A Few More Days.

Here are a few more days:—On Saturday, nth March, the minutes record that the Commission left Arrowtown at 9.30, and, travelling by the Cardrona Valley, reached Pembroke at 6 p.m. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and five witnesses were heard. One of these gentlemen was a storekeeper, another a Crown tenant, and a third, of course, the Crown Lands Ranger. Probably their evidence might have been obtained at a less cost than £20 each, but then, as leaseholders, they were worth going some distance after.

On Friday, 24th March, the minutes say that the Commission visited Tapanui Forest Nursery. They had a very enjoyable morning, and incidentally asked a few questions of the officials. Then the afternoon was spent in a pleasant drive back to Lawrence. The visit cost the country about £100, but of course it was cheap at the price, even though the Department can always get full information about the State nurseries.

On Friday, 7th April, they sat at Pleasant Point, and again, according to the minutes, no witnesses presenting themselves the Commission adjourned and left for Timaru.

On 13th April they were at Rakaia. The Press report states:—"At Rakaia another peculiar incident occurred. Though no page 25 meeting was advertised for this place, it was suddenly decided that one should be held, and a Crown Lands Ranger was despatched to a neighbouring settlement on a sort of a skirmishing expedition, to hunt up evidence." Then the Commission waited for a long time in silence. Here is a further extract from the report. "After another somewhat painful silence, Mr. Hall asked if the Ranger was present. The Chairman said he thought he was outside. Mr. Hall suggested that he should be brought in to give evidence. Members of the Commission, 'No, No.' The Chairman, 'Oh, do you think not? All right.' Finally two members of the Commission 'cleared out,' and three witnesses having put in a tardy appearance the Commission rose."

Later on they got up to the Bay of Islands, and the following extract from the Auckland Herald is interesting. "The Land Commission, like the commercial tourist, is combining pleasure with business. When it was at Opua, the majority of the Commissioners, lam told, went off to Russell to admire the beauties of that historic bay, leaving the rest to hear the evidence of the witnesses who were in attendance. Perhaps the unvarying tale of the freehold was growing too monotonous for them."

And here is another extract from that paper:—" As the Commission had to open at Hukerenui on Friday, they left a little after four o'clock for Kawakawa. As they moved off, the settlers looking on were saying that although the Commissioners had had a good look at the North, the cost of the expedition, if spent on the roads, would have given more satisfaction."

A telegram to the New Zealand Times, Wellington, from Pahiatua on June 10th, ran as follows:—" Originally it was the intention of the Land Commission to take evidence at Pongoroa (about 40 miles for Pahiatua) but owing to reports about the impassable state of the so-called roads leading to the settlement received by the Chairman, it was decided to cancel the fixture, and ask the settlers to cm to this town, and state their grievances. The Commission did not mind travelling a long way to get leasehold evidence in the South, but when they came to a little mud in the North, they 'funked it,' and asked settlers to come to them to state their freehold grievance."