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43. You havt; a fair idea of the cost per horse-power by coal or steam?— Yes. 44. How much do you think it would cost in Wellington, Greymouth, or Hokitika?—l have no record in my memory. 45. Do you think it costs £25 a year in Hokitika? —Yes. 46. Under these regulations the syndicate gets the same power for 3s. a. year?—l have not seen the regulations. 47. Do you know that the Crown charges 6d. royalty per ton on coal?— Yes. 48. Can you see any reason why people in the coal industry should be put out of competition by water-power?— No. 49. Supposing this company refuses to go on, and another company is prepared to pay what the Government asks for this concession, do you think it would make any difference to the miners at Rimu or Ross ?—I do not think that would make any difference at all. 50. If the Government were to develop this power, do you think the miners would be better off than if they got it from a private concern ?—Really, to give you my honest opinion, I think it would be in better hands if under the Government. 51. Are you aware whether this company proposes to sell any water at all to individual miners? —I could not answer that. 52. You know the area between Totara River, near Ross, and between the Arahura and the seat—lt is a great area. 53. What would be the approximate area? —It would be about ninety square miles. 54. It is 30 x 50, going to the sources of the rivers?— Yes, taking in the watersheds. 55. Do you think it is a fair inducement to give to a private company, if selling water to generate electricity for mining or other purposes?—No doubt it is a very fair area to have command of. 56. Mr. Seddon.] You know the area Mr. McKenzie has just described, going to the sources of the rivers? —Yes, that is nearly to the top of the range. 57. Do you think, in that particular area electricity could be generated at other places than To Aroha ?—I have no doubt there are other streams. 58. You have heard of the Hokitika Gorge?— Yes. 59. Do you think electricity could be generated there? —I have not taken any levels there, but I fancy it could. 60. Have you ever been to Browning's Pass?— Yes. 61. Do 3-0U think that at the different falls there electricity could be generated?—At the Styx? 62. At the Styx and Hamper Falls? —It is possible. 63. You do not think To Aroha is the only place?—l think it is the best; there may be others that I do not know—because in the early days I traversed places where.power is generated. 64. You know that plenty of power has been generated at Lake Kanieri? —Yes. 65. You are quite satisfied that To Aroha is not the only place? —I said just now there an other places, but I have no distinct knowledge of them like I have of this one spot. 66. Mr. Anderson.] You were speaking of the Hochstetter Lake: is that in this area spoken of?—No, that is outside. 67. Hon, Mr. R. McKenzie.] You said that To Aroha was the best for power in this area? — Yes, that I know of. That is, excepting the Ros.s; but that is very small in comparison. 68. Can you give the Committee an idea of what 20,000-horse power means? Say you take all the horse-power in Nelson, Canterbury, and the West Coast used at the present time? —Then must be a great deal. 69. It can be turned up in the records. Assuming that payable gold is found at the Wilberforce, there would be no difficulty in transmitting power from To Aroha to the Wilberforce? —I do not know the difference in level. 70. The transmitting wire could be conveyed to Wilberforce as easily as it is conveyed to Rimu or any other part of that area?— Yes. 71. Say water-power to generate electricity were required to develop the Waihi mines, do you think the Government should give that power for nothing?—l do not. 72. Do you see any distinction between giving the water-power free at Rimu and not to Waihi? —There is always the distinction of whether Rimu will turn out to be a Waihi. 73. You have sufficient knowledge to know that people are not going to enter into these mining speculations for philanthropic purposes?— That is so. 74. Mr. Seddon.] Do you think, if this company is not successful, another company would follow up the proposition?—l have answered that already in my statement, when I said.it was very hard to float any schemes on the West Coast now. It takes a lot of working up. 75. You think, then, that the miners would prefer, if the Government generated the electricity and sold the water, to work under the Government rather than under a private company?—Of course I cannot tell what are the individual opinions of individual miners, but I know that if it were my own case I would prefer to work under the Government if I were a miner.

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