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28. Where does this complaint come in about Mr. Tennent, the Government Inspector?— When Mr. Beirne's affair took place we were not going to take any notice of it as a body of workmen. Some time after this there was a complaint made about the danger of the work ; after that bad ventilation took place, and when we took action that was put in amongst the rest. 29. How did you make out a complaint against Mr. Tennent ?—We sent it on to Wellington, thinking that if it was a complaint against Mr. Tennent he had every opportunity of proving that it was wrong. 30. The Chairman.] Supposing that what Mr. Marshall said was true, what complaint had you against Mr. Tennent?—l call it a complaint in this way : that, if Mr. Marshall's statement was true, it would be a complaint against Mr. Tennent for sending letters to the company's officials concerning the grievances of the men. 31. You considered that if the company's officials complained against you for not carrying out your duties, that would be a complaint against Mr. Tennent ?—I thought he had been divulging matters. 32. You found that the purport of your complaint was given to the mine-owners ?—I did not know of any one who wrote letters to Mr. Tennent. They could have been written individually, and not as a body. 33. Do you complain that, when you wrote to the Minister, you found that the contents of your communications were communicated to your employers ?—Yes ; that is just the same thing. In one case it is divulging, and in the other it is intimidating. 34. What meaning did you give to the letter ?—I took it that Mr. Marshall got letters from Mr. Tennent, and that Mr. Tennent divulged these matters to the company. 35. Mr. Cottrell.] Did you understand you were complaining to Wellington about the state of the ventilation ?—Yes. The union had not taken any measures against Mr. Tennent up to January. I took it as a jest when Mr. Pratt asked Mr. Marshall why he did not visit yesterday, but I thought Mr. Marshall was sincere when he replied that Mr. Pratt would hear of it shortly! He meant that when he missed visiting a man's place some one reported the matter, and he heard of it afterwards. 36. Mr. Harden.] Did you ever make a complaint against Mr. Marshall ?—No. 37. Do you know of any others who have ?—No. I know some who would have liked to, but I gave them my advice not to. 38. You say that you only put that other matter in to add to the other complaints, but had no intention of making a complaint about it ?—lt was lying dormant. 39. With regard to the men coming out of the mine for air, can you tell us what wages the men were making at that time ?—About Bs. or 9s. a day, I think. 40. Have you not a union record-book showing what they were making?—No ; but it could be got from the check weigh-book. 41. Mr. Cottrell.} When you went to the secretary of the union you got him to send the complaint on to Wellington ?—Just so. 42. What was your complaint against Mr. Tennent : do you wish to say it was because Mr. Marshall said he would hear of that again shortly?—lt was an admission by Mr. Marshall that when we informed the Inspector of anything Mr. Marshall heard of it through Mr. Tennent again. We thought this because of Mr. Marshall's remark. 43. Did you think Mr. Marshall was giving you a tip not to send letters to Mr. Tennent ? I thought that Mr. Tennent had got letters and had passed them on to Mr. Marshall. 44. Mr. Marshall's remark led you to believe that ?—Yes. 45. Mr. Harden.] What evidence had you of that : you say that no complaints had been made?—No complaints had been made as far as I knew. When Mr. Tennent was chosen as Government Inspector there was one part of his duty he attended to very well—that was, getting the men to sprag their coal well. Through the long continuation of bad ventilation, and of what Mr. Marshall had mentioned re letters from headquarters, and the same being well known to Mr. Tennent, we came to the conclusion that he was not to be trusted. 46. The Chairman.] The union has always been in existence in Mokihinui since the Cardiff Mine started ?—Yes. 47. Mr. Harden.] With regard to the notice that you and Pratt signed, are you aware that Pratt afterwards denied the truth of it ?—I have been told that he denied part of it. 48. This is the letter: " I hereby declare that the statement complained of therein, signed by me, is untrue"?—l did not think it was so plain as that. When these charges were returned by the Mines Department to Mr. Tennent, and he was going round the mine with the charges, in company with Mr. Broome and Mr. Bayfeild, the intimidation was too much for Mr. Beirne to stand. Mr. Foster was with us when Mr. Pratt signed the document. Mr. Foster is at Alexandra. 49. The Chairman.} Was Pratt a member of the union ?—Yes ; and he was well able to read and write. 50. Mr. Cottrell.] The other complaint you made was with reference to ventilation ?—Yes. Francis Beirne, Coal-miner, examined. 1. Mr. Cottrell.] You were working in the Cardiff Mine about December, 1898 ? Yes. 2. What part of the mine were you working in ?—The east dip. 3. What class of work were you doing?—l was stripping a pillar in another man's place. 4. When was that ?—Some time in December, the day the Inspector came. 5. Had you worked there before ?—Yes ; but not on that pillar. 6. That was the first time you went on that particular pillar ?—Yes. 7. What was the state of the roof?—lt did not seem bad; but previous to this I was working higher up where there was a fault.