MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

LIST OF WITNESSES. Mr. Martin Kennedy, managing director, Grey Valley Coal Company. Mr. F. W. Martin, district engineer, Greymouth. Mr. J. Kilgour, coal proprietor. Mr. W. Smith, coal proprietor. Mr. J. Taylor, coal proprietor. Mr. J. Bishop, mine manager, Brunnerton. Mr. H. Calders, Chief Postmaster, Greymouth. Mr. S. Andrews, miner, and secretary Miners' Association, Brunnerton. Mr. A. B. Lyndop, mining engineer. Mr. E. Armstrong, miner. Mr. G. A. Ancell, miner. Mr. W. Clementson, miner. Mr. T. Eobertson, miner. Mr. J. Connor, Harbourmaster, Greymouth. Mr. J. Gills, miner. Mr. E. Newton, miner. Mr. W. Stone, District Eailway Manager, Greymouth-Brunner Eailway. Mr. E. Nancarrow, agent for the Union Steamship Company, Greymouth. Mr. W. Dunn, miner. Mr. W. H. Boase, secretary, Wharf Labourers' Union, Greymouth. Mr. J. Eoberts, miner and underground manager. Mr. J. Morris, deputy and fireman. Mr. J. Green, miner and underground manager. Mr. T. J. Waters, C.E., engineer to the Westport Coal Company. Mr. T. Brown, mine manager of Westport Coal Company. Mr. J. Lomas, miner, and chairman of the Amalgamated Miners' and Labourers' Association. Mr. C. Y. O'Connor, C.E., Marine Engineer of the colony. Mr. J. McKerrow, Chief Commissioner of Eailways of the colony. Mr. E. Wilson, C.E., engineer-in-chief and general manager of the New Zealand Midland Eailway Company.

Monday, 13th October, 1890. Mr. Martin Kennedy sworn and examined. 1. The Chairman.] What is your position, Mr. Kennedy?—l am managing director of the Grey Valley Coal Company (Limited). 2. I think you have had a copy of the Commission sent to you?—-Yes. 3. I may explain, as I dare say you are aware, that this Commission has been issued by His Excellency the Governor, partly in consequence of a letter written by you on the 16th July to the Government, and partly in consequence of subsequent communications received from Messrs. Andrews, Lomas, and Newton on behalf of the Miners' Association ?—Yes. 4. I think there are one or two points in this letter upon which the Commissioners are desirous of obtaining more information, but it would perhaps first be as well for you to answer a few questions we wish to ask. We understand from your letter that the work in the mine has been interrupted ? —At the time that letter was written it was threatened to be interrupted. 5. It has since taken place?— Yes; what I apprehended at the time occurred immediately after I wrote the letter. 6. There was dissatisfaction existing at that time amongst the miners ? —No ; the dissatisfaction at that time was on our own part. As I explained in my letter, up to the Bth March previous we used to pay on the net-weight system on the screened coal, and at that time we had no profits in the strict sense of the word, and we only had a very small margin towards permanent charges. Then the Grey Valley Miners' Association gave notice that they wished to be paid on the gross weight, or unscreened coal. 7. How was that notice given ?—ln writing to the manager. 8. Who was it signed by?—By Mr. Andrews, the secretary. 9. Was that in consequence of a meeting of the miners?—l do not know. 10. Have you got that notice?— Mr. Bishop will have it. The fortnight's notice was to terminate on the 10th March. Unless the mode of payment was changed they would strike. I then came here for the purpose of trying to get it settled to prevent a strike. After a good deal of negotiation we found we could not alter their determination that they would have a change to what was an equivalent in the gross for the net weight. We had previously entered upon a test on the same question. It was quite a year before (Mr. Bishop has the exact date) when they were press--B—C. 3.