H.—9a

30

Eobinson and Clarke about the money for the cattle. I was present when the agreement for the cattle was signed. Ido not know whether the tender for the contract was accepted then. I did not hear any conversation about money, except that Eobinson asked Clarke to buy cattle, or he would be a bankrupt. I believe this occurred before the taking of the contract. James Nightingale sworn and examined. lam late overseer of the works here, and still residing here. I remember a school contract let to Clarke and Beveridge, and a saw-mill site contract let to Clarke and Zielian. I was Chairman of the School Committee. I spoke to Mr. Clarke once about an arrangement of the payment of the moneys for the two contracts. Clarke asked if I would be in a position to pay him the whole amount due to him when the school contract was completed. I said, " What do you think Mr. Macfarlane will say to that ? I don't see how I can run my head against him if he says I am to pay a certain amount into the store." As I was going away I said, "I will see what can be done about that." Clarke said, " Never mind about the ' boss ;' he shall have the whole of the next I earn." I reported this to Mr. Macfarlane. That was all that passed between me and Clarke. I paid the whole amount for the school contract to Mr. Eobinson under an order signed by Mr. Clarke in Mr. Eobinson's favour. With regard to a contract for £32 for saw-mill site, I was coming from the Okuru, I think, on the 26th of January, and called in to see if the saw-mill site was done according to specification. I told Clarke and Zielian to come in and sign the voucher when they had finished. The steamer "Maori" was due next day. Clarke called to me as I went away, and told me to sign the voucher for him. I signed the voucher for Clarke on this authority, and when I mentioned it to Clarke afterwards he said he had no recollection of telling me to sign the voucher. I frequently signed vouchers on behalf of persons without written authority, but I generally put my initials. I have often done it for settlers in their own presence. I think Zielian was present when Clarke told me to sign the voucher. I was present a few days before the saw-mill site was completed. I think Clarke said he hoped Mr. Macfarlane would not stop all the money. I remember the school site contract at Arawata. Ido not know that the vouchers were sent up monthly to be signed. I heard that the saw-mill site contract was to be completed in December. On the 23rd of December I saw the saw-mill site. I have an entry in my pocket-book on that date that the saw-mill site was nearly completed, only ten large trees to be felled. Ido not remember signing any other voucher for Mr. Clarke. I knew Clarke was about, but I signed the voucher because the steamer came in the next day. Besides the ten large trees mentioned in the saw-mill contract the creek had to be cleared out and the bush cut. Eobert M. Crawford sworn and examined. lam a settler at Arawata Flat. lam a carpenter and plumber. I was asked by Franz Max to go and look at a house in Smoothwater. Mr. Max asked me to go and look at the house, to see if it was finished. I went to Mr. Macfarlane's office, and told him I was going out, and asked him for a copy of the specifications. I went and examined the house, aud the complaints I had to make of the house I wrote down on paper. I read the paper to Mr. Macfarlane when I returned, but Ido not know what became of it. The faults were, I thought, the shingling of the roof was bad, and there were not sufficient battens to the roof. The angle braces were very badly put on ; some of them cut off on a level with the floor, instead of going to the bottom plate. The weather-boards in one gable were badly nailed. I think that was about the sum of the complaints. I made no estimate of cost. The specification I had did not apply to the house that I examined. The boards were put on in a different way, and the house was a different size. I made no estimate of the value of the house. I may have said that when the trees were cleared the house would be very shaky. I did not sign the petition. I complain that the land in the Arawata Flat is not what it was represented in Mr. Mueller's report in 1874. It is not agricultural land as it was represented, in my opinion. I have not had the amount of work promised during the first two years of the settlement. I did ask for work once and was refused. I came in one of the first steamers to the settlement. For the first year I had 107 days' work; for the second, 92 days 1 hour's work. I received, in 1875, £78 7s. 9d.; in 1876, £56 10s.; in 1877, £27 6s. 6d. ; and in 1878, £17 ss. I complain of work being given to Mr. Nesbit, as a carpenter for the Eesident Agent's house, and Mr. Turnley as a clerk. I complain of the price of the goods in the Government store. During March, 1877, shot was sold at the Government store for Is. In Hokitika it was selling at Bd. on the 22nd of March. Cross-cut saws and pit-saws came down in October, 1875, and January, 1876. The cross-cut saw was sold at 4s. per foot, when selling at Hokitika at 3s. 6d. retail. The pit-saw was sold here at ss. per foot; at Hokitika it was 4s. per foot or under at the same time. The Government reports are misleading as to work done by settlers on their own sections. In the Government reports settlers' work is valued at a very high rate on their own sections, and at a very low rate for Government work. The price of goods was so high that it was almost impossible to keep out of debt. I had no money to go elsewhere for stores or send to Dunedin. I paid my rent with cash, and got a receipt for it. I once asked Mr. Macfarlane for wages coming to me for work done, and he said it must go to my credit. I had money the first year, but I did not send from the settlement for my provisions, &c. Cross-cut saws were being tendered for in Hokitika for the gaol and lunatic asylum for 2s. 6d., when they were being charged 4s. per foot for here ; but Ido not know the quality of the saws. About the beginning of June, 1875, I was appointed Postmaster for Jackson's Bay. Sometimes Mr. Macfarlane would come for stamps without cash, and I would enter them in a small book I had against him. One time I presented him an account for 10s. for stamps; the next time I heard anything about it was to see it placed to my credit in my store-book. I did not owe Mr. Macfarlane any private account at that time. I asked for the money, and was told I owed too much. I said I could give no more stamps unless I was paid for them. There is an item of 7s. in October. I objected to that. Moneys due to me were carried forward to credit when there was a balance owing to me. I did not apply for it. I sold boots at one time in this place at £1 lis. 6d. I received them from the same bootmaker as Mr. Macfarlane dealt with in Hokitika, Archibald Little. I expected cash for boots sold or an order on Mr. Macfarlane. Some came to me for boots and paid cash for them. From some I got an order on Mr. Macfarlane, which he paid. I was unable to keep on selling boots from want of customers, as they preferred to have them booked by Mr. Macfarlane to paying me. I gave up the trade. When