1.—5

88

2103. Mr. Meredith did dip, I believe ?—Yes. 2104. The others did not, I believe?— The others did dip—Mr. Moore, I think, and Mr. Hitchens did, but others did not. 2105. Inspector Valance superintended the. dipping ?—No ; he happened to arrive at the station when they were dipping. He says he may have been there at the time, but he did not supervise the dipping. The Waironga Station people owned some of the sheep. Inspector Valance came up to Adams Peak. There was a flock of ewes, but there were a few wethers. They picked out these, and some of those might have been there. 2106. He held a clean certificate for these sheep at the time ? —Yes. 2107. What was your objection to giving a permit for moving them?— Because they had not been inspected and dipped under section 29. 2108. Then, a portion of the run was infected ?—No; you see they had a clean certificate, but three months after obtaining the certificate they must be dipped. 2109. Then, a permit was absolutely necessary?— Yes, certainly. 2110. You refused to give him a certificate on the ground that he had not applied under section 29 ?—He never applied to me for a permit. I met the sheep, inspected them, asked for the permit, and laid an information straight. 2111. He states in the petition that Inspector Valance superintended the dipping of a portion of the sheep. They had made application for a permit to move them, but apparently had not obtained a certificate ? —No ; that is false. There were some other sheep inspected to go away, but we knew nothing about these going away. 2112. This was a permit to move sheep from Waironga to the Biversdale Bun he applied for ?— No ; there were sheep to be moved from the Biversdale Bun, but he did not apply for it. They were removed from the Biversdale yards. 2113. Did Mr. Meredith apply for a permit to remove sheep to the Waironga Station from the Biversdale Bun ?—Yes ; he has done so. 2114. Was that permit granted?— Yes. I think before that occasion there were two flocks, and both were granted permits. That was after I took charge. There was one lot that I sent Valance down to see. They were dipped at Waironga and taken off. Another lot were dipped at Biversdale. 2115. There seems to be some confusion about this?—l am certain it is as I have stated. Knight went down and brought them up. 2116. Did you order Mr. Meredith to brand those sheep with the S?—Yes; that was before I went to the Court. 2117. He declined to do so ?—Yes; and I took him to Court. 2118. What was the result ?—The case was dismissed. 2119. And did you give a permit afterwards ? —Afterwards I had to do so. 2120. On what ground was the case dismissed?—On the ground that it was proved in Court to be a separate run. Indeed, I may say, Mr. Sutton went dead against me. I cancelled the certificate of all the sheep that I considered Mr. Meredith owned-—that is, including both properties, Waironga and Biversdale — and gave instructions to have all these sheep branded S. I saw most of them branded before I left, except the Waironga sheep, which I did not see. It was some little time before I went down there again. I then saw some of the sheep were not branded, and then gave him fresh notice. I said that I should be back on such and such a day; if those sheep were not branded, or if I was not satisfied with the steps taken, that I should lay a fresh information. This I did. They had Mr. Sutton as a witness, and he said that he did not include the Waironga sheep in his quarterly returns. 2121. You mean as infected?— Yes. He had only included the Biversdale Bun. I considered it was all one homestead; but they proved to the satisfaction of the Besident Magistrate that they were two runs. 2122. That is the ground on which the case was dismissed—that it was a separate run? —Yes. At the time Mr. Sutton said he did not include it, I asked Mr. Bunny to ask him how he got the notice, and he said he might have put it down in mistake. That is how we were floored. Mr. Sutton had charge of the district at the time. 2123. Then, you say you had to give a permit?— Yes ; and I did so. 2124. Did you see these sheep dipped ?—Yes; I sent down Inspector Valance to see them dipped. 2125. And he signed the permit?—No; I signed it. 2126. What are the terms of the permit ?—I told you how it was arranged: he had to go through the infected run. 2127. Ido not want to press you unfairly. Under what section is it?— The 29th section. 2128. He states that the permit was filled up by Inspector Valance, and sent by your knowledge ; and that the permit consists of a declaration that you had actually seen those sheep dipped to your own satisfaction?—l may explain that matter. In the 46th section it says, "The Inspector in charge," and I thought the two would do for one. We have no other forms. They had to travel through Biversdale to Kohiwai, which are infected runs. 2129. I only want to draw your attention to this point: You say that statement was correct, and that you signed the forms?— Yes; at the same time I saw the sheep several times before this. The only thing is, I did not see them dipped. 2130. You think you were^right in signing the permit you did ?—I think so, under the 46th section, combining the two together ; that is why I did combine them. 2131. You refused a clean certificate to Mr. Meredith on account of certain sheep at Biversdale, I think, and when you inspected them you could not detect any scab in them, but you withheld your certificate :is that so ?—I do not think so. 2132. Do you remember examining his sheep at Biversdale on the Bth October, 1883?— Yes.