108

[j. B. DIGKSON.

I.—llA.

£ s. d. Portion account paid .. .. .. .. • • • • ■ • 389 611 Not yet paid .. .. .. .. .. •• •• ■■ £1,603 2 4 General Account, submitted for payment. £ s. d. W. G. Allen .. .. .. .. .. •' ■ • ■ • • 09 0 Audit Department .. .. .. .. .. • • • • • • 19 6 8 A. and J. Brodie .. .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 67 18 11 Brett Printing .. .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 426 C. D. Cowan .. .. .. .. .. .. •• •• 060 J. H. M. Carpenter .. .. .. .. .. •• •• 2 6 11 Geddis and Blomfield .. .. .. .. .. • ■ • • 6 6 3 L. J. Keys .. . . .. .. • • • • • • • • 09 0 J. B. Langley .. .. .. .. .. .. • • • • 212 6 J. F. Leighton .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 4 13 M. G. McGregoi .. .. .. .. .. .. • • • • 53 17 0 A. Nicoll 0 10 0 Post and Telegraph.. .. .. .. .. .. > .. •• 0 8 9 E. Porter .. .. .. .. .. .. •• ■• •• 18 1 0 Ross Bros. .. .. . . .. .. . . • • • • 014 0 R. Skelton .. .. .. .. .. . . . • • • 012 6 J. andC. Tapper .. •• 20 0 0 Wilson and Horton.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ■• 426 E. Pascoe .. .. .. .. .. .. .. •• • • 10 8 0 £216 0 3 3 This is the exhibit, marked " D," referred to in the annexed affidavit of Charles Augustus Cawkwell, made before me this 31st day of October, 1912—Percy Spencer, a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. James Samuel Dickson sworn and examined. (No. 17.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you?—A clothier residing in Auckland. 2. Han. Mr. Allen.] You know a man named Cromwell, do you? —Yes. 3. He was a member of your election committee? —Yes. 4. What can you tell us about him?— Mr. Cromwell was an employee of the Remuera Road Board, and he came to me and told me that the Chairman of the Board had sent for him. He went down to the Chairman's house, and he advised him he had better not work for me, or else he would lose his position owing to some members of the Board complaining about him. Cromwell then resigned from my committee, and did not attend any committee meeting after that. 5. Do you know anything about Mr. Cawkwell giving an address to the men at the reservoir? —Yes. Between the two ballots Cawkwell, the Chairman of the Remuera Board, went and addressed the men on the mountain three days before the second ballot, about 10 o'clock in the morning. There we're about thirty men working there, and after he had finished his address he let them off and asked them to support the Government candidate. 6. Mr. Hanan.] Were you there at the time? —No, I was not. 7. I object to hearsay evidence? —I made inquiries, and asked for the pay-sheet as a member of the Board, and I got a list of the men who were working there, the number of hours worked, and the number of hours they were paid for. I forget now exactly the number of men there were there, but that was supplied to me by the Board and the names of them, and the most that any of then, worked was three hours and a half. Young and some one else were away all day, and they were paid a full day. They were away canvassing for Sir John Findlay. 8. Do you know that? —Yes. 9. Of }our own knowledge?-—Yes. The matter was never mentioned at the Board, but the members discussed it amongst themselves, although it was not brought up at a Board meeting. The men had been paid and the pay-sheet had been passed, and on account of my opposing Sir John Findlay 1 thought it was not altogether right for me to bring the matter before the Board. 10. Hon. Mr. Allen.] Were you a member of the Board ?—I am Chairman of the Board at the present time. 11. Did the Board organize this deputation that waited on Sir John Findlay?—-I knew nothing about the deputation to Sir John Findlay. After seeing it in the paper 1 looked up the minute-book, but saw no minute with regard to a deputation to Sir John Findlay officially. 12. Mr. Myers.] You heard the evidence of the late Chairman of the Board, Mr. Cawkwell : do you indorse his remarks as to the urgent necessity of obtaining this money for drainage and waterworks? —No, I do not. 13. Could you have obtained the money elsewhere? —Are you speaking in regard to his remarks as to the £10,000, or are you referring to the general loan? 14. To the general loan?— The general loan was raised some considerable time. We did not try anywhere else previous to that. We had got loans from the Auckland Savings-bank and the New Zealand Insurance Company, but we recognized that it was much better to get it from the Government.