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172. The company actually gives a free grant to the Medical Association of £100: is not that the position ? —Yes, at each place. 173. This can be stopped at any time the company likes; there is no obligation to pay this on the part of the company, is there ?—No. 174. Is it also a fact that the Westport Coal Company provides certain comforts for the men, such as billiards ?—Yes, at Denniston. 175. The company contributes very liberally towards the men's library, and so on ? —Yes. 176. As to the rest of this £400, you say there is a house ?—Yes, for the doctor at Granity. There is a house for the doctor at Denniston, but that house really belongs to the men. Let me tell you, though, that it was a bare place, and the company went to the expense of adding two or three more rooms. The men still have the ownership of that place, but the company made alterations and additions to it so as to make it comfortable for the doctor. 177. From the way in which you put it at first I should think that any one hearing your evidence would understand that the company found the whole of the £400 at Denniston ?—lt is £400 at the two places. 178. You say that there is a groom and a horse provided for the doctor. Of course, that is included in the £400?— Exactly. 179. Does the groom do anything else but attend to the doctor ?—Yes, he works in the mine, but he is at the call of the doctor, to put his horse in. 180. Does the horse do anything else, or is it kept specially for the doctor's use ? —lt does nothing else but take the doctor about at our place. The horse at Denniston may be engaged in other work, but I cannot say. I know that the doctor at Denniston can get any horse he likes if he goes to the stables. 181. There is no special horse for the doctor, is there ?—Yes, I think there is at Denniston; and I am quite certain there is at our place. 182. Always?— Yes. 183. You say that we should be penalising the men by compelling them to pay the doctor? —Yes. 184. And also that we should be taking away the liberty of the working-man ?—Yes. 185. Do you know whether it is their own wish that we should do that ?—I cannot tell you anything about that. 186. Do you know whether they petitioned Parliament in favour of it being done?—l do not know. 187. You do not know whether your own men, or the men working under the manager at Millerton and Denniston, have actually petitioned this House?—ln a word, I knew nothing about the Bill until a week ago, when a copy was sent down to me. 188. Would you not know something of what was going on in your own district? Suppose there is a petition signed by a thousand men in that district asking for that to be done, would that surprise you ?—No, but I have never heard of it. 189. With reference to the $-d. a ton: did not your company always collect this Jd. before ? I cannot tell you what was done before I came; but I know that this Jd. a ton is paid into the bank at Westport by our agent there 190. And kept from the men ? —And placed to the credit of the Accident Fund. 191. Coming to the men's contribution to the Medical Fund : did not your company always collect that ? —We keep the doctor's money off from the men's wages, and it is placed to the credit of the Medical Association's Fund at the bank, and whatever subsidy the owners give in money is also placed with that in the same fund; then the company pays to each doctor his month's cheque when it is due. 192. You admit that your company always collected and deducted this amount from the men's wages ? —lt is an old-standing practice in the coal trade. 193. At least, it has been so in Denniston for a long time ?—lt has been in the Old Country for years and years. 194. There was a change of doctor at Denniston within the last two years, was there not ?— Yes, Dr. Reid left and Dr. B came. 195. Is it not a fact that when the men who pay most of the Medical Fund wanted to have a say in the appointment of the doctor the Westport Coal Company objected and wanted to have the appointment solely in their own hands?—l cannot speak for Denniston. I cannot give you an answer on that question with regard to Denniston. I understood that Dr. B was engaged there by the company on the recommendation of Dr. Reid, who was there and who was the company's doctor. 196. But you made a statement that you never heard of any dissatisfaction about the doctor on the part of the men employed by the Westport Coal Company?—l never heard a word of discontent about Denniston. 197. And I interjected, "Did that mean within the last twelve months?" and you said it did ?—Yes. 198. You must have heard of the dispute when Dr. Reid left, because every one did ?—No, I did not. 199. Do you admit that there was a dispute ?—No, I do not. 200. Do you know whether the Westport Coal Company refused to collect this money for the Medical Fund from the men after, we will say, the alleged dispute ? —I do not know anything about it. 201. Who appointed the present doctor at Denniston, or at both places?— The company. 202. Who require his services mostly?— The working-men and their families.