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101. The Chairman] Can you say, captain, from your own experience or from any reliable evidence, whether wool has ever been actually on fire or even aflame? We have very good evidence, in fact, that it has, but people clown here seem to doubt the fact and dispute it altogether? —In a fire the other morning near the station the packing round a boiler was alight: it was all packed with wool and covered with wood, and then a sheet of iron over that. The smoke was coming out of it and was in the back, and we found it was the wool around the boiler. It is the first time I have seen a boiler covered with wool. 102. Mr. Foster] Was that in a flame? —Oh, yes, blazing up. 103. Captain Blackburne] Might it not have been the wood flaming?—lt was wood and wool both flaming. We stripped the boiler before we left. In a few minutes it would have caught the building. 104. The Chairman] Have you any doubt whatever that if wool is brought up to a certain temperature it will blaze? —I think so. 105. You have no doubt at all that it will?—No doubt about it. 106. Captain Blackburne] Do you think this particular fire around this boiler was through spontaneous combustion? —No; it came from the furnace below. 107. What was the name of that ship you mentioned? How long ago was it?—One was called the " Netty," that was wool and flax, and that was a little while before the other fire. 108. Mr. Foster] Was that not while she was loading—from some extraneous cause?—Yes, I think so, while she was loading. 109. The Chairman] Have you anything that you could suggest to us in the form of prevention being better than cure that you may have thought of in connection with the matter I —The only thing is that if a vessel would.carry a chemical cylinder on board there would be no danger of losing the ship, as they could discharge the chemical into the hold at a given time. 110. That would have to apply really in connection with each hold?—Yes. I am making a model in connection with the Exhibition which, I think, would answer the purpose. I suggested it years ago, and I think they should have it on all ships. 111. Would that be a very great expense?—lt would not cost more than £200 or £250 to fit each ship. 112. Mr. Foster] I suppose the stuff is in the cylinder, and you have to mix it by smashing it? —Oh, no, simply turn the lever over, and it mixes itself. 113. It is a mixture and ready when needed? —Yes, and then you can connect the delivery-pipe to another pipe going down the hold. That pipe down the hold" should be perforated, in which you could put a charge as you wish. 114. I suppose the cylinders could be made any size to control the hold?—Yes, from 60 to 100 gallons, and if that was not sufficient, you could refill and recharge again, and they could be stowed away. 115. That is in the same nature as a life-buoy—to save life when a fire happens?—Yes. 116. But I think the question asked you was more in regard to preventing the fire on board ships?—l have no experience of that. 117. I think you are inspector of buildings? —Yes, Fire Inspector. 118. And I think you have a certain power to say that a building shall not be built in a certain way?—There are wide openings there. 119. You are assumed to have powers?—Supposed to have. 120. Then, could you suggest anything with reference to preventive means, assuming we could get them carried out, to prevent fires arising in ships?—No, only the chemical after the fire has broken out. 121. And the inspection beforehand? —That is all, sir. Arthur Ernest Cooper sworn and examined. (No. 61.) 122. The Chairman] What is you name?—Arthur Ernest Cooper. ■ 123. What are you?—A member of the firm of Sims, Cooper, and Co., meat-exporters. 124. Are you not wool-exporters also?—Yes, we ship wool from the. sheep we buy. 125. What experience have you in regard to shipping wool?—Of course, we have only been in business for ourselves during the last year, but previous to that I was fourteen years with the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, and for the last few years I was in charge of their Fairfield branch of the business. 126. You know something about the conditions under which wool is shipped?—Yes. 127. You might enlighten the Commission as to those conditions, and as to the precautions you take in regard to shipping wool that is damp?—As far as that is concerned, the wool we have been shipping has been mostly slipes, and, of course, we do not see the wool at all. 128. You get it from the fellmonger? —From the freezing-works. 129. Do you exercise any supervision over it?—None whatever. 130. They bale it?—Yes. 131. And who dumps it?-—The shipping companies dump it. 132. And without exception you do not have any supervision over it?—No. During the time I have been connected with the business I have not seen a bale hot, and have never heard of a bale heating. 103. During the whole of your fourteen years' experience you never heard of a bale heating? —No, not with the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's wool. 134. Mr. Foster] Have you ever known of any wool being sent back through being damp?— We had five or six bales this year which got wet in transit. 135. Was it ascertained to have got wet in transit?—Yes. The Department insists on having wool packed in a certain way on the flat to get as many bales into the trucks as possible, and there is a chance of the tarpaulin sagging, and then the water getting through.