F.—8.

30

H. S. BILBY.

24. Addressed to Mr. G. Henderson, Bank of Australasia, Queen Street, City? —Yes. 25. Can you tell when that was posted? —The system we adopted was —the people applied for tickets, it came to us, and then we put the number of tickets that had to be sent. These were admission tickets, different from the other tickets. We addressed the envelopes and forwarded them to Mr. Dupree, who had the tickets. This envelope was not addressed by me. Mr. Ostler: Perhaps Mr. Williamson can tell us from the postmark when that was first posted : was it the 10th July ? Mr. Williamson: Part of the envelope is missing. It has carried away one of the dates with it. 26. Mr. Ostler.] What is that date [cancellation of postage-due stamp]?— The 10th July. It was the date the amount was paid. Mr. Gray: Posted without a stamp. 27. Mr. Ostler.] Apparently posted without a stamp, or the stamp has come off. We have it admitted that this letter must have been posted on or before the 10th July. Did you post a ticket to Mr. Woodruffe, the gentleman who said he did not receive tickets a little while ago? — No, there were no tickets posted to him. Mr. Dupree had charge of the tickets : he will be able to say. 28. He had charge of the tickets? —Yes. 29. Did you receive any letter from a Mrs. Mary Irvine, of Otahuhu, asking for tickets?— No. 30. Mr. Gray.] 1 gather from you, Mr. Bilby, that two persons whose names have been mentioned—it is suggested that they applied to you for tickets and you did not get the letters. Who use box 912? —The Orange Lodge and the Political Association. During the time of the meeting the keys were handed to me on account of the association using it more than the lodge. 31. During the time of the meeting—how long? —For a fortnight. 32. How long were you in exclusive possession of the keys of that box? —Almost three weeks. 33. From what date? —I could not tell the exact date —almost a fortnight before the meeting on the 11th July. 34. Before that who had keys?— The secretary of the Orange Lodge. 35. Does the secretary of the Protestant Political Association have a key? —1 am the secretary. 36. Did you have a key, as well as the secretary of the Orange Lodge, before the beginning of July ? 37. Mr. Ostler.] Before about a fortnight before? —No; we were not using the box. 38. Mr. Gray.] You were not using the box until you called this meeting for the llth July, and then you had keys for some time? —Yes. 39. Do you know a body called the Vigilance Committee? —I know of them. 40. How long have you known of them? —Probably nine or ten months—probably longer. I could not say definitely. 41. Do you belong to it? —No. 42. Have you any association with it?— Some indirect association. 43. Do they have any keys?— Yes. 44. How long have they been using it?— Some nine or ten months, according to the pamphlet. 45. Do you know whether any member of that committee has a key of that box? —I cannot say. 46. And you cannot say who besides yourself had a key of that box from about the beginning of July? —I do not know. Mr. Ostler: Does the Post Office issue duplicates? Mr. Gray: Ido not know. We know duplicates are made. 47. Mr. Gray.] With regard to your conversation with the postman you met in Karangahape Road, do you know his name? —No, I do not know his name. 48. What day did you have the conversation with him?—l said, about three days after the meeting. 49. About the 14th July. By that time you had heard of complaints about people who had not received letters or had received empty envelopes ? Mr. Ostler: The charges had been made publicly. 50. Mr. Gray.] Did you as secretary of the association ever take any steps to investigate the matter? —No. 51. Did you ever place yourself in communication with the Chief Postmaster or anybody in authority?— No. The reason why was simply because the Postmaster had placed himself in communication with Mr. Elliott. 52. And all the postman would say was that he declined to say who the persons were he delivered empty envelopes to?— Yes. 53. You say that the persons named on the lists here received empty letters or had letters posted to them : did you address any?— Yes, I addressed some. 54. How many ?—I might have addressed two hundred. 55. Then 2,300 you did not address. Did you check the addresses of these 2,500 with any lists?— No. 56. Then there was no check ? —No. 57. Your only reason for saying the persons whose names are on those draft lists, those rough lists, were posted circulars is that ticks have been made by persons—you do not know who? —Yes, I know wdio. 58. How many persons were engaged in checking? —Each person was given a list to address these envelopes; as they addressed them they ticked the list. 59. Did you see it done?—l was in the room. 60. That does not carry it much further, you see. There was some interval after that; the letters were put somewhere to be stamped?— They were put into a box.