35

L—lo.

W. ISAAC.

98. Do you remember what you paid for your flour then ?—I cannot remember now. 99. Mr. Loughnan.] You say that you were told by Laery's people—by Mr. Mitchell, I suppose —that the Flour-millers' Association had told them not to supply you ?—Yes. 100. Are you not making a mistake on that point ? We have had Mr. Mitchell here, and he says that the Flour-millers' Association did not stop"the supply. Was it not the Bakers' Union stopped them from supplying you ?—They were both working together. 101. Do you know anything about that?— Yes. 102. What do you know about it ?—I had a long conversation with Mr. Kellow, and I was to decide whether I would come up to the bakers' price, and, if not, they would give me a certain time in which to do so. They said they were determined to put a stop to it. 103. Mr. Kellow is chairman of the Bakers' Union ?—Yes; and I telephoned to him next morning that I was determined to take my stand. He said, "I am very sorry—you will regret it." " However," I said, " I mean to try and get my flour at any rate." 104. Then you tried to get your flour?— Yes. 105. And Mr. Kellow, on behalf of his union, wrote those letters you referred to, telling the merchants that if they supplied you with flour the Bakers' Union would not deal with them : that was tbe position, was it not ?—I believe it was something of that sort. I did not see the letters. I do not know what letters they wrote to the association, but I know they stopped me getting flour. 106. That was the Bakers' Union—Mr. Kellow?—I did not go to the Bakers' Union, I went to the association. 107. Do you say that you went to the association?—l never bought any flour from the master bakers. I had nothing to do with them, but they tried to interfere with my trade. 108. Do you know anybody else who tried to interfere with your trade besides the master bakers ?—No. 109. You do not suggest that the Flour-millers' Association directly interfered with your trade ?—Certainly. 110. How?—By stopping me getting flour. 111. But you explained to me just now that it was Mr. Kellow, the president of the Bakers' Union, who stopped you getting your flour? —But he could not stop me unless they were willing. 112. Who were willing?—Tbe association. 113. Did you ever apply to the association for flour ?—I cannot say that I did. 114. You never applied to Mr. Virtue for any flour during all the time you were in trouble? — No, I knew it was no use. 115. Why was it of no use? —I think I have stated what I mean ; they would not supply me. I knew the stream was cut off, because I could not get it from the other places. 116. From the merchants?— Yes. 117. The merchants' reason was that the Bakers' Union had told them, that if they supplied you the Bakers' Union would not deal with them: I think that was your answer?—l am not quite clear. 118. Is this not a fact: that your merchants, when they refused to supply you, told you that the Bakers' Union had given them notice that if they did supply you the members of the Bakers' Union would not deal with them ?—I am not so sure about that. 119. Well, what did they tell you ?—I think I have stated already what they did. 120. State it again ? —They would not supply me with flour. Laery and Co. and Paterson and Co.—neither of those two —would not supply me with flour. I believe the master bakers were really at the root of it. 121. You are quite clear about that—you are not confused, are you?— No. 122. Amongst other people who refused you were the agents for Golden Gem flour ?—They did not refuse, but they did not supply me all the same. 123. You applied to them ? —Yes, 124. And they did not supply you ?—No. 125. They were in active opposition to the Flour-millers' Association at that time, were they not ?—Yes. 126. You suggested to Mr. Taylor that the reason they did not supply you was because the Master Bakers' Union had blocked you? —Did I say that? In reasoning with Paterson and Co. about their attitude in not giving me flour I said, " You are in the same position as I am, and I am surprised that you will not supply me with flour." 127. That is, they were, like you, in opposition to the Flour-millers' Association ?—Yes. 128. Did they explain to you that it was the master bakers who were blocking you ?—I could not say. 129. It is in the notes of the evidence that you said that Patersons " told you straight out "?— Yes ; but I did not say that they had received the order from the master bakers. I understand it was from the Miller's Association. 130. But you argued with them that they, like you, were in opposition to the Millers' Association?— Yes. 131. Do you not know perfectly, and did they not tell you, that it was the Master Bakers' Union that stopped them supplying you with Silver Dust flour?—-It might have been. 132. Do you not know that it was?— No. 133. You said you never knew of any trouble in getting flour until the Millers' Association was formed : when was the Master Bakers' Union formed ?—I could not say. 134. Can you not remember approximately ?—No. 135. Do you know when the Flour-millers' Association was formed ? —-No, I did not take any note at the time.