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9. What papers had you been previously connected with ?—The Brunner News, the Grey Rive?' Argus, and for a little time I was on the Lyttelion Times. I have also been counected with the Government Printing Office staff. 10. Were you on the literary staff of the Lyttelton Times t —No. 11. On the printing staff ?— Yes. 12. The object of this inquiry is to consider the working of the Electric Lines Act copyright clauses, so far as the said Act refers to copyright telegrams. Have any of the papers that you had been connected with previously been connected with the Press Association ?—Yes, two—the Grey Biver Argus and the Brunner News. 13. I presume you understand that the copyright clauses of the Electric Lines Act refer only to news received from beyond New Zealand: does the Hastings Standard receive and publish cable news ?—Yes. 14. "Whence is this cable news received ? Do you receive it direct from Australia or Europe, or do you obtain it from other sources in the colony ?—lt is sent to us. 15. Do you mean that the cable news is sent to you as telegrams?— Yes. 16. You have not a cable-service of your own ?—No. 17. Why not ?—lt would be too expensive for a paper like ours to run one of its own. 18. You say it is impossible for one paper to maintain a separate and distinct service of its own ? —Yes. 19. Have you endeavoured to obtain a cable-service ?—Yes. 20. What efforts have you made ? —We have endeavoured to arrange with the New Zealand Press Association so as to obtain cable news. 21. Why did you endeavour to do that?—A newspaper wishes to obtain the latest news and foreign intelligence. Through the New Zealand Press Association is the easiest and promptest way of getting foreign intelligence. 22. Is there any other source from which you could obtain this cable news?—l do not_ think so. 23. You know of no other source through which to obtain it? —No, T do do think so; not without a tremendous capital for one paper. 24. You look upon it as impossible ?—Yes. 25. Is there any other source in New Zealand which supplies cable news to newspapers but the Press Association ?—No. 26. Then, so far as you know, the only means by which a newspaper could obtain cable news would be by becoming a member of the Association. Have you endeavoured to become a member of the Press Association ?—Yes ; we have made great endeavours. 27. Did you apply to become a member ?—Yes ; we applied in February last. We sent in an application at that time asking them to admit us. 28. What was their reply?—l have a document here which will show this. 29. Have you a copy of the application ? —No, I have not; that was before we proceeded with the business. But the answer they gave us really was that they would supply us on certain conditions. When I was on the staff of the Brunner News 1 was led to believe that the rights of that paper in the Association could be transferred to another paper, provided it did not clash with any other paper served by the Association. The communication was made by Mr. Urquhart to the manager of the Press Association in Wellington. 30. Did you see the Press Association's reply?—No; it was a personal interview. 31. What then ?—We then applied for a transfer of those rights to a North Island newspaper, intending to purchase a newspaper in the South Island, and transfer those rights to it. The telegraph rights we understood—we were led to believe—could be granted to us, so long as we did not interfere with any other paper in the Association. I wrote to the manager in January. This ia the reply 32. Have you not brought your letter-book? —No, this was informal. 33. You must see that your evidence will look one-sided unless you can produce the whole of the correspondence. What was the answer ? —He said that any new application for those rights would have to be laid before the meeting of directors : —■ " Wellington, 27th January, 1896. " Deab Sib, —In response to your application re transfer of the Brunnerton News' rights to Hastings, I am instructed to reply that the directors of the Press Association do not consent to supply it, if removed to Hastings. Any new application for these rights will have to be laid before a meeting of directors.-—I am, &c, "W. H. Atagk, Manager. " W. D. Arnott, Esq., Wellington." Immediately after we made the application as to how much it would cost to admit the paper to be established in Hastings to the full rights of the Association, the next reply was : — " Wellington, 15th January, 1896. " Deae Sic,— Before submitting your application to the directors, I shall be glad to learn whether the paper you propose to establish in Hastings will be a daily, tri-weekly, or bi-weekly.—l am, &c, " Geo. Humphbies, for Manager. " W. D. Arnott, Esq., 78, Wellington Terrace, Wellington." In reply to that, we stated that we intended to start a daily evening paper in Hastings. We received a reply to that stating that the entrance-fee was £500, and the yearly subscription for cables, £48; New Zealand telegrams, £33 : — " Wellington, sth February, 1896. " Deab Sic, —The entrance-fee for a daily paper at Hastings will be £500. The charge for cables, second-class, will be £48 per annum; for New Zealand telegrams, £33 per annum.—l am, &c, " W. H. Atack, Manager. " W. D. Arnott, Esq., 78, Wellington Terrace."