R. GARDINER.I

49

I.—lo

Ealph Gardiner examined. (No. 12.) 206. The Chairman.] What is your occupation ?—Miller. 207. Mr. Taylor.] You are the proprietor of a flour-mill at the Cust?—Yes. 208. Do you remember, before your joining the Flour-millers' Association, who was the representative that interviewed you about joining?— Yes. 209. Who saw you about it ?—Mr. Buchanan saw me once or twice. 210. Did Mr. Allan, the miller, see you ? —Yes. 211. Any other miller?— Mr. Wood. 212. You never saw Mr. Jameson ?—No ; I do not think I ever met him. 213. Was there any other miller besides Mr. Allan and Mr. Wood?— Yes; there was Mr. ' Brown, and others. 214. And all urged you to join ?—Yes. 215. Mr. Allan and Mr. Wood drove up to your district?— Yes. 216. Did they speak on behalf of the association ?—I do not think they had any direct authority from the association. 217. Did you not practically regard them as representing the association?— No. 218. How did you look upon them ?—I thought they only came up to suit their own interest. 219. As members of the association ?—Probably so. 220. Did Mr. Buchanan speak as representing the association ?—Well, he was in the employ of the association at that time. 221. Had you any doubt about his representing the views of the association? Could you have any doubt that his representations to you were practically on behalf of the association that sent him?—He did not say the association had sent him. 222. Could you have any reasonable doubt that he spoke on behalf of his employers?—l should think he spoke to urge me to join the association. 223. Did you join when the first suggestion was made that you should do so?— No. 224. Why did you not join ? —The principal reason was that most of the bakers in my district that I was supplying were non-members of the Bakers' Union, and I was led to believe that if I joined the association they would deal with mills outside the association. 225. Do you know whether the members of the Master Bakers' Association came up to your district?— They were in my district, but I did not see them. 226. But did you not know that they were there ? —I understood they were. 227. Working the district?— Not working the district; but I understood they did ask several bakers. 228. When did Mr. Buchanan come up there ?—I saw him several times. 229. What were the inducements he offered you to join the association ? —He offered me no particular inducement, but just pointed out the advantages of joining the association. 230. Did he offer you any special inducement to join the association ?—No. 231. Did he ever say anything about travellers for the association travelling your district for the sale of flour?— No. 232. Do you remember seeing some representatives of the Trades Council ?—Yes. 233. Where ?—At the Cust. 234. Why ? —I understand they were a deputation of the Trades and Labour Council to induce me to stay out of the association. 235. Did not that lead to correspondence between you ?—Yes, I believe it did. 236. Did you say you had interviews from members of the Flour-millers' Association urging you to join the association?—l dare say I did. 237. Do you remember who were there from the Trades Council—Mr. Newton, Mr. Bilcliffe, Mr. Charles Taylor, and Mr. J. Fisher?— Yes. 238. Did you not tell these men that the Millers' Association's representatives had told you that if you did not come in they would specially operate in your district amongst your customers for a year ?—The representatives of the association told me that ? 239. Yes ?—I do not remember. 240. If these four men swear that you told them that the Millers' Association had threatened you that they would sell flour in your district for a year, will you deny that that threat had been made by some members of the association ?— I would deny that the threat had been made by the association. 241. By whom was the threat made?—By a miller. 242. Tell us now what threat was made ?—He said he would take contracts, I suppose, for a yearly supply. 243. At what price ?—He did not mention any price. 244. Did you not understand it would not have been at the market price ?—I had sufficient experience of milling to know that he would go below me, and that I should have to go below him, and so on. 245. Who was the miller ?—Mr. Allan, I think. 246. Was Mr. Allan not one of the principal promoters of the Miller's Association ?—No. 247. Is it not within your knowledge that he was?—No, I do not think so, as far as I know. 248. Where did that threat take place ?—One day when he was talking to me. 249. Where ?—ln the Cust. 250. As a matter of fact, had not that something to do with your joining the association ?—No ; I told him I would be willing to fight him. 251. And you told these members of the Trades Council about this incident at the hotel on the Sunday you saw them ? —Yes. 252. How many days after was it that you joined the association—about three days, the following Tuesday, was it not ?—lt would be about that time. 7—l. 10,