127

C.—4.

98. The Chairman.] Mr. Tennent instructed you to build the dam ?—Yes ;he instructed me to get the timber from the sawmill. 99. Mr. Harden.] He instructed you to build it ?—Yes. 100. And the sort of timber you were to use ?—Yes. 101. And where you were to get the timber from? —Yes. 102. Tell the Commissioners what the instructions were from Mr. Tennent? —I was to cut the chambers out on each side, also to secure a solid bottom, and level the roof so as wedging could be properly done at top —that is, I was to remove any loose stuff lying about, and to level the bottom off to a solid face. I was to get red-pine timber from the mill, 6by6, as far as I remember. I was to put these logs in ends going into the chambers, and to caulk the ends tightly so that no water could get through. 103. How high were you to build them ? —To the roof. 104. How were the logs to be squared at the mill ? —The chambers were to hold them in the ends, and there were to be three props—uprights—to be sunk in the solid rock in the floor, and fixed in the roof so that they could not shift when pressure came. 105. How far was this log wall to be from the stopping?— 6 ft.—that is, on the outer side nearest the entrance —and each log was to be put on so as to be securely packed with clay 6 ft. I may say that I did not know whether Mr. Tennent understood that we were to build all the logs in without cutting. 106. What did he instruct you to do? —I understood that the last two logs were to be joined, and that the middle prop was to be secured and fixed so that the joints of the iast two logs would go against it. When the last log was in there would be a space left between that and the roof, and this was to be properly wedged. There was to be a piece of canvas inside each log to be nailed on covering the joint. On the top of the canvas a4by 1 batten was to be nailed. The ends of the logs were to be properly wedged with wood if there were any openings between them and the rock. 107. How did you get your canvas over your top log? —The last log would not have any canvas over it. The top log was wedged with fitted wedges. The finishing was done with wedges. The pipe was put through to carry the water from the mine. It was put on the right-hand side coming in, about 8 in. or 10 in. above the bottom rock. 108. What sort of a pipe ?—A round pipe. 109. What was the size of the pipe to be ? —They were called 5 in. cast-iron pipes. 110. Were these all the instructions you received from Mr. Tennent in connection with this dam ?—I believe so. 111. The Chairman.] Mr. Tennent gave you all these instructions in connection with the dam ? —Yes. 112. Before Mr. Tennent gave you all these instructions did he ask you whether you were willing to do the work?— Yes; he asked me whether I thought I could carry out the instructions. li 3. What did you say?— That I would endeavour to do my very best, implying that I could carry it out. 114. How were you to be paid for it ? —He told me that they had got £20 to do this work. He said he had got it from the company. He said, "It might not take £20, and it might take more; but, at any rate, you make a good job of it, and you will get paid." If I had spent £60 under this arrangement I should have held Mr. Tennent responsible. 115. Mr. Harden.} Did he say anything as to whom you should employ ?—There was one whom he prohibited. We spoke about Mr. Martin, and he said, "If you let Mr. Martin do it he could do it very quickly, but I would not guarantee he would do it very good." 116. What were you discussing at the time —as to whom you were to get to do the job?—We must have been- discussing Mr. Martin to bring his name in. 117. Did you tell him then whom you would employ ?—Not that I remember. 118. The Chairman.} Was that all he said about Mr. Martin ?—No; I think he said something about Mr. Martin fitting the timber in the other stoppings. He said, from what he had seen of the timber in the stopping, it was very badly fitted. 119. Mr. Harden.] Was that all that was said at that particular time ?—Yes. 120. Did you proceed to construct the dam ?—Within a few days from that time I went to build the dam. 121. Did anything happen in connection with the dam in the meantime?— Not so far as I was concerned. I had not begun the dam. I might have talked about it to a few individuals, and arranged to get some one to do the work; but when I went to do the work I was instructed that they could not go on with the dam. I was stopped from building it. 122. By whom were you stopped?— Mr. Eoland Broome. He sent word that I was not to go on, as he had no authority, and he would not take instructions from the Inspector. 123. Was Mr. Eoland Broome representing the company at this time ?—As far as I knew, he was. I saw him afterwards, and I quite considered I had been appointed to do it as far as Mr. Tennent was concerned. 124. When did you order timber from the mill ? —Before I commenced to do anything about it at all. I went to the mill, and said I wanted timber for the dam, and that the Government would be responsible. 125. When Mr. Tennent left you you said you went to work at the dam a few days afterwards ? —When Mr. Tennent left me I ordered timber from the sawmill. 126. Then you went to the dam and started constructing it ?—Yes. I was only clearing the stuff away from the bottom to see what it was like in order to get a compact place. It was at that stage I was stopped. 127. By whom were you stopped ?—By Mr. Eoland Broome, through Mr. Martin. 128. Mr. Martin must have told you ?—Mr. Martin came and told me that I could not go on