J. MCARTHUB.j

137

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26. At that time you had to cart it to Amberley : the line would not be very far up at that time?—No. I only know that from hearing it said. 27. How do you pay for the wool-scouring, is it by contract or do you employ men?—We pay by contract. 28. Per pound?—One penny per pound, and find the plant, and the contractor finds the soap and presses the wool. 29. So that there is just as much inducement to your contractor to hurry through as there is for anybody else who scours it per pound?—Yes, the same. 30. Have you any special supervision yourself of the scouring, drying, and packing?—l am there every day. lam very seldom away from the station—l always go through the station to see how they are getting on. 31. Do you employ the contractor every year?—Yes, he has been there for fifteen years. 32. And you consider, apart from your own supervision, he would be a man to be trusted?— Oh, yes, I can trust him. 33. In regard to the shearing of sheep, does the shearers' award apply in your district?—Yes. 34. Under that award the conditions you referred to as to appointing a representative of the shearers to confer with the shed-manager are the conditions of that award?—Yes. 35. Was there any occasion last year when a difference of opinion arose as to the condition?— Oh, yes, and the year before too. 36. And it was settled satisfactorily? —Yes. In many cases we had to give way to the shearers, when I found the wool was dry. 37. In regard to wool in that condition, where it was just on the dividing-line, do you think that if that had been shorn and packed there would have been any danger from it ?—I do not think so. 38. I am not speaking of that special occasion, but assuming such a condition, do you feel satisfied that there would not be enough moisture to cause sufficient heat to spoil the wool? —I think not; this goes back thirty-six years, and I have had no complaint. 39. And is it within your knowledge in respect to other places that supposing you had come to the last few days of the shearing, with one shed left, and the shearers were anxious to get away and you were anxious to close, is there any part of the district where you have known shearers to shear wet or damp sheep ?—I could not say except from hearsay—l could not say from my own knowledge. 40. Would you mind telling us the station you heard of?—I would rather not. 41. Would you mind giving it to the Chairman in confidence?—Oh, well, I do not know; there may have been several, but 42. We can only ask you of what you heard. You see if we heard that it might enable us to follow the thing up, because at present it has been most emphatically stated in evidence that such things have not happened, and we only want to get a guide in order to express an opinion as to what may be done? —I would rather not mention that matter. I have heard of these things being done. It is only just hearsay, and I would rather not say. 43. Do you think such an occurrence as that is likely to come under the notice of the Sheep Inspector of the District —would it be sufficiently talked about to come under his notice? —No, I think not; it is only a matter for the shearers. It would not be taken much notice of; but, the Sheep Inspector of the district would have nothing much to do with it, 44. Except that he has got ears?—Yes. 45. He would have no authority in the matter?—No. 46. But under these extreme conditions, the shearers wanting to get away and the owners wanting to close up, would you regard that as bad management on the part of the owners?—No. 47. But if they were wet?—Yes, if they were wet. 48. But amongst your neighbouring farmers you do not know any one who would be so unwise? —No, I would not do it myself. When sheep are on the border-line of being dry or the least damp it is very difficult to tell. In a case of that kind I would shear if it was near the finish of the shearing. 49. You said that even if such was the case you would think there would be no danger or even spoiling the wool?—No, I think not. 50. Do you dump your wool on the station ?—No. 51. Send it down to get pressed?—Yes. 52. In regard to belly wool and breech wool of ewes, which, of course, is at all times damp, do you separate that from the rest of the wool at shearing-time ?—We always scour it. 53. So that you do not need to pick it out at that time? —We take it in the fleeces and it is scoured. 54. Have you ever had any quantity of those pieces together?—" Daggy " wool we have. 55. But these stained pizzle-pieces and breech-pieces?—No, it goes straight away to the scourer. 56. Working close up to it?—Scoured at the same time. I have seen dags with a considerable amount of wool on them put outside, and they heated. 57. In the case of your " daggy " wool, I assume there would be a larger proportion of woolfibre in the dags than there would be in a crossbred flock ?—Yes, I think there would be—the wool is closer. The wool is denser than in merino sheep. 58. That being so, and the dags-being moist, you would expect them to heat up more readily than longwool dags?—l could not say, but possibly they would. 59. After it leaves Culverden, at any rate, you really know nothing more about the wool—it does not come under notice at all ?—No. 60. Had you any wool in either of those ships that caught fire? —I really could not say. 61. At any rate, you have no return?—No. I sold wool here, and I could not say what happened to it. The Loan Company would probably have some word, but I have not got any return.

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