17

L—7a

124. The extended price? —£4 14s. 7d. : the weight is blank, page 58 of the order-book; in the yard-book it appears as 4cwt. 2qrs. 71b., not in my handwriting. 125. The Chairman.] The page ?—482 in the yard-book and 58 in the order-book. 126. The weight in the yard-book is 4cwt. 2qr. 71b., and in the journal?—scwt. 2qr. 71b. 127. Mr. Menteath.] The difference in price?—lcwt. 171b. ; the writing in the journal is mine. 128. There is no alteration ? —No alteration. 129. Any other item ? —On the same page there are 32 sheets 9ft. iron, also for the State Farm, 26ft. gauge, weighing 6cwt. and 31b. according to the journal, in my handwriting; the weight in the order-book is blank. 130. What is the weight in the yard-book ?—scwt. and 31b. 131. Then, the price in the journal was collected on the larger weight ?—Yes, at 18s. the hundredweight; in the same entry there are 20 sheets of 7ft. iron—the handwriting in the journal is mine—weighing 3cwt. and 211b.; the weight in the order-book is blank. 132. In the yard-book, what is it?—2cwt. and 211b. 133. The price calculated in the journal is an extended price ?—-The price is calculated on the larger weight. 134. Any other item ? —There is a 4in. jaw-tail vyce (page 115 in the journal); the weight given is 2qr. and 241b., that is in my handwriting; the weight in the order-book is blank ; the weight in the yard-book is lqr. 241b.; the difference is lqr. ; it is not my handwriting. 135. The price is extended in the journal?—At 355. the hundredweight; it is calculated on the larger weight. 136. What is the next item? —On page 29 of the contract journal. 137. Give us the date ?—About the end of February : requisition Ist of March (144); there were two lengths of composition pipes, 20ft. fin., 30ft. \m.; the total weight, given in my handwriting, is lqr. and 91b. ; the weight in the order-book is blank. I say that the weight of that should be 191b. (page 3). I believe it was purchased from Hayes and Co. or from A. and T. Burt; I do not know which. I believe that was the weight charged by them to Briscoe, MacNeil, and Co. 138.■ The-true weight, you say, is 191b., and the weight charged for was?—lqr. 371b. 139. Mr. Reid.] Who was supplied with that ?—The Workshops—requisition 144. 140. Do the purchases from other firms appear in the yard-book ?—lf they were heavy goods : that is, goods usually kept in the yard. 141. Mr. Menteath.] Would small articles go into the store and not be entered in the yard ? —r As to how they conducted their sales I could not speak about; I have a general idea as to what would be kept in the yard, and what would go into the store. 142. But certain weights would be taken into the yard-book?— Yes. 143. And certain others from the invoices ?—Yes. 144. And others from the order-book direct ? —Yes. 145. Mr. Tanner.] Is it possible that goods would be sent away straight, and never be entered in the yard-book ?—They could give more information-on that than I can; with the conduct of sales I had nothing to do. 146. Mr. Menteath.] In getting the weight for the contract journal you would be referred some times to the invoices?— Yes, if the goods were procured from other people. 147. And now, coming again to the State farm ? —On page 37 of the contract journal an entry appears of forty sheets Pyramid galvanised corrugated-iron, 6ft. long and 26ft. gauge ; the weight is in my handwriting, 3cwt. 3qr. 141b.; the weight in the order-book was originally 3cwt. and 141b.; that was afterwards altered in my handwriting to 3cwt. 3qr. 141b. ■ ... 148. Three quarters were inserted there? —Yes, "3qr." were inserted. I cannot find it in the order-book. " 1/3/95 "is the date given here. I will ask the Chairman to allow this entry to stand over, so that we may proceed with the others. 149. On the 27th February, 1895, there is an entry ?—Page 26, of the Government contracts journal, there are twenty-six sheets of galvanised corrugated iron, Bft., by 26 gauge. The weight given in the contract, journal is 4cwt. lqr. 261b., at 17s. 6d. per hundredweight. That is in my handwriting. 150. The price?—At 17s. 6d., amounts to £3 18s. sd. 151. Now, in the order-book? —Twenty-six sheets of the same class; 3cwt. 2qr. 261b., in my handwriting. On page 2-59 of the yard-book there are twenty-six sheets G and C iron, 3cwt. 2qr. 261b., not in my handwriting. The difference is three-quarters of a hundredweight at 17s. 6d. That is a difference of 13s. 7d. 152. The next? —The Courthouse at Featherston (page2s of the contract journal) : milled lead, 12ft. by 4ft. 6in. 153. The weight ?—-The weight in the journal, in my handwriting, is 3cwt. 3qr. 154. Mr. Blow.] What is the date ?—About the 26th February. On page 104 in the orderbook the weight given is 3cwt. 3qr. 111b. The item is altered in Mr. Gellatly's figures from a less : to a greater weight. I should say that I only believe these to be Mr. Gellatly's figures. 155. What were the figures originally, before the alteration?—3cwt., I think, in Coleman's figures. This was altered by Mr. Gellatly, I believe, to 3cwt. 3qr. 111b. The entry in the yard : ' book is3cwt. (page 249). 156. No quarters ?—No quarters. 157. Extended?—3cwt. 3qr. at 15s. per hundredweight. 158. Mr. Montgomery.] Extended in the journal ?—Yes, extended in the journal. 159. Mr. Menteath.] We next come to the Ministerial residences ? —On page 24, about the end of February, there appears in the contract journal an entry for one dozen of Nixey's blacklead. 160. Is the weight given ?—Yes, in my handwriting ; it is 21b, at the pound ; the weight 3—l, 7a.