11

H.— 29

about breakages must have been malicious, for the quantity. That is all I noticed. I thought he had been misinformed. There were a large number of breakages. There have been breakages the last few weeks : the fish-dish, a basin I lifted, which fell and broke. I took it to Stewart. That is all I know of since. 143. By Dr. King.] I did not hear you use the term "liars," but you used " untruth." You said the action about the fish was "bordering on savagery." 144. By Dr. MacGregor.] Dr. King always behaved to me like a gentleman and showed great kindness. James McConkey, sworn, examined. 145. By Dr. MacGregor.] lam an attendant. I signed the petition merely to show we were unanimous about the food. I did not hear the expressions said to be used by Dr. King. 146. By Dr. King.] I did not hear you call any of them "liars." 147. By Dr. MacGregor.] Dr. King has never behaved harshly or tyrannically to me. Heney Sheppaed sworn, examined. 148. By Dr. MacGregor.] I signed merely about the food. I did not hear the expressions alleged in the petition. Dr. King has never behaved harshly or tyrannically to me. I never heard him call any one a liar. Feank Duncan, sworn, examined. 149. By Dr. MacGregor.] I was on probation as attendant three for months. I received notice I was not suitable. I asked to be allowed to remain, as work was hard to get. My request was granted. I have made some inquiries for work. I was allowed to remain as a favour. I signed the paper about the improper cooking. I was not at the meeting, and did not hear the expressions used in the first half of the paper. I was present when the paper was drawn up. I did not hear the doctor call any one a liar. He never gave me any encouragement. He spoke quite kindly when telling me I was not fitted for asylum work. He allowed me to remain, or to leave at any time-if I got a job within a reasonable time.

Seacliff, Monday, 2nd Januaey, 1893. Adam Bussell sworn, examined. 150. By Dr. MacGregor.] lam an attendant. The quality of the food has been the same as ever—that is, it was good. The salt meat in the morning was pretty often underdone. 151. By Dr. King.] I do not remember that the salt meat was complained of when you came into the hall. The porridge might have been complained of, but no other article at the breakfast. 152. By Dr. Macgregor.] About the fish for dinner ?—lt was the same as it has always been served. The groper was good and well cooked. At our table we still had butter. Only at one table the butter was used up. We had most to complain of the potatoes ; they were old and waxy, as always at the end of the year. 153. By Dr. King.] I signed the petition. I paid little attention to its contents. All that I meant in signing was that we had a just grievance about the imperfectly cooked food. I cannot say that I heard you state in the reading-room that the complaints were fictitious, concocted to disparage certain individuals, and that they had no foundation. I heard none of these statements. 154. By Dr. MacGregor.] I did not hear the doctor call the attendants "liars." When the cook came in, I heard the doctor say to her, in stating what had happened, that the attendants evidently believed what they stated. The doctor remedied the food at once. . 155. By Dr. King.] On the Wednesday evening you came to the table. On the Thursday we had the official ration. 156. By Dr. MacGregor.] On Thursday evening the doctor called a meeting and explained the result of his inquiries. The paper was signed by most at breakfast on Friday morning. On Monday the letter was sent to Dr. King, asking him to meet the attendants, and the last meeting was held on Monday night. When I approved the calling of the meeting and signed the paper I understood that we wanted to be unanimous about our food. The meeting took quite a different form from what I expected. I disapproved at the meeting of anything like an apology, for there was nothing to apologize for after the food was remedied. I only came in during the latter part of the last meeting on Thursday. I remember hearing Buckley get up and say something. I think he spoke in an excited way. Aethue James Watts, sworn, examined. 157. By Dr. MacGregor.] I am an attendant. The quality of food was good. There was nothing wrong with it. At one time, for about a month, the bread was not so good as usual. I think the flour was faulty. 158. The cooking?— Very often the meat was very much underdone in the centre. The fish complained of was groper. It was quite fresh, and was well cooked. Fish was always well cooked, and properly served in every way. I heard the doctor say, at the first complaint, that he would do his best to put things right; and it was done. After this I signed a paper still about the food, but more particularly in connection with a remark passed by the doctor, that, "in his opinion, the agitation was headed and originated with only a few." I signed to show we were unanimous. I heard Impey say he thought the doctor should apologize for insinuating that he was a liar. I did not hear the doctor say that Impey was a liar, fie did not call any one a liar. 159. By Dr. King.] Did you, in presence of Tattersall and Impey, tell Arundel that I had called the attendants " conspirators, liars, and savages " ?—I do not remember having done so. I did not use the word " liar."