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MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuesday, 15th June, 1886. (Mr. Ormond, Chairman.) Mr. D. M. Luckie in attendance and examined. 1. The Chairman.] What is your position ?—I am General Manager of the Government Life Insurance Association. 2. Have you brought a schedule of the properties purchased by the association ?—Yes. [Schedule produced.] 3. Over what time does this extend?— The Wellington purchase was the first made. That property was bought before the association was formed. 4. Mr. Stewart.] Can you give us the date when the department was transferred from the Government to the Association ? —On the Ist January, 1885, under the Act of 1884. Prior to that date I was Commissioner under the Government Insurance Act of 1874. 5. The Chairman.] Does this schedule contain the whole of the purchases or investments made by the association in land ?—Yes. 6. This return shows four transactions?— Yes. 7. Well, now, will you take the different transactions in their order, and state to the Committee any particulars you know in respect of each of them. Take the first—the Christchurch property— for what purpose was it bought—as an investment or as a site for offices ? —lt was to be occupied as offices ; that was the intention. It was purchased on the 31st January, 1885. 8. What was the cash paid ?—The cash paid was £5,500 ; the mortgage taken over was £6,250 ; and the expenses were £141 12s. 2d : making a total of £11,891 12s. 2d. 9. You state that this property was bought for building purposes- -for offices of the association ?—Yes; it was purchased for offices of the association. 10. Is the land occupied as offices?—No ; not by us. 11. When is it proposed to occupy it ?—lt was proposed to build on it. There was a proposal made some time ago for the jrarpose of building. It was a proposal to build on a vacant allotment adjacent to Maling and Co. It consists of two properties. One of them belonged to Maling and Co. The price paid to Maling and Co. was £10,250, and that to Mr. Phillips £1,500 net. 12. From whom did the proposal for this purchase come ?—I got instructions from Sir Julius Vogel, in the beginning of December, 1884, to go down to Christchurch and Dunedin. My instructions were, in the first place, to see Mr. Harper, and consider about Maling's place. I may read the rough note of instructions which I got from Sir Julius Vogel at the time I speak of. It is as follows: " See Mr. Harper. (1) Consider about Maling's place. (2) Is the allotment next to it good and worth buying with it ? We shall give it additional value by our going there. (3) Eegarding letting basement, there must be strict covenant against bottling wines and spirits. (4) Query. Bonded store, shall we keep or let ? (5) Query. Union Bank gardens, can they be bought ? (6) Query. It might be well, after seeing all about it and getting place put under offer, to go on to Dunedin and communicate with me. (7) Can you pay off the £6,250 mortgage ? " 13. What was that instruction founded upon ?—Some communications which Sir Julius Vogel had had when he was down in Christchurch, I thmk. 14. Are there any letters explanatory of the commencement of those transactions?— Yes. An offer was sent from Christchurch, and also a letter from Dunedin. • 15. We are not dealing with the Dunedin purchase?—No ; but the two things come together. 16. Mr. Levestam.] Were the Dunedin and Christchurch properties bought at the same time? —No ; the Dunedin property was bought first. 17. The Chairman.] What we want you to do is to read the communications which you have relating to the commencement of the negotiations for the purchase of the Christchurch property ?— The first is a letter to Sir Julius Vogel, dated the 12th December, 1884, from J. T. Bell, Cathedral Square, Christchurch. It is as follows : — Sic, — Cathedral Square, Christchurch, 12th December, 1884. Being informed of your wish to obtain, for tho accommodation of the Insurance Department, offices in Christchurch which will be creditable both for outward and inward appearance, and convenience combined, with

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