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84. Was that done ?—No ;it was not done on this occasion. 85. On which occasion was that ? —I cannot say the date now. 86. What part of the building ? —This portion of the block, near the north end. 87. You say spawls were put in by the barrow. They were all brought by barrow, were they not ?—Yes ; tipped up and then spread. 88. Eespecting these condemned bricks, do you know of any being wheeled over the banks ? —Yes; a lot of bats went over the banks. 89. Do you know of any large quantities being wheeled over? If you were told that the whole of six weeks' making were wheeled over the bank would you say it was not so ? —No. 90. You would not say it was not so? —No. 91. There might have been?— There might have been. 92. The Chairman.] That is, thrown away in the tip ? Mr. Gore : Yes. 93. Mr. Gore (to witness).] Do you know of your own knowledge whether any of the bricks were sent as far as Blueskin or Waikouaiti ?—I remember some going to Waikouaiti. 94. When the concrete was being mixed do you know whether it was measured or not measured in boxes?— Measured. 95. Do you know was Mr. Brindley there ?—Sometimes. 96. Was he away often ? —Several times he has been away. 97. As a matter of practice, was he present or absent?—As a practice, he was at his duties. 98. And the concrete, you say, was measured in boxes ?—Yes, Sir. 99. There is one other question I should like to ask him: he was there at the commencement, and knows the nature of the ground—the parts excavated. I should like to ask the nature of this particular part before it was interfered with. You may not know from this plan, but I shall simply state that the stable was here, almost at the corner of the centre block? —Yes. 100. Do you remember when the engine was brought up?— Yes. 101. The portable engine ? —Yes. 102. Do you remember what sort of ground it was, or how we got the engine a little way beyond the front of the stable ? —Yes. 103. How did we get it ?—With planks. 104. The ground was very wet there ?—Yes. 105. Can you say in what direction the water percolated?— Yes; there was a creek, if I remember right, coming down this way. It came through the north end of Block 1 in a southeasterly direction, and fell away into the gully. 106. You were employed pretty constantly packing the wall ?—Yes, after I left the brick-making, 107. Did you, as a workman, give Mr. Brindley satisfaction, or did he complain of you ?— Yes; at one time he did complain of me. 108. Mr. Gore, jun.] Mr. Donald, you said the whole of this block was wet ? —Yes. 109. Do you mean to state that you were at the cutting-out of the foundations of this block—the extreme north block ?—No, I was not. 110. You had left our employ before that was done?— No. 111. You had not?— No. 112. You are sure of that?— Yes. 113. You were not cutting out foundations ?—I was not at that work. 114. Do you recollect where you were working before you left our employ—was it not at the extreme south block ?—At No. 2 contract, south wing. 115. Mr. Blair.] You say that the boulders were tipped into the concrete. Were these boulders spread out after they were tipped in till there were spaces between each of them?—As a rule, they were. 116. Were they in all cases? —No. 117. Mr. Gore.] Where were they not spread?— More especially round the tower. 118. Mr. Blair.] You say planks had been put down in order to bring the engine across : would it not have been necessary to lay planks down on the main road in winter time ? —lt was very soft in winter time. 119. Suppose you had been taking that engine down the main road, would it have been necessary to put planks in part of the main road?— Yes ; they were troubled at the station-yard. 120. Mr. Gore.] I would ask this further question : in order to get the engine were logs laid down anywhere except at this one spot ? —I could not say, Mr. Gore. I saw the engine up at the station and at the main building. Mr. E. E. Usshee sworn and examined. 121. Mr. Blair.] You are District Engineer at Dunedin? —Yes. 122. The first question I wish to put to Mr. Ussher is with reference to the temporary buildings. Ii is not at all an important point, but I wish to ask who carried out the works connected with the stoppage of the slips there ? —They were carried out by the Public Works Department. 123. Were they not carried out by Mr. Lawson ?—No. 124. I also wish to get from you particulars of the relationship in which you stood to the carrying-out of this asylum contract ?—The main building ? 125. The main building. Had you anything to do with the conduct of the works ? —No, nothing whatever. 126. Were you in official communication with Mr. Brindley with regard to this building?— No. 127. I mean with regard to carrying out the works?— You mean during the time the contract was going on ? 128. Yes?— No.