15

I.—lb

185. The Chairman.] Then you were to do certain work? —Sir Eobert Stout offered it to me for either £75 or £100 for the first year, only that I must put the line to the satisfaction of the Bailway authorities. 186. Mr. Lake.] Was there any sum mentioned? —No. 187. The Chairman.l Did you tell Sir Eobert Stout that the line was your property?— Yes; until my claims were paid.. The railway line and mine were always wrought as one concern. The men were all shifted, with the exception of Mr. Hamill, from the mine to the line. 188. I want to ask you how it was that when you found that money was required for paying the men's wages, you did. not send in an account or go to Sir Bobert Stout, as principal in the mine, and give him a statement, and ask him for the payment of a certain amount including your own wages ?—I did that. He said he would give Mr. Logan money to pay the wages. 189. Mr. Macgregor.] You say that, as far as you remember, you did give these promissory notes for £120 and £80 mentioned in this agreement with Sir Bobert Stout. Were you ever asked to pay them ?—No. 190. Was it ever attempted to set them off against your wages ? —No. 191. And you say that since the Bailway Commissioners have taken possession of the line they have spent some hundreds of pounds on it ? —Yes. 192. They are now running trucks on the line, under the arrangement with you to work the coal-mine, which you are now occupying and working as your own ?—Yes. 193. Since you gave the promissory notes of £120 and £80, have you drawn wages from the owners of the mine ?—Yes. 194. Notwithstanding the fact that you have given the promissory notes ?—Yes. 195. Who did the money come from?— From Sir Bobert Stout, through Mr. Logan. [Sir Bobert Stout here said that he admitted Gray was a wages-man. He understood he drew his wages with the rest of the men.] 196. Mr. Moore (to Sir Bobert Stout).] Who did he draw his wages from? Sir Bobert Stout: He took it out of the concern. . 197. Mr. Gray (to Sir Bobert Stout).] Do you remember reducing my wages through Mr. Logan ? Sir Bobert Stout: I know nothing about your wages. Mr. Gray : Well, they reduced my wages and Hamill's too, and they would not let us away. 198. Mr. Earnshaw.] I would like to know, Mr. Gray, how much in wages was due to you when the agreement was signed ? —£lol 13s. 4d. 199. Why have you not sued Sir Bobert Stout for this sum in the Court ?—He transferred the place over to me as security for these wages. 200. You surrendered your right for the giving over this mine to you ? —No. I was told by Sir Eobert Stout that if I did not get this mine transferred to my name I would lose the whole of my wages, and the wages of the other men as well. 201. Hon. Sir B. Stout.] Where did the interview take place, and when?—lt took place in the coal office, previous to Mr. Logan's bankruptcy. 202. Before February, 1889 ?—Yes. 203. Would you be surprised to find out that I was not in Dunedin at the time that that agreement was signed ? —ln town, No. But Mr. Macdonald drew up the agreement; and he advised me to go through the Bankruptcy Court, after you and he had got the place into as much debt as you could. This is what opened my eyes to your plans. 203 a. Mr. Earnshaio.] Do you still claim wages against Sir Bobert Stout even in the face of the agreement ?—Yes. 204. Then, why have you not sued him for it ?—I hold the mine ; I want him to sue me. 205. If you did not surrender your right to wages by this agreement, how is it you gave over the property to Sir Bobert Stout ? —I gave nothing; I got it as security. 206. What wages were due to you ?—£lol. 207. For that £101 you have got this mine and railway?—l have got the railway and mine. They put these in my name for the wages, and they never intended to pay my wages. It was intended to swindle me, and all connected with it. Sir Eobert Stout pushed the other men to "pull" me for their wages. I have got a letter down in Dunedin from Hamill, stating that he had met Sir Bobert Stout in Wellington, and he (Sir E. Stout) advised him to " pull " me for the wages, and he would give him all the assistance in his power. 208. What are these promissory notes for £80 and £100? —They are dummy promissory notes, never intended to be paid. 209. Mr. E. M. Smith.] What is the output of the mine ? —The Eailway Department drove the trade away by lifting the rails. I have got to send my coal away and get a very small price for it, in order to keep up the number of trucks that the traffic-manager says I must send, or pay a fine of about £6 per week. 210. The Chairman.] What is the output for the mine ?—About 20 to 25 tons a day. 211. Mr. E. M. Smith.] Is the mine now paying royalty, your wages, and a profit ?—Yes. 212. What is it paying?— About £12 a week for the railway, and about £12 a month to Andrew. 213. No profit over that ?—lt leaves me about £3 10s. a week wages, more or less. The trade has been driven away. 214. Providing this railway was handed over to the Commissioners, as it is proposed, in what position would that put you in ? Would that allow you to work the mine profitably ?—Yes; it will allow me to work the mine profitably, and pay the Commissioners as well. 215. What was your main reason for objecting to pay £100 a year ?—My objection was this :. If I had met Sir Bobert Stout in his offer I would be losing any chance I had of demanding what was owing to me. I did not want to have anything to do with it, except to hold it as I got it.