I—lc.

16

[CAPTAIN CLARK

Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon: That is so. My last minute in respect to this was—l cannot find the minute at the moment —to this effect: that the claim was exorbitant, and that I must keep to the Ministerial authority. However, the claim of £277 was reduced to £102 by the claimant, as shown by the voucher that I have handed in. Mr. Barber : Pending a disputed point as to position ? 215. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon : The only other question at issue was the question of rank. Taking this money was not to prejudice Captain Clark's position as captain. To whom did you give that voucher, Captain ?—To Major Smith for signature. 216. Then, if you had received a cheque the next day, so far as this petition is concerned, you would not have been here ?—No. I will tell you before you go further that that was done simply to avoid trouble. Major Smith recommended me to try to get the lower amount. At the time I had an excellent opportunity to go into business, and I agreed to put in the vouchers for the lesser sum, and, of course, I am now petitioning the House for the larger sum. Your questions also led me to say that I had not been offered £4 per week prior to my commencing work for the Department. You then brought forward the vouchers which I had submitted three or four months after the vouchers for the larger amount had been submitted. 217. Was not your answer absolutely contrary to fact after your asking Major Smith to certify to the voucher for £4 a week ?—No ; because my answer covered the period before I was employed by the Government on the rolls. I understood your question to refer to that time. 218. I must leave it to the Committee to decide upon that point?— That is just the trouble. The Committee will be misled by the reply I made. 219. Does it not show that you ought to have made a clean breast of it ? Did you tell the Committee the last time that you were before them that you had offered to take this money ?—No. 220. Why did you not tell them that you had put in a voucher for the £4 a week and were prepared to take it ?—Because it was not paid. 221. The Chairman.] Did you know that under general orders it was necessary to send in vouchers monthly ?—No. 222. Did you not know that as an officer ?—I had never been told it at all till the whole service was completed. 223. Did you know at any time that it was necessary to send in vouchers monthly ?—Not till after my work was completed. 224. Did you send your vouchers in monthly whilst on service in Africa ? —No ; we had a paymaster who did all that for us. 225. But it was done monthly?— Two-monthly. 226. Why did you send in your voucher after the completion of the work with the Ninth ?— Because then, as I explained earlier, I thought I was done. I had finished my work, and was prepared to leave Wellington. 227. Then you were engaged on work for the Seventh for some time ?—Yes. 228. On completion of that why did you not send in your voucher ? —Because before the completion of that I was told I would be wanted to go on with the King's Medals. 229. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones.] Why did you not send in your voucher then—it was just the same position as with regard to the Ninth Contingent ?—Quite so. The work in connection with the King's Medals was rather an awkward affair, and we did not know how long it would take. I thought it might take a week or a fortnight, or perhaps a month, and I might as well keep the voucher, and make the one do for the two services. There was absolutely no object in keeping it back. I was not absolutely requiring the money, and I thought I might just as well let it remain as have it. Thomas Francis Grey, Acting Under-Secretary for Defence, examined. (No. 4.) 230. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] When did you first see this document [authority handed to witness] ?—After I had written to the Commandant asking for the authority for Captain Clark's employment on the King's Medal rolls. 231. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones.] At about what date?—lt was about the 2nd or 3rd March, I think, when I asked. They could not find it at that time. 232. After Captain Clark's account came in ? —Yes. 233. Bt. Hon. E. J. Seddon.] Was that after you received the voucher for £600-odd ?—Yes. 234. When the voucher came in you asked for the authority ?—Yes. 235. And what was produced ?—This document was sent down. 236. Was that the first you ever knew that Captain Clark had been employed in the office ? —Yes. 237. The Chairman.] What date was it when the voucher came in?— The first time it came in was about the 2nd or 3rd March of this year. I wrote a few days later to the Commandant asking for the authority, and that paper was subsequently sent down. 238. The voucher was received by you some time in March ? —Yes. 239. And that was the first intimation you had that Captain Clark was engaged on the work ? —The first official intimation. 240. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] What is the practice in respect to sending in-vouchers? Is there a Treasury order that they must be sent in monthly ?—Yes. 241. Is there a penalty if that is not done?— Yes, I believe there is. Mr. W. H. P. Barber examined. (No. 5.) 242. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] Will you look at these papers, Mr. Barber. Have you ever seen them before ?—No. 243. Quite sure of that?— Not to my knowledge.