COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

E.—No. 6,

5

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Mr. Macandrew in attendance, and examined. (References from Mr. Macandrew to the Colonial Treasurer, relative to the claim of a refund of £13,000 paid for Dr. Hector's Geological Survey of the Province of Otago, having been read), 1. Mr. Hall.] What is the amount of your claim? —About £13,000. I think that is rather over the actual expenditure. 2. Have you got an account of this expenditure ? —I cannot produce the account. I have not got it with me. 3. Is it in Wellington ?—No ; I have not got the full particulars. I have got an account in round numbers. 4. Chairman.'] You cannot give us any of the items ? —I have not got an account of all the items. 5. Could they be telegraphed for ? —Yes ; I can telegraph for them. I telegraphed for the gross amount. 6. Mr. Hall.] Can you, at the present time, give the Committee any idea as to how this £13,000 was expended. It seems a large sum? —There is Dr. Hector's salary. 7. That is £700 ? —Yes, I think it is. There were also the expenses of his outfit. 8. Chairman.] There were also his assistant's ? —Yes ; himself and his assistant were brought out from home. There is also his trip to the West Coast. He had a vessel at his disposal, Ido not know for how many months. 9. Mr. Hall.'] The salary of Dr. Hector, I think, is here (referring to a document) put down at £800 ? —Yes ; and I think his assistant's was £300 ; but I think it would be better that I should furnish a full account. 10. The period of his agreement was for three years ? —I think it was fully three years. 11. Not more ? —Not more. 12. When did he come here? —In December, 1861, I think. 13. Chairman.] He came to Wellington in 18G5 ? —Well, he must have been over three years. 14. Mr. Hall.] Then there was his outfit ?—Yes. 15. Chairman.] He had a schooner, you say, on the West Coast ? —That would be a very material amount, as he was accompanied by I do not know how many men, tents, and horses, and you can easily Bee how the amount would run up, especially paying men, in those days, 12s. and 14s. a day for wages. 10. Mr. Hall.] Did I understand you to pay for the expedition as part of the Geological Survey ? — I consider it was part of the Geological Survey. 17. Was it not rather an exploring expedition? —It was with a view of ascertaining the geological resources of the country. 18. Has Dr. Hector furnished a report of that expedition ? —There is a report of his journey, but do geological report that I am aware of. 19. Could you give the Committee some idea of what Dr. Hector has done for this £13,000 ? — Well, nearly the principal portion of the work he has done consists of a very valuable collection of minerals. 20. Where are they ?—-Thoy are in the Museum of Otago. Of course there arc duplicates of them here, in this Museum. 21. Mr. Stevens.] Is it not a fact, as I apprehend, that Dr. Hector's field book would show that he did more work than collecting minerals, —that there were other results ? —The practical proof of the value of what he has done may be found in the circumstance that the Provincial Government of Otago is now in treaty with the Government of Victoria for a geologist to come down and complete the survey. The Provincial Government is now contemplating an expenditure of £2,000 for the purpose of completing what Dr. Hector undertook to do by this agreement, 22. Chairman.] For completing the survey ? —For reporting, in fact. 23. The Committee understand this, that the Province of Otago considers the work already done, although incomplete, so valuable, that they are desirous of having it completed by some other means ?— I do not know that Dr. Hector's work would be of any value to this geologist who is coming over. 24. If done well so far, then you cannot but attach a value to it, and think it would be well to expend more money to complete it? —I think that Dr. Hector's services would be of some avail. 25. Mr. Hall.] Who is the geologist you are about employing ? —Mr. Ulrich, who is very highly spoken of in Mr. Brough Smythe's excellent work on the gold mines of Victoria. 26. What position does he occupy ?—He is on the Geological Staff of Victoria. If you refer to Mr. Smythe's valuable work, you will find him very highly spoken of. If I had known what you wanted, I would have put my evidence in writing. 27. What we want to ask you is, can you tell what Dr. Hector has furnished in the way of reports? —No, I cannot tell. All I can tell is, that there is no official report in the terms of the agreement,—no report of any practical utility, so far as a geological knowledge of the Province is concerned. It is with a view of procuring such a report we are going into the expenditure. 28. Are you in a position to say that ? —That is my opinion: you will get plenty of evidence to the same effect. I would suggest that you should call more witnesses who would be better able to speak from a geological point of view than I can. The Hon. Captain Fraser is, I believe, a geologist, and he can give evidence on the subject. 2