H.—9a

26

mean equal work. I meant that if we all got the same amount of work we would withdraw the petition. A reef was discovered up the Jackson. A track had to be cut to bring down some stone. Six of us were to do it for £18, or £3 per man. Mr. Macfarlane was a shareholder in the reef. Mr. Macfarlane told Mr. Nightingale that he would give him the money for the calls out of the £3. I gave an order on Mr. Macfarlane, and he paid it. Some of the others, who were also shareholders, gave orders, and he paid these too. In April, 1877, I took a contract on the Bay Eoad for £40. When I came to sign the contract he w rould not allow me to sign unless I took two men on extra. He mentioned no names. He agreed to let three of us do it, and we proposed to take in Thomas Beveridge, a man with a large family, two of whom were in hospital in Hokitika. Mr. Macfarlane refused. He allowed us to take in Cronin, who was a single man. Beveridge was at day-work on the road. lam sure he w ras not ganger at the time. Beveridge had just finished the wharf contract. There was day-work at the road at the time. I think if the road up the Arawata Flat had been let by tender it would have been done for half the actual cost. I think the Bay road was badly laid out. Some of the road work on the flat was done by contract. Early in 1878 I had a contract for £40. I went to Mr. Macfarlane. He came out to pass the contract, We were not paid for a fortnight after we passed it. It was taken in my name. My share was about £13 odd. I received the full amount in cash from Mr. Macfarlane. I wanted flour. I had no cash. If I had had cash I could have got flour cheaper than at Mr. Marks's store. I would not ask Mr. Murdoch for credit. A portion of the £13 odd went from me to Mr. Marks. I paid it to him. Mr. Macfarlane said that there was a certain amount of work to be done before it could be passed. We were kept back because there were some slips that were not cleared away. Callery and Dwan brought the petition to me to sign. Ido not know who drew it up. I attended a meeting when it was discussed. We drew up a draft and it was copied for us. I drew up part myself, and Murdoch drew up the rest of the draft. At the first meeting two Dwans, Callery, Clarke, Beveridge, Cronin, Murdoch, and myself were present. I could not say which part I drew up. I cannot say how much. [Copy of a petition put in by Mr. Macfarlane and read.] 1 did not sign a petition similar to this. I authorized Dwan to sign it on my behalf. I can give no explanation why the complaint of the work not being allotted equally was not put in the petition, although I was willing to withdraw the petition if that grievance was removed. Michael Dwan sworn and examined. lam a settler at Jackson's Bay, working at the Haast Pass. I signed the petition. I only signed with regard to the truth of the first and third charges. With regard to the first, I went over the saddle with Callery to get cattle about two years ago. I came here about November, 1876. I have worked only about seven or eight weeks, Government work. I came here of my own free will. During the time I have been away twice for cattle ; three months in Christchurch; twice in Hokitika, about a month or five weeks ; and over the saddle three weeks. I have applied for work, and was told there was no work for single men at the settlement. I was told this up at the Haast. I was told to go prospecting. We had been talking of going prospecting before. I worked at the Haast about twelve weeks at 10s. per day. " Tucker " was so dear we could not afford to go prospecting. I did not know of any work. I complain that specifications were not adhered to. Tenders were called for for pitching two culverts at the Bay and at Arawata Eoad. Some time last August I and Callery tendered. Our tender was not accepted because it was not the lowest. The specification included the putting in of two logs, but the w rork of these logs was not enforced on the successful tenderer, until it was mentioned to Mr. Macfarlane. The Germans told me that Mr. Macfarlane enforced it because we complained to him about it. I only know what the Germans told me. I cannot tell their names. About last May we w rere stuck with cattle at Neilson's Bluff. We came down to the settlement for two men. We brought them back with us, and got the cattle down. When we came down I went into the office to Mr. Macfarlane, and I told him I took two men from their contract, and I wanted compensation for it. I wanted payment for taking two men up and repairing the track, so as to bring the cattle down. He told me he had had nothing to do with the track ; that I must apply to the County Chairman. When I was going out he told me to make out my bill, and send it through him. I made out a bill for £12, and sent it in to him, and it stopped about two months with him. I met him going up the beach on horseback, and asked him about it. He asked me what bill. He seemed to know nothing about it then. He told me the price was ridiculous. He seemed to have all to do about it then. Before he had nothing to do with it. He said Mr. Stewart said we did not do £1 worth of work, and that we could have brought the cattle down without doing anything. He told me to do my own work myself; i.e., to send my bill in to the Chairman of the County Council. I wrote to Mr. Macandrew, not to the County Chairman. I got two letters from Mr. Macandrew. The last one was the Ist of October last, saying I should hear again. I sent a telegram to Mr. Mueller, and he said the money was not authorized yet. I have heard no word about it since. I did not ask Mr. Macfarlane before I took the men. I started for the men for the cattle at night, and arrived about 2or 3 o'clock. I remained in the settlement that night. I did not come in to see Mr. Macfarlane. It took us two days going up. From the time we left the cattle we took a week till we got back. We took three or four days bringing the cattle down. I was away from the settlement a week. We were, four of us, working at the road; I think a day clearing the road. We could not get the cattle across the river. We took a contract once here on theßay and Arawata Eoad—Nolan, Callery, and myself—to clear fifteen chains of bush, at, I think, 15s. per chain. We did the contract, and Mr. Macfarlane passed it. There was a chain and a half left between our contract and the next one. Mr. Macfarlane asked us to do this. We said it w-as too bad for the price. He said he would give us 30s. for the chain and a half. We did it as well as the rest that had been passed, but it was condemned, I believe, in consequence of the petition. We did it just after the fifteen chains. Mr. Macfarlane did not look at it till some time after. Callery and I went aud worked at it again, and low rered it as Mr. Macfarlane required. Then we did not get our money. When we asked for it, Mr. Macfarlane stopped 155., as he said for three men who did our work, and Is. the percentage, so that we received 4s. each. For the fifteen chains I had to come four times for my money; but once, when I said I wanted a pair of boots, I got an order