C—4.

36

[j. K. THOMSON.

143. Do you think that the 999-years lease is nearly as good as a freehold ? — Well, if a man goes to the trouble of making improvements on his own place he can realise on them better than if he held the land under a Government lease. 144. If it was freehold and not lease in perpetuity you would make more mdney out of it ? — Yea. 145. It is a matter of the unearned increment ?—I think that the man who takes up bush land deserves all the unearned increment. 146. What pays the pocket best is at the bottom of it ?—Yes ; and, as wise people, so long as we are not doing a wrong to other people I think we ought to make the best of it. 147. What is the cost of bushfelling there?—Up to £1 10s. an acre. 148. Is it heavy bush ?—Some of it is pretty heavy bush. 149. What does the grassing cost ? —£l 10s. an acre. 150. What mixture would you put on ?—Cocksfoot and clover. 151. Did you say £1 10s. an acre for grassing?— Yes, but I think now Chat £1 10s. an acre is too much. First-class Canterbury cocksfoot is 6d. per pound. Clover, alsike, and ryegrass are also put on. 152. What would it amount to if not £1 10s. ?—I have not calculated it. 153. If you sowed down 20 acres, what would be the account for grass ?—I sowed my land piecemeal. I sowed five pounds' worth of grass-seed on less that 5 acres, I think. That was on my freehold section. 154. Do you think it would be advisable for the Commission to see Stewart Island ? —I think it would be a wise step. Ido indeed. I think you would get a better idea of the island if you were on the ground yourselves. "You could look at the land which is open at Half-moon Bay, and at the land that is leased. You could also see the land that is not settled upon, and see its value and how the grass takes. 155. You have 400 acres ?—Yes. 156. How much of it is cleared ?—None of it is altogether cleared. None of it is stumped. 157. You have so-much felled and in grass ? —About 20 acres are grass-sown, but it is not well-cleared land. 158. Is it good land for grazing?— Yes. 159. How long have you had it ? —About three years. 160. That is all you have put in grass ? —Yes, but I have also done fencing. 161. What stock do you carry?—l have about fifty head of cattle. 162. In the bush and on the grass?— Yes. 163. Mr. Paul.] Do you think the homestead system could be applied to Stewart Island ?—I believe it would do very well there. 164. Would you apply it to the coast-line ?—Yes, to the best land in the island. I think it could be applied with good effect as long as the areas were not large, so that as many people as possible could go on the land. 165. You think it would be beneficial if Stewart Island were settled?—l do. 166. With reference to your statement about a desire being born in every Englishman for the freehold, do you really think it is so?— Yes. 167. Do you know that there is not enough land to go round to gratify that desire ?—That might be, but if you leased large blocks of land in perpetuity you could not make more land by doing so. The people who took up that land would be in the same fix that way. 168. But what would happen if the lease in perpetuity were abolished ? We know that many who have a desire to reside on the land have had that wish gratified through the colony's liberal land laws ?—I suppose that is so. I could not speak for the country generally, but only for the island. 169. For instance, had there been no leasehold tenures there would not be nearly the number of settlers on the land that there is at the present time ? —I do not suppose there would be. I think the lease is a grand thing with the right of purchase. 170. Begarding the lease in perpetuity, you say it is not a good system ? —I do not care about it at all, but, as I have said before, if there were no other system I would take a piece of land under it, but with not such good grace as if I knew the land was to be my own some day. 171. Is your opinion widely held ?—Yes, on the island. 172. Has the value of the leases under the lease-in-perpetuity tenure increased?—l could not say. lam not sufficiently posted up to say that. 173. Mr. McLennan.'] In the event of the lease-in-perpetuity tenants being granted the option of purchase, would you favour the holdings being revalued and the present tenants getting full compensation for their improvements and the land being put up to auction ?—I think that would be fair. If the tenant got full value for his improvements there would be nothing to complain about. 174. Do you think the rest of the community should have the same privilege as the present holders in competing at auction for various properties as long as the holder has got full value ?—I am not sure about the auction. I think the ballot is better than the auction. 175. Most of the lease-in-perpetuity ground has been balloted for: do you not think that auction would be better ?—I am of opinion that the ballot works well, because it does away with the temptation to run up the price. Many people pay a higher price under the auction than they are really able to pay. 176. The Government would get the benefit ? —Yes, but if the tenant cannot hold on it might be a loss. If a man takes up land at more than he can pay he is always poor, and the land is overgrown with weeds. The Government may get the benefit in the first case, but if the land is not attended to they get the worst of it in the end.