•I. C. YOUNG, j

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John Carvilli<: Young sworn and examined. (No. 11.) 1. Mr. Weston.] You are manager of the produce department of Hodder and ToUey? —Yes. 2. You are giving evidence before the Commission not only on behalf of Hodder and Tolley (Limited), but also on behalf of Barraud and Abraham, Watson Bros., E. H. Crabb, Dalgety and Co., Manawatu Mills Company, A. J, Palmer and Co., and Goldingham and Beckett? —Yes. 8,. Y0u have obtained from them estimates of the amount of produce, including grass-seed, thai would be imported through Foxton if the conditions were suitable?— Yes. -1-. And also the saving of freight, that would be effected ?—Yes. f>. That is, 1, think, on the basis of obtaining a steamer from the Canterbury Steamship Company from the South at 12s. 6d. per ton freight?— Yes. (i. This is the statement you have compiled, and the signatures at the bottom are those of the persons signing same? —Yes. [Statement produced and put in—Exhibit L.] 7. What; is the difficulty at present that prevents you making use of Foxton?—'Die boats will not go there. 8. Has that dilliculty increased of late years?—lt has a little, yes. 9. I think there is a difficulty about getting the boats insured: is that not so?— 1 have no experience of that. 10. Mr. Myers. J This statement, 1 understand, sets out the average quantity of goods that you import from Canterbury?— The South Island. I I. What parts of the South Island I—All1 — All parts except the West Coast. 12. What do you mean by " all parts "--Marlborough?—Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. 13. How do you get those goods in now to Palmerston ? —Principally via Wanganui and partly by Wellington. 14. Do you mean by train all the way from Wellington?— Yes. 15. The Chairman.'] Do they come by train from Wanganui to Palmerston?—Yes. 16. They would have to be carted from Greatford, or Sanson, or Bull's?— Yes. They come straight by train. 17. Mr. Myers.\ Do all those goods come to Palmerston?—To Palmerston and the districts of Palmerston. 18. Within what radius of Palmerston? —Twenty miles. 19. That, of course, includes Feilding?—Yes. 20. Does it include Marton? —No. 21. When you get these goods from Southland will you tell the Commission how they come? —At present they come to Wanganui direct by boat from the Bluff. 22. In what company's boats?— Principally the Canterbury Steamship Company's boats. 23. How many vessels has the Canterbury Steamship Company now? —They have three on the Wanganui run. 24. Their head office is in Christchurch ?—Yes. .25. I suppose they bring other cargo to Wanganui as well as your cargo?— Yes. 2G. Do you know how many of those three ships of the Canterbury Steamship Company's go to Foxton I —They do not go at all to my knowledge. 27. The class of goods you get from the South Island are not what you would call deadweight goods —not like coal I —No, all in sacks. 28. Then if the Canterbury Steamship Company's ships or any of them go to Foxton, can «,wu understand how it is that none of your goods come to Foxton ?—I have endeavoured to get the Canterbury Steamship Company to send their boats to Foxton, but they have advised that they would not do so, as they would not risk the loss of time at the Foxton bar and river. lam not aware whether they occasionally come in. They may come in once or twice, but they dodge it as a rule. 29. Does your firm get any goods from Foxton at all?— No. 30. From Wellington ? —No. We import very little from Wellington. 31. When you get goods from Marlborough in the Canterbury Steamship Company's vessels you get them from where? —They go to Wanganui. .'!2. Where do they come from—Picton or Blenheim? —Picton 33 Did you not say before that you got some goods from Wellington by rail all the way? —Yes. 34. Where do they come from? —The South Island. 35. Are those goods conveyed to Wellington by the Canterbury Steamship Company's vessels? Some of them are, and some by the Union Company's boats running to Wellington. 36. From which parts of the South Island? —Southland, Otago, and Canterbury. 37. 1 suppose you cannot give us any idea of the proportions of your importations from the South Island that come from Wanganui, and from Wellington, and then by train, respectively?— 1 could give you an idea. There is 75 per cent, through Wanganui. 38. Supposing you got goods, say, from Southland in the Canterbury Steamship Company's vessels to Wanganui,' what is the freight? —Is. Id. per sack. 39. What does that work out at per ton? —15s. 2d. lam taking such lines as oats, but the other lines vary but slightly. 40. What'ls the lowest? —That would be the lowest —15s. 2d. 41. Going up to what? —All grain would be the same. There is a slight increase in grass-seed. The grass-seed represents the minor part of the importations. 42. What are the charges in Wanganui per ton?— The wharfage is 3s. per ton, 13. Are there any other charges for handling?— No. 11. What is the freight by railway to Palmerston ? — 2d,

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