15

I.—lo.

CAPTAIN CLARK.]

183. When you finished that work you sent a voucher to Colonel Abbott for £40 12s. 6d. ?— Yes. 184. And the money was paid ? —Yes. 185. What occurred next ?—I was instructed to proceed with making out the discharges for the Seventh Contingent by Major Smith. 186. Have you any recollection of the date of that ?—About the 11th or 12th September, speaking from memory —that is near the date, at any rate. 187. How long were you engaged on that?— For about twenty-five days, I think —till the 4th October. 188. Did you send in a voucher for that ? —No, not at that time. 189. When did you send in a voucher for that?—On the Ist, March, 1903. 190. You were preparing rolls for medals and clasps, and so on : who gave you instructions to do that?— Major Smith. 191. What occurred at the time? Where did you receive those instructions? —At the headquarters office. 192. How did he give you his instructions—in writing or orally ?—Orally. 193. There were no written instructions? —No. 194. You did not raise any question as to pay ?—None whatever. 195. Did he make any statement as to pay ?—None whatever. 196. Then you went on ? —I went on. 197. Why did you not put in your vouchers monthly, as you had done at the end of the first month ?—ln the first place, the voucher was not put in monthly; it was put in on the completion of the work. It happened about the middle of the month, and then I understood that my work was done. I had come back with the Ninth, and had finished my work, and I was to leave Wellington. Then, immediately the voucher had been put in, I was told to go on with this work. 193. The reason you put in the voucher was because the work was completed ?—Yes. 199. You said you finished the work in respect to the discharges for the Seventh Contingent on the 25th September ?—The 3rd October. 200. You finished that work on the 3rd October : why did you not put in your voucher for it then, as you said the reason why you put in the voucher for the other was because you had finished the work ? —I was told just before I finished the work for the Seventh that they wanted me to carry on the King's Medal rolls. 201. But you had finished the work for the Seventh ?—I had. 202. And you put no voucher in ?—Not till the expiration of the time—2Bth February, 1903. 203. You say that you did not know anything about the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones giving any instructions or orders for employment for three months at £4 a week ? When did you first know that? —I did not know anything at the time. The first I knew of it was about three months after the vouchers had been submitted, when the question of pay was raised ; that was my first knowledge of that authority. It would be about June of this year. 204. Then, if the Government had offered you £4 a week for the full period would you have accepted it ?—No. 205. Did you never say that you would accept it ?—No; it was not offered to me. 206. But you never said that you would accept it ?—I had no occasion to. Nobody asked me to say so. 207. You would have positively refused it?—l would. 208. You never said to Major Smith or to Mr. Grey, or to any other person, that you would accept it ?—No. 209. I suppose you know your own writing?— Yes, sir. 210. Is this your signature on this document [Document shown to witness] ?—That is my signature. 211. I will read the document for you : " (A.) September 12 to October 7, 1902 —To making out discharge certificates of Seventh New Zealand Contingent, both days inclusive—26 days at lieutenant's rate, 15s. per day, £19 10s.; October 8, 1902, to February 28, 1903—T0 preparing King's Medal rolls under orders of C.5.0., and by authority of the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones, Acting Minister of Defence, both days inclusive —20 weeks 4 days, at £4 per week, £82 13s. 4d. : total, £102 3s. 4d. (The question of my rank of captain being still under discussion, the lower rank is hereby claimed for without prejudice to any subsequent claim for difference in rank for period marked (A.)." It is certified by Major Smith, on the 23rd June, 1903, that the service had been performed. You say that is your signature?— Yes. 212. In the face of that voucher, I ask you, as an officer, why did you make that statement to the Committee —that you had not offered in any way to take the money ?—I made that statement to the Committee, acting on the supposition that your question referred to a time prior to my being employed on the work ; and I repeat it. 213. I asked you a plain, straightforward question : had you either orally or in any other way offered to take £4 a week in accordance with the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones's authority?— Quite so, and I say again what I said then. 214. is your voucher? —That was submitted some months after the work was done. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon : The only difference between Captain Clark and the Government, gentlemen, after the receipt of this voucher, was as to whether he should receive three months' pay or for the full period. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones : At the £4 a week ? Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon: Yes; that was the only point in dispute on receipt of these vouchers. [Vouchers handed in.] Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones : The item marked " A " on the voucher refers, I presume, to Captain Clark's work on the contingent, and has nothing to do with the charge of £4 a week ?