H.—9a

28

get it out of the cheque coming from the School Committee. I told him that in that case he and Mr. Nightingale could square it between them. Mr. Macfarlane never told me at the time I was working at the contract that I could not have stores unless I paid for them out of contract money. I never said that I wanted the cow very bad, and would pay for stores out of the next money I got. I never said anything about my store account. Clarke said my name was signed on the voucher, and that he signed it. It was not a Government voucher. I have no complaint to make on this charge. I never saw an order addressed to Mr. Marks. I only know of one instance when Clarke signed for £24. The contract was for the wharf, taken about April, 1877. The amount was £25 odd. I signed a voucher for £8. Then extras came to about £1 for each man. I signed for £8. Clarke signed for £24. I cannot say if it was on the same voucher. Mr. Macfarlane told me one day to sign for the extras, but not to mind about the £24, for Clarke would sign for that. I believe Dwan signed as well, but I did not see him do so. I cannot say that I saw any amounts bracketed together on the voucher. I believe I signed first. Mr. Nightingale took the signatures. It struck me as I was coming in afterwards, and I mentioned it to Clarke. He told me he signed for the £24. It was one day in the office when I was doing some business with Mr. Macfarlane that he told me I could sign for the extras, aud not to mind for the £24. Clarke signed for the £24 for the final settlement. Clarke signed the voucher in my house. I saw him sign it. I signed on the same voucher, I believe. I signed for the sum of £8. I got the £8 from Mr. Macfarlane in cash. I got at the same time my share of the extras. I signed for some other sums at the same time —one for two and a half days on the Arawata Eoad. I signed for a sum of Bs. also. I might have mistaken the Bs. for £8. I would withdraw my previous statement with regard to the £8. That is the only instance I have to bring under this head. I have no other complaints. I cannot remain, my family is too large. I have only my section at the Arawata. I cannot get work to support my family. lam out of employ now. If I had work I would stop. I made about £1 a week for three months. I scarcely think the statements I have made justify me in signing the petition. I signed the petition for my son. He is about eighteen years old. He is here. My son applied for a rural section. I w-ent home one night. I believe Mr. Macfarlane was at the saw-mill the same day. I went home and told my wife that I thought Mr. Macfarlane looked very bad. She began to blow me up for the men signing and annoying the man, and then Doherty came in and told me that he had rather it had not been got up at all. I told him the best thing he could do would be to go to Mr Macfarlane and withdraw it. All he told me was he would ask Mr. Macfarlane to give fairplay to all hands. Bartholomew Doherty recalled. I find on reference to my pass-book that beef from Murdoch has been entered in it. It would cost me 2s. 6d. to bring a single pair of boots from Hokitika. I did not give any instructions to any one to copy the petition. I signed it. I believe to the best of my belief it was in the handwriting of Mr. Adams, the schoolmaster. I did not instruct him to write it. When I got the notice to leave the mill it was generally talked of that the mill had changed hands, and that Mr. Nicholson had rented it. When I was dismissed I understood it was through Mr. Macfarlane. I tendered for Mr. Nicholson's contract for logging up before our contract had expired. I did not then understand that the mill had changed hands. When I sent in thenncr tender I thought Mr. Macfarlane's relation to the mill was the same as before. My first tender was accepted by Mr. Macfarlane for Is. 6d. Patrick Dwan sworn and examined. lam working at the Haast. I signed the petition. I remember a transaction in 1877 about a Government cheque. Some time in 1877 I found Mr. Doherty had a cheque for £10 from Mr. Adams for work. He spoke to Mr. Macfarlane about it in my presence. The cheque required Mr. Macfarlane's counter-signature. He asked if he could have the cheque to help to buy a cow. Mr. Macfarlane said he could not let him have the cheque ; he was too much in debt for stores. Mr. Macfarlane asked him if he had not a bullock he could kill. He said " Yes." Mr. Macfarlane asked him how much the bullock would fetch. Doherty said about £12. Then Doherty asked Mr. Macfarlane if he would make the balance good of the price of the cow —viz., £17 —if he killed the bullock. Mr. Macfarlane said " Yes." This was the first time we spoke to Mr. Macfarlane on the subject in the office, but before this we had met him, and very much the same conversation had taken place, but I heard no conditions mentioned. I think Doherty had then only one cow and the bullock. I had no cows. I had at the same time a chequo for a similar amount. I asked to be allowed to keep the cheque, and Mr. Macfarlane allowed me to keep it on account of my family, and having lately lost a cow. I got my stores at the time from the Government store. I signed the petition. Ido not think the money was expended to the advantage of the settlers. I think it would have been better spent in drainage, with narrower road or tracks. Eight-feet tracks would have been sufficient instead of fifteen. I know of my own knowledge of no cases under this charge. I signed the petition without knowing anything about this charge. I never received any order on Mr. Marks. I have been kept waiting for my money, i.e., I have had to take out stores before I got my money. I have been delayed perhaps for a week or ten days in getting money for work done. At the latter end of the month there was supposed to be a payday. My name was in the voucher for work done. We generally signed the vouchers at the latter end of the month. Generally I was paid the money due to me. On one or two occasions Mr. Macfarlane said he had no money, and I had to wait perhaps a fortnight or three weeks. At the end of the interval I received my money. Mr. Marks gave goods without any order on credit. If I had had money I could have got flour and groceries from Mr. Murdoch. I did not ask for credit. I have had a week's credit from Mr. Murdoch at times. I was working on the wharf coutract with Clarke and Beveridge. Clarke told me he signed for £24. Beveridge told me he signed for £8. I signed a voucher also for that month. I told Clarke I had signed a voucher, but Ido not remember the amount. It may have been for £2 Bs. Ido not remember signing for extras. The £2 Bs. may have been for road work. I did not fully understand the full bearing of the charges in the petition when I signed it. Callery and Dwan brought it to me to sign. I was also at a meeting when the matter w ras discussed. I think Murdoch and Doherty wrote the draft of the petition. I have to complain of the management