15

I.—7a

24. How did you get the item you refer to ?—The entries that were in Book i. 25. Can you point that out ? —At folio 9 ; four hanks supplied to the workshops. 26. When was that ?—ln February; it is on page 9of the journal, totalling 301b. 27. At what price ? —ls. 7d. per pound. 28. Were these the same description of cord?— Yes ; I believe so. 29. What was the original voucher ?—2l. 30. Mr. Skerrett.] What is the quality stated ? —No number and no quality is stated. 31. Mr. Tanner.] Is there any sash-cord made of that weight ?—I shall adduce expert evidence to tell you that; No. 10 is the weight. 32. Mr. Menteath.] How do you get that number?— That is a copy, I take it, of the requisition entry in the order; it is not in my handwriting. 33. What is the page in the order-book ?—Page 88. 34. Neither the entry in the order-book nor in the journal are in your handwriting?— These were prior to my employment. 35. Is that all you have to say about that entry?— That is all. 36. Befer to the journal again for April, " A piece of lead " ?—Yes ; a piece of 51b. lead, lcwt. 2qr. 141b. Look in the order-book. 37. Mr. Reid.] What page in the order-book? —Page 42. 37a. Mr. Menteath.] How does the entry appear in the order-book?—lcwt. and 141b., in my handwriting. 38. Mr. T. Mackenzie.] They charge?—l cwt. 2qr. 141b. 39. Mr. Menteath.] What is the correct weight ?—lcwt. and 141b. 40. Does it appear in the yard-book as lcwt. and 141b ? —Yes. 41. In an entry in your handwriting?—lcwt. and 141b. 42. In the Government contract? —It is lcwt. 2qr. 141b. 43. What is the extended value ?—£l 4s. sd. 44. What is the cost value, according to the journal? —14s. 6d. 45.- Extended?—£l 3s. 7d. 46. Mr. T. Mackenzie.] What do you mean by the " cost value " ?—The cost value is shown here in parallel columns; their total profit would be lOd. 47. Mr. Menteath.] That is, by allowing the 2qr. additional ? —That is also extended in the cost price ; it should be 7s. 6d. less. 48. Is that all you wish to remark on that? —Yes. 49. Do you see there an item on the same date for zinc ? —That is page 106, and the stockkeeper's voucher 83:12 sheets of No. 11 zinc. 50. The weight ?—2cwt. lqr. 211b. 51. Have you traced that entry in the order-book? —That is lcwt. 3qr. 01b. 52. Whose handwriting is that in ?— In my handwriting. 53. What does it appear in the yard-book ?—2cwt, lqr. 211b. It is in the yard-book and order-book. It is lcwt. 3qr. 01b. 54. Mr. Skerrett.] Give us the page.—Page 42. ' 55. What is the price extended?—24s, per hundredweight. 56. What is the total price extended?—£2 18s. 6d. 57. Have you made any estimate of what the price ought to be?— There are 2qr. 211b. 58. In excess ?—ln excess. The Chairman : What are these papers to which you are referring ? Mr. Menteath : They are memoranda kept by the witness. 59. Mr. Montgomery.] There are pencil-marks there : were they made at the same time ?—■ They are in my handwriting. 60. Mr. Menteath.] Turn to March 21st, voucher 70, page 61 of the contract journal. What is the item, " 20 holding-down bolts, 9in. by fin. " ? 61. Mr. Bloiv.] For what work were they?— For Porirua Asylum. The weight given in the Government contract journal is lqr. 141b.; that is not in my handwriting. 62. Mr. Menteath.] Do you see the same entry in the order-book ? —ln the order-book, at page 22, there also appears an item, " 20 holding-down bolts, 9in. by fin." 63. Is the weight given ?—42lb. ; not in my handwriting. 64. What should the weight be ?—The weight should be 201b. 65. Mr. Skerrett.] Mr. Duthie's invoice will be put in ?—There are twenty bolts at 3d. 66. Mr. Reid.] What is the date ?—22nd March. 67. Mr. T. Mackenzie.] In whose handwriting is the entry in the contract journal?— Part of it is in mine. 68. Mr. Menteath.] Who else ?—The body of the entry is in my handwriting; the figures for the weight are, I believe, Mr. Bridson's. 69. Is that all you have to say about that entry?— That is all. 70. You have not given us the extended value of that last item—the holding-down bolts ?— ss. 7d. 71. What is the difference made by the increase of weight?—22lb. at 15s. per cwt. —it would be a little over 1-Jd. per pound weight. 72. Do you see an item there for sash and cord about the same date ; voucher 17 ?—That, I think, was dealt with yesterday. [Voucher put in.] 73. Do you see an item for the District Land Survey Service, " jumpers and cleaners " ?—That is also in April, voucher 41. 74. An Hon. Member.] What page is that in the journal ?—Page 87 of the contract journal. 75. Mr. Menteath.] Finish the entry as it stands in the contract journal ?—ln the contract