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for silvered : would you want a duty both on silvered and on bevelled glass ?—Yes. There is very little bevelled glass that is not silvered. It generally goes together. 122. But there are cases in which it does not go together, consequently you would have to distinguish in the tariff? —Yes. Mr. Fenwick: Only lamp-glasses come into the colony that are bevelled and not silvered. 123. The Chairman.] You ask that upon both silvered and bevelled glass there should be an increase of duty: by how much?—We think we ought to have another 15 per cent. Most of the Australian Colonies have 10 per cent, to 35 per cent. 124. And you want plate-glass admitted free?— Yes. 125. There is at present on silvered and bevelled glass a duty of 15 per cent.: how much do you want additional on that ? —lf both our requests are granted—if we get the plate-glass in free— 25 per cent, would be what we would want on the silvered and bevelled —that is, 10 per cent, more than at present. 126. Mr. Hutchison.] Do you manage in the meantime to get sufficient work for yourselves ?— No. 127. You could do more?— Yes. 128. Mr. Tanner.] Is your trade carried on elsewhere in the colony? —Yes. We hear there is some one starting in Dunedin, but whether he has sfarted we cannot say. 129. Mr. Hutchison.] What does it amount to that you are doing?— Making mirrors. 130. Are you confined to mirrors?— Mirrors, lamp-panes, or anything of bevelled or silvered glass. There could be another branch to our business —embossing. We do a little embossing for the Manawatu Railway. 131. Mr. Stevens.] Do you not make lanterns as well ?—We bevel the glass only. 132. Who imports them?— The big ironmongers. 133. The Chairman.] Supposing the Commission were to recommend an increase of the duty on silvered glass to 25 per cent., the tariff on looking-glasses (which is the same thing, with a frame around it) is 15 per cent. : would it not be necessary if that were done to increase the tariff on looking-glasses ? Would it be possible to defeat the Customs by putting on a temporary frame which would riot be intended to be sold ?—Yes. 134. If your suggestion is to be carried out it would logically follow that the tariff on lookingglasses should be placed at the same amount, in order to guard against fraud ?—Yes. (3.) Heney Chaeles Jones examined. 135. The Chairman.] What are you, Mr. Jones ?—President of the Wellington Typographical Society. 136. The Commission will be glad to hear what you wish to bring before it?— There are one or two items which I have been desired to bring before the Commission, and upon which the society desires duty or additional duty should be placed. The first item is with reference to matrices. In order that the Commission might fully understand what I mean I have brought a matrix with me. This matrix [produced] is a matrix of a page of the London Times, but they do not come out in this shape, simply in single columns. We find that the importation of matrices interferes very much with the trade, and we ask for a prohibitive duty. 137. You got this from London? —Yes. 137 a. And these particular matrices you speak of are London productions? —I believe so. Some may be American. 138. What are sent out are, I presume, supplement matter ? —Yes. They are sent to this colony, and there is no duty, so far as lam aware, on matrices at present. I believe that from one matrix twenty casts can be made. They comprise short stories and other miscellaneous matter suitable for country papers. There is a great deal of business done in Wellington with matrices. 139. By whom ? —Well, I do not wish to mention names. 140. You can tell the Commission ?--MeKee and Gamble, of Wellington, are the principal offenders. They distribute these casts from matrices right through the colony to country newspapers. They save a great amount of composition, and that is the reason why we wish a prohibitive duty imposed" This firm, I believe, canvass for advertisements in Wellington, and they send these advertisements to the country papers. The proprietors of the country papers do not receive cash but casts in return for payment, and the firm in Wellington pockets the cash. The importation of matrices we look upon as a very serious matter, as it interferes to a very great extent with the labour of compositors, and therefore, under the circumstances, we think that we are not asking too much in appealing to the Commission to place a prohibitive duty upon them. What this duty should amount to I can hardly say. So far as we can ascertain, I believe the matrices cost the importers something like 2s. 6d. per column, and you can see yourself that when twenty casts are taken from one matrix there is a great gain upon that particular matrix. For instance, at even 2s. 6d. one matrix will bring in considerable profit by simply charging Is., and at the same time allowing a certain amount for labour in casting, packing, &c.: there might be a gain of 700 per cent. on one column cast from one matrix alone. They are also imported in different lengths: they can be cast and then cut to suit the various columns of newspapers. I believe they are exchanged by the country newspapers. One country paper gets a supply, and after it has used it it sends it onto another country paper. This is a great obstacle in the way of proper trading, and should, we think, be put a stop to, and the only way to do this is to impose a prohibitive duty on matrices. 141. What amount of duty do you think would be prohibitive? I think you estimated the cost of the matrices at 2s. 6d. a column?— Yes. 142. What would it cost to set up a column of matter similar to that sent out in the matrix ?— An average column, I should say, would cost 7s.

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