H.—9a

21

This was about January. Mr. Macfarlane told me ho would not acknowledge any orders. Ido not believe the order given on the 12th of March would have been of any use to any one except to Mr. Marks. I never had an order before that. I believe that no one elso but Mr. Marks would have got cash. With regard to other orders in connection with the Government, I have got orders against other settlers, someimes for several pigs, and Mr. Macfarlane has only given that on the understanding that I would have them in the bush. I owed money to the store at tiie time. (Certificate of work bliowii to witness.) Ido not remember now supplying goods or other things on certificates similar to this. lam not sure that I signed the voucher before I got the order. I got £1 credit in store-book. I paid in a cheque for £2 17s. I received back Is. I kept the order back to hold as evidence. I*got the rent receipt as well. I asked for other rent receipts, but I did not get them. I believe I signed this order in Mr. Macfarlane's office. He would not give the money. I cannot say the reasou why not. I have always signed my voucher before I got my money. The vouchers were sent round tho works for the men to sign for convenience. I did not get paid the first time. I got paid in Mr. Macfarlane's office. I only signed once in the office as far as I remember, and then I got no money. The orders were no good except at Mr. Marks's store. I never brought any one of these orders to Mr. Macfarlane's. There was no other store but Mr. Marks's, and tho neighbour's, aud my own. Mr. Macfarlane said he would not cash the orders. From tho regulations we were entitled to three days' work per week per annum for tw ro years. We asked for a concession, that this period of two years should not commence until the land was open for selection. I do not know whether this concession was granted. I went on about the 19th of January, 1575. From that time I earned, for the first year, about £51 45., being £11 4s. less than it should have been under the regulations ; for tho second year, £68 10s. 9d., being an excess of £0 2s. 9d. under regulations ; the total deficiency on the two years being £5 Is. 3d. The land was open for selection on the 6th of March, 1875. It the concession asked for had been made, calculating the time from March, I should have been entitled to work to the value of £124 16s. I actually earned £136 Bs. 9d, being an excess of £11 Bs. 9d. in the two years over and above the amount I was entitled to earn under the regulations. ]n March, when I came to fetch my family, I was away four or five weeks. Instead of the settlers getting work, it was withheld from them until their store account had run up. If they got their full amount of work per annum they got it in a manner prejudicial to them. If the settlers laid out their own money in stores that was given as a reason for not giving them work. Settlers could net goods landed by the " Maori " monthly. Work was given by choice to those settlers who were most indented to the store. I was not away from the settlement more than once in 1875. I was not away at all in 1876. I was only away once in 1875 and 1876, to tho best of my recollection. From March was the time from which the settlers asked for the half-time period to bo computed. I suppose in February, 1876, I was working on my own land. I used to apply for work every two or three weeks. In 1875 1 remember some of the settlers working overtime. Before the land was open for selection we were working full time. We could work full time, and we were allowed to work ten hours a day, and the two hours were carried on to make up another day ; so that we could make seven and a half days per week. 1 have no reason to doubt the correctness of the figures above stated, which have beeu made up from the documents which have been produced before the Commissioners.

Tuesday, 11th March, 1879. John Callery sworn and examined. I have one charge to make, viz., that I was not shown justice in the settlement. I went to tho settlement about three years ago next January. I started work there then. I earned about £30 of settlement money. I complain that I did not receive the amount I consider I was entitled to under the regulations. I think it was about £27 or £30 that I received ; the book will show the exact amount. I was concerned with Doherty, Cronin, Andy Nolan, and Dwan. It was for clearing the Bay Eoad. My share Was somewhere about £4. I signed the petition to the Government. I know of nothing, except that I did not get enough work allotted to me. I had my own grievances, and so I signed the petition. I believed in having an inquiry into the management of the settlement. I knew nothing about the other charges. I signed the petition in the " Arawata." Michael Dwan brought it to me to sign. I have not been at tho settlement continuously. I began work on the Ist of Juno, 1876, and worked till the Ist of August; and then went to work on my land. I knocked down six acres of heavy bush. I went twice to Otago. I was seven or eight mouths felling bush on my own land. I went once to Otatjo by the Haast Track. The first time I went to Otago I was aw ray about three weeks. Ido not remember about getting work when I came back. I went to Otago a second time. I was away from the settlement from the end of February to the Ist of June. I was " sacked " before 1 started. I have been also in Hokitika. I have been backwards and forwards, and I expected to find work when I got back. I was up Jackson's Eiver quartz-reefing and bringing down stone. I went round with this petition for signatures. The schoolmaster at the Bay copied the petition. His name is George Adams. John Murdoch and Doherty drew up the petition. I cannot speak German or Polish. Dwan read the petition to the settlers. -Dwan and myself went round with the petition by ourselves. Dwan read the petition to the settlers. Dwan does not know any German or Polish. Belesky read the petition to the settlers at Smoothwater. I cannot say that the settlers understood the petition. Dwan and I went round and read it to them, and they signed it. When I got the " sack " I was engaged on the Bay Koad. I had been at work about a month. Three parties used to take turn-and-turn-about, but some men got constant work. I should have come to work for a week three weeks after I went away. lam not a married man. There wras one settler who requested to have his name removed from the petition. I cannot tell his name. I know him by sight. Now, I remember, Nelson was his name. He is a foreigner. John MunDOcn sworn and examined. Tho one case that applies to this charge is Samuel Lofquiets, who had a contract from tho Eesident