E.—3b

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leaving the cricket-ground the first stage reached was the boundary-fence, 24 chains. There a rest of five or ten minutes would be taken, and we would probably stand cracking jokes. The next place is known at Stoke as " The First Manukas," l&J chains from the boundary-fence. A rest would be taken there, and,we would next go to the place known as "The Cabstand," 10 chains further on. Then there would be another spell. Prom there to the top of the hill it is 44 chains, making a total of 95-J- chains. On reaching the top the boys would go into the bush and start to carry out the posts, which had been split by other labour. The greatest distance they had been brought is 23 chains, and the shortest 10 chains. If one boy could carry a post, he would; but if not, two, three, or four would do so. It was never compulsory. I mixed amongst the boys. This work started about 9.30 or 10 o'clock, and lasted till about 12, when we had dinner, which consisted of bread, honey, jam, dripping, and tea, the latter being made up there, from water obtained from a creek. The posts would be brought together in short stages, not carried right to the top of the hill at once. 14. Did you take milk and sugar, and a loaf of bread?—We took sugar, not milk. The bread was cut the night before. 15. How long a spell did you have for dinner?— After dinner we would have an hour's spell or thereabouts for play and a run round. Some of the boys would go into the bush, getting birds' nests or anything like that. They were kept within certain bounds, of course. When the hour was up I whistled and they assembled. We would then start work, and bring the posts up until 3 o'clock. At three o'clock we would leave the heap as far as we had got. A sufficient number of posts would then be taken right to the top of the hill, so that there would be one post for each boy. A staple would be driven in and a piece of flax would be attached. Then, a young man who would be with me to assist in maintaining order and discipline would leave for the foot of the hill. He was the lay-teacher. I would give him a start of, say, fifteen minutes; then I would give the signal and the boys would start. I would be the last to leave. The boys got away with a run. They did not exactly race. They were always anxious to see who would be down first. The work was not at all laborious. Each boy could take his post without difficulty. It took the boys about twenty minutes to go down the hill. I would be between thirty and thirty-five minutes myself. The lay-teacher was sent down first to maintain order and discipline when the boys got down to the cricket-ground. 16. Mr. Fell.] Were the boys ever employed solely in bringing posts down the hill ?—Yes ; on the morning of the 28th April they left without dinner, went up the hill and got the wood necessary, which was further away than 10 chains. They left between 10 and 11 o'clock to come home. They had no more work that day. 17. Was that done more than once on one day ?—No; not on any of the days I have mentioned. 18. Have there been any days on which you made two trips, either part or whole of the way ? —As far as my memory will go, I believe, never. On some occasions we would go to the top of the hill, bring a load down to the boundary-fence, go back, and fetch another post the whole way down. 19. Mr. Bush.] Then, did they fetch the load left at the boundary-fence ?—Not that day. 20. Mr. Fell.] Have you never been up three times a day fn that fashion, or four times ?—No; never up and down four times in any one day—not since I have been there, nor have we ever been up three times in one day. 21. Have you ever had occasion to urge the boys to this work?—No; they have done it willingly. 22. Have you had any complaints of the work being too severe for them ?—No; not once. 23. Mr. Wardell.] Were the boys selected for this work ?—I selected them myself, according to age and size—from eleven to fifteen or sixteen. There may have been one or two under eleven when they were anxious to go. 24. Mr. Fell.] Have you often had boys request to go when they were left out?— Yes. I have never gone once without receiving such a request. 25. Did you ever have to beat any of them for not doing the work on the hill?— No. They preferred this work to school work. 26. Where was the firewood got from ?—No firewood has come from that hill to my knowledge for the last four or five years. Firewood has been obtained from Mr. Jacka, at Stoke. . 27, Have the boys fetched any hop-poles down during the last two years ?—No. 28. Mr. Harley.] Is the front side of the Orphanage Hill steeper than the other side?—l think they are about the same. 29. Have you kept boys shifting posts all the morning?— No. They would not be carrying posts all the time, as, after bringing one, they would get a spell in going back for another. The boys were never forced, or worked against time. . 30. Mr. Wardell.] When you thought they had had enough rest you told them to move on again ?—Yes. . 31. Mr. Harley.] Suppose a boy was sent to the top of the hill three or four times a day, do you think that would have been too much for them ? —Yes. 32. Three times would be too much ? And four times, of course, would be worse ?—Yes. 33. Where did you come from to Stoke?— From Auckland, where I was teacher in a boardingschool in Pitt Street. Prior to that I was teacher in a parochial school. 34. Mr. Wardell.] Have you boarders in the Marists' School in Auckland ?—-They had in my time. 35. Mr. Harley.] Is it a fact that you have no fires in the class-rooms at Stoke morning or evening?— There are none except in the infants' school (First and Second Standards), which have a fire in the morning. I cannot say as to the evenings ; lam not there then.