I.—IB.

10

[F. B. MABIN.

S3. Is there any order that you are aware of that that money has to be paid by the New Zea land Government? —No, it has to be paid by the Imperial Government. 84. Did the New Zealand officers and' men on arrival in New Zealand get the forty days' advance as well as the New Zealand furlough ?—Yes, in most cases, if overlapping periods did not occur.

Friday, 12th August, 1904. Captain R. Seddon, examined. (No. 2.) 1. Eight Hon. the Minister of Defence.] Will you look at this writing on this voucher, Captain Seddon? [Document handed to witness.] Whose writing is that? —That is my writing. 2. Do you see that pencil-writing in the margin? —Yes; that is mine. 3. When did you put that on? —Before you put this minute on it [Minute pointed out by witness]. 4. What authority had you for puffing that pencilled memorandum there?- -1 only put it there for your information. 5. But you did not initial it? —No; I simply put it in there in pencil so that it could be rubbed out when you gave your decision. 6. Had you any reason for supplying that information to me? —Yes. When I saw the voucher I made inquiries at the Department, and asked the Chief Accountant, Mr. Williams, why Captain Clark had not sent in his vouchers, and he said he ha,d asked Captain Clark to send in vouchers. I asked why he had not put that information on the file. 7. That is your explanation? —Yes. 8. And you are positive that you did not put the memorandum in at any other time? —Yes; it was there when the voucher and file were before the Committee last year. 9. Mr. Taylor.] Was that not put there while the inquiry was going on before the Committee? -No. 10. That point was in dispute last year? —Mr. Hardy told me something about the writingbeing on the file. 11. You knew that point was in dispute? —Yes; Mr. Hardy told me on the boat when we were going down to Christchurch. 12. And you knew which officer could give information to the Committee? —Yes, after that. 13. Did you take any steps to make it possible for him to give information to the Committee? —Yes. I asked him why he had not given the information to the Committee, and he said they did not ask him. 14. You made up for his deficiency by making that note on the margin? —No; I made that before the minute was put on. 15. You are unable to say on what date you put that note on? —Yes; I put it on before the Premier put his minute on. I put the note on for his information. Ido not usually date notes like that. 16. Captain Clark.] You say that you saw Williams prior to putting that pencil note on that voucher? —Yes. 17. That would be prior to the 28th May?— Yes. 18. And Mr. Williams informed you that he told me that I should put my vouchers in monthly? —Yes; quite so. 19. Mr. Williams also informed you that that evidence had not been brought out. He said that they did not ask him that question at all ? —Yes. 20. When was that? —I think it was after I had come up from the South. There had been some talk about a minute having been put on the file, and I spoke to Mr. Williams about it. 1 asked him if he remembered telling me on the Government Buildings stairs, before the session of 1903, that he had told Clark to send in his vouchers, and he said "Yes." I said, "Why did you not give that information to the Committee?" and he said he had not been asked, and forgot to tell the Committee. 21. Mr. Wood (to the Right Hon. the Defence Minister).] I suppose it is quite a common thing for officers of the Department to put minutes on documents?--Quite common. If there is anything of a special nature they write a minute to draw my attention to it. In this case the officer says he did not intend it to be a permanent minute, and therefore did not initial it. 22. Mr. E. McKenzie (to Captain Seddon).] I think you said that the first you knew of the Committee wanting information on the point, was when Mr. Hardy mentioned it to you when you were going down to Lyttelton together?— Yes. 23. Did you tell Mr. Hardy then that this memorandum was on the paper before? —I believe I did. He asked me about it and I explained. 24. That it was put on before it came to the Committee?-—Yes. 25. You made this marginal note some time before the commencement of last session? —Yes; before it was before the Committee. 26. You had no knowledge that it was to come before the Committee at the time you made it? -No ; absolutely none. 27. There was no connection between your note on the voucher and Captain Clark's petition? —No. 28. Eight Hon. the Minister of Defence.] Was there any feeling between you and Captain Clark of any kind? —No. I think Mr. Mabin, the head of the Imperial Pay Branch, will bear me out in saying that I always endeavoured to see that Captain Clark got justice in the matter of hi* pay.