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12. Would the increased duty give you the command of the local market ?—I think it would stop the importation of bags. Perhaps it would be more advisable to put a duty on bags than on paper. I would like to see the duty on paper equalised, and made 4s. all round, or less. 13. Can you say what increase of employment it would give in your own factory if you had the command of the trade? —There are still a large number of bags imported. 14. Mr. Hutchison.] Do you know if any of these bags are imported with the names of the firms printed on them?—l do not think there are. Nelson, Moate used to have theirs printed, but I do not know any other case. 15. Do you think it is desirable to encourage the papermakers if it is at all possible ?—Yes. 16. But all your propositions are directly against their interests? —The position is, if I cannot get my paper, I cannot supply my customers. 17. If you let the Mataura Company know your requirements could they not supply you with the utmost readiness ?—I have tried that, but could not get paper. The quality of the paper also is not good enough —not uniform. In a quire of twenty-four sheets some might be light and others heavy. 18. Your evidence is that you really cannot do business with the colonial manufacturers ?—Not under the present circumstances. 19. Do you know anything about glazed paper ? —We use that for tobacco-bags and tea-bags. 20. Cannot the colonial manufacturers make that paper ? —They do, but it is not anything like the imported paper. It is a good paper, but not finished so nicely as the imported paper. 21. Are you able to compete with the maker who makes his bags by machinery?— Certainly. Weekes has had his machinery five years, and I am still here. 22. Are you able to sell your bags as cheaply as Mr. Weekes? —I do so; I have a little advantage in my own family, but they should be paid as well as any others. 23. The question is whether you are paying them ? —We pay them when we can. 24. Mr. McGowan.] Can you compete with the union bags of American manufacture ?—We cannot compete with them, but our price is lower than theirs. The union price in 500 package 21b. bags is Bs. 6d. a thousand. Our price is 6s. 6d. ' 25. If you increase the price of the imported bags, do not you think there is a greater likelihood of a larger number of people making their own bags ? —lt is not at all likely. 26. Mr. Mackenzie.] What price do you pay for rough brown paper at the New Zealand mills? —£21 a ton delivered. For Home paper we pay £21 a ton delivered. 27. Is the Home paper as good as the New Zealand ? —lt is better finished, but I do not think the quality is so good. An agent here has offered to supply me with brown paper for £9 a ton, good enough for bags. 28. I gather that the English paper at £21 is not so strong or useful as New Zealand paper at £21 ?—I could not speak distinctly about that. 29. Supposing you had to wrap up a parcel, which would you use ?—I should prefer New Zealand. 30. The protection to the local paper is ss. per hundredweight, so that the New Zealand people are really not taking advantage in charging you to the full extent of their protection— i.e., they are giving you a stronger brown paper at £21? —Just so. 31. Mr. Tanner.] Is much plant required in the trade of making paper bags ? —Wo have only a knife. 32. Are we to assume that the reason the industry is being carried on by a number of small people in a very small way is because it requires no machinery or plant in the first case ?—A person, perhaps, opens a small shop, and he has an idea he can make his bags, but perhaps he does not use 200 a week. It is not worth consideration at all. 33. But it is an inducement to some people to make their own when no plant is required worth speaking about ?—Yes. 34. The Chairman/] Would you send the Commission samples of the various papers used in your trade, marking them as New Zealand made, or Home made, and the prices?—l will do so. 35. Have you any objection to your name appearing as having giving evidence ? —Not the least. 36. Mr. Mackenzie.] What do you charge for your rough paper bags ?—We get per pound for small quantities, and £1 12s. a hundredweight; the price of bags at the mill is £1 ss. There are no brown-paper bags imported. 37. How much for the "cap" paper bags?—£l 16s. to £2 a hundredweight at Home, and £3 12s. to £4 here. 38. What do you pay for the imported "cap " paper ? —£22 a ton. 39. Do you know the cost of these bags lauded from Home ?—About £37 a ton in a large quantity. 40. You would pay about £60 a ton here if you bought them at a wholesale house ?—No. 41. I want to ascertain what amount of protection is necessary to balance. You say you get here £72 to £80 a ton for the same bags—an. average of £76. Therefore, in order to keep out the foreign article, you require £16 a ton on " cap," or " tissue," paper bags— i.e., the difference between £76 and £60 ?—Yes. 42. Then, you ask for 33 per cent, on £60, or £4 more than your working-out shows?—To simplify this matter, and act with consistency, I am of opinion that the duty on the " cap " paper should be removed and put on the bags, which would benefit the paper manufacturers, as they are also bag-makers. I mean the heavy weights only, which are used for bags, say, from 151b. to the ream and upwards. We must have imported "caps" for our better kind of work ; also "casing," which comes under the same head, and is used for the same purpose—namely, bag-making. The