C—4

116

31. Were you quite satisfied? —Yes. I would not have allowed the men to go into it if it had been otherwise.

32. When did you first hear that there was a fire in the Cardiff Mine ?— -At noon on Sunday, 28th January. 33. Where were you ? —At home in Westport. 34. When did you go out ?—Direct that afternoon, by railway-tricycle. 35. At what time did you arrive at the mine ?—lt would be 7 o'clock when I got to Corby's and had a cup of tea, and about 8 o'clock when I and Mitchell arrived at the mine. 36. Mr. Cottrell] You say you repeatedly inspected the mine from July, 1897, up to the time the mine closed down ? —Yes. 37. Is it not a fact there were sometimes three or four months of an interval between your visits ?—The report-books would give the dates. I always tried to make my visits every two months. I have no fixed time to visit mines, but have to go as opportunity serves. I cannot possibly make a time. 38. Do you remember Mr. Lomas being an underviewer in the Dip section ?—Yes ; I met him occasionally. 39. Was that at the time the fan was up ?—I could not say definitely. 40. Are you aware that when he first went into that section the ventilation was very bad ?—lt was not good until after the stoppings were made perfect. That was some little time after the venti-lation-fan was started. 41. Are you aware that the ventilation was bad after Mr. Lomas left that section ? — I do not remember. I did not think there would be much work done in it. It would be pretty well exhausted then. 42. You do not think the ventilation was bad after Mr. Lomas left ?—I do not think it was. 43. You have heard the evidence given by different miners that they had an idea of when you were going into the mine ?—Yes ; that was only guesswork. 44. Is it not a fact that you told the agent in town when you contemplated visiting the mine ? —Never onee —on oath. 45. And never let Mr. Broome know in any way?—l never notified or advised a manager during my term of service. My visits were not regular. I tried to go according to my work. 46. You say that you did not know Beirne before the time of the Arbitration Court ?—No. The first time was when I knew of that letter. 47. Why did you divulge the contents of that letter to Mr. Bayfeild and Mr. Broome?—I got the letter from the department to reply to. I cannot give any reasons why I showed it. [Letter of Tressman and others, 25th February, 1899, referred to.] I had not shown the letter to any one before I met Mr. Bayfeild in the Cardiff office at Seddonville. 48. You showed Mr. Bayfeild and Mr. Broome the letter ?—I just simply asked Mr. Broome if he would show me the man in the mine. 49. Did you discuss it with them ? —No. 50. Did you not ask them if it contained their signatures ?—I simply asked if those were their signatures. 51. Mr. Broome showed you the men? —Yes. I met the men at their working-faces. Mr. Pratt admitted his signature. Mr. Beirne did not. 52. Do you remember Mr. Broome going up in a threatening attitude to the men ?—Mr. Broome spoke roughly to them. 53. Did he raise his hand in a threatening manner ? —I could not say that. 54. The Chairman.] What did it matter to you whether it was their signature or not ?—I thought it was very aggravating. I know it was an error of judgment. I was annoyed about it. Beirne said he had made a complaint to the department. 55. After that Mr. Broome tried to get an admission from him ?—Yes. 56. He was forcible in his demand ? —He was a little rough. 57. Did not Mr. Bayfeild state, "Why don't you admit your signature at once"?— From memory I could not say that Mr. Bayfeild interfered in any way. 58. Did you not feel at that time that you were divulging the contents of the letter contrary to the intentions of the Act ?—I afterwards realised that I had done wrong. 59. You learned a few days after this that Beirne had been dismissed ? —I learned that in the Arbitration Court. 60. Why did you not take some steps then and there to deny your connection with it ?—I did so; I wrote a letter to that effect. 61. Have you a copy of the letter ?—No. I wrote to the union and also to Mr. Hannan in Greymouth. It seemed that Mr. Beirne intended to prosecute me privately, and I got a letter from Mr. Hannan, and replied emphatically denying that I had had anything to do with Beirne's dismissal. I have copies of my letters in my letter-book. As a result of the letter containing this complaint, Mr. Marshall sent in his resignation and left. And to show that there was no illfeeling against Mr. Marshall in the mine there was a presentation of twenty-one sovereigns made to him before he left. 62. You say you advised Mr. Broome to reinstate Beirne ?—I very forcibly advised him in Westport. I was against him thoroughly for discharging him. 63. Did you say that if Beirne was reinstated he ought to withdraw the charge against you ? —No ; I said it was an error to discharge him. 64. Why did you not go to Tressman as well when going round to get this admission ? — Tressman was not working that day. 65. Do you not think, when the fire first broke out, that it was rather long for you to be away from the mine, from the 29th January to the sth February ? —I could not avoid it. I wired to the