasses would take on these pastoral runs. Cocksfoot or Chewing's fescue might take, but you will not get a tenant who will sow the grasses on his run if it is not to count in his valuation for improvements at the end of the term. _ . 73. Of course, resting the land would be a good thing? —Yes, that is doing good. In fact, in a great many places the grass is coming back, even on the high land, except in places where the shingle is loose and is overspreading the lower country ; the rabbits also are pretty well down. I consider indiscriminate firing has done more damage in the way of denuding the country of vegetation than the rabbits. There has been no great judgment used in firing. The musterers have fired in season and out of season, and that has been one of the main causes of the denudation of the country. Of course, the people are not doing that now. 74. Mr. McCutchan.] With reference to improved-farm settlements, I understood you to say that the upset price for felling bush, grassing, and grants for fencing and buildings amounted to £4 10s. per acre ? lam not positive. I said I believed that some of the land would amount to £3 to £4 an acre, but I am not positive. 75. It is an estimate ?—Yes. 76. And the area of each holding is 100 acres ?—Yes. 77. And you said that the Government made a reduction in the rental?— Yes, a treble reduction. 78. Of £7,000 to £8,000 in the aggregate ? —Yes. 79. At 4 per cent, the rental would be about 3s. 7d.: what would the average rental be under the reduction ?—I think, probably from 6d. to Is. an acre. 80. Is it on a 4-per-cent. basis?— 4 or 5 per cent., as the case may be. 81. Have you had any applications in respect to mortgages under improved-farm-settlement conditions? —Yes. . . . , „ T ' 82. Have the settlers had much difficulty in getting money under that tenure >—1 do not think there was any money advanced by the Advances to Settlers Office under that tenure. 83. Did they get the money from private money-lenders ?—Yes, if they got the money at all. The Government have had no applications for loans ever since I have been here as Commissioner namely, for four years. I know that they have applied to the Government Advances to Settlers Office for 'loans, but they had no security to offer, because all the improvements had been effected by Government money. . 84. Has not that militated against the interests of the settlers borrowing money from private individuals ?—I do not think private individuals assisted them very much, because they had no security to offer. I rather think that all the money they worked on was money which they got for bushfelling and employment on the roads. Ido not think they got much assistance in the way of borrowed money from private companies. 85. The approval of the Land Board has to be obtained in the case of such transactions with private individuals? —I do not think the Government Advances to Settlers Office has advanced any money at all. . 86. Ido not mean from the Advances to Settlers Department; but the sanction of your Board would have to be obtained no matter where the money was got from ?—Yes. 87. Therefore I am to understand that no improved-farm settler has mortgaged his holding in this provincial district ?—I do not think any of them have mortgaged their farms in this land district understood you to say that the ballot for Crown land in this land district was satisfactory, and that you have heard of no objections from the settlers ?—Yes, in connection with the ballot under "The Land Act, 1892." 89. Do you find that the settlers are satisfied when they are unsuccessful at the ballot ?— They are satisfied that the working of the ballot has been perfectly fair and straightforward.