L—7.

88

[w. MURRAY.

85. We want an answer first?— Some of the machinery came from America. Now I wish to say that we ordered the whole of the machinery that it was humanly possible to get from England. Unfortunately, owing to the difficulty of delivery and the difficult conditions in which the English manufacturers were placed, as time went on it became quite evident that the dates of delivery were going to be entirely upset. The time went on, and we did not then have one machine shipped. 86. You got the machinery from America because you were unable to get it, from the Old Country? —We triplicated our order for machinery, because we could not get the English machinery. 87.- When you were in America you had a full inventory of your company's assets cabled to you, did you not? —No, 1 did not. 1 had certain particulars cabled to me for my own information and for discussion, but not with any American people. 88. In regard to the assets of your company?—No, 1 do not think so. 89. Did you not get a cable while in America regarding the assets of your company ?—-No, I got a cable regarding the results of the previous year's operations. 90. You got no inventory cabled to you?— Certainly not, 91. What was the date of the year you were in Chicago?—l went to London via America, and passed through Chicago in 1914. 92. What month were you there —will you supply the dates you were in Chicago?—l cannot remember. 93. Will you give us the month?—l arrived in England on the 27th July, a week before war broke out, and I was in the States some time in the month of June. 94. The Chairman.] You were in Chicago in June?— Yes, and many other places too. 95. Mr. Reed.] Sims, Cooper, and Co. selected the site of the Imlay works, did they not?— No, certainly not. 96. Do you know if Sims, Cooper, and Co.'s buyers have been saying the Imlay works belong to them? —I am not aware of it, and, if so, it is entirely false. 97. Do you know one of their buyers named Webb?—Yes. 98. Do you know he went through the Taihape district, and said the Imlay works belonged to Sims, Cooper, and Co. ?—lf so he made an absolutely false statement. 99. Sims, Cooper, and Co. engaged your butchers in Australia?— No. 100. Is it correct that they paid the passages of your butchers from Australia? —Quite incorrect. We were short of butchers, and we cabled across to their people in Australia to see whether they could obtain any extra butchers for us. We asked then to make any necessary arrangements in regard to the payment of the fares across. A certain number of men came across, and I believe in certain cases the fares were paid, but they were refunded to Sims, Cooper, and Co. 101. You said just now that they did not pay them?— There is a distinct difference. 102. Ido not, mean to say they made you a present, of the fares. They engaged the butchers, sent, them across, and paid the fares, which you paid back, no doubt?— Why should they not? 103. Probably they had a very good reason to. Have you any agreement for the sale of the output of your produce?—We have many agreements. We have certain arrangements in connection with the sale of portions of our produce, all of which are inoperative at the present time. 104. Have you any agreement with an American firm?—We have no agreement with any American firm of any description whatever. 105. What were you doing in Chicago?—On the business of ray company. 106. What was the business?—l was on my way to England, and 1 thought it desirable to investigate the possibilities of what could be done in regard to the American demand for direct trade with America, which we believed at that time was imminent, and in which we did not wish to be left behind in the event of the demand springing up. That demand was on the point of springing up. Certain small initial shipments were arranged for. I believe certain shipments did leave, but there was no meat, of ours ever sold on our account in America—the war came along and upset the whole development, 107. Whom did you see in Chicago?— Several people, 108. Who were they? —I saw Swift's and many others—various firms who are connected with the business; ami 1 only discussed with them the possibilities of opening up the trade. 109. And about the new works at Imlay?—No, sir. I do not think that is quite a fair line of cross-examination. 110. The Chairman.] Will you give it a negative answer? —My answer was No. 111. Mr. Reed.] I am sorry you cannot give me the cost of the Imlay works and how your financial arrangements were made up?— 112. Mr. Anstey.] You told the Committee that Sims, Cooper, and Co. froze 31 per cent, of your total output?— They did so last year. 113. That would include Army meat as well as released meat?— That includes the moat as it goes into the works. 114. Can you tell the Committee what amount of meat is frozen on account of clients? —The proportion prior to the war of the company's buying was one-third, and two-thirds for others: and since the war, owing to the non-opportiinilies for speculation our proportion has risen to 43 per cent.