17

H.—l9a

48. Was there any complaint as to the rations ?—On the first morning—the Monday—there was a complaint. 49. What was the matter?— The rations were not properly cooked. The meat was underdone, and we could not eat it. 50. Was there any other complaint ?—That was the only complaint as regards the meat. At dinner-time there was a complaint that some of the meat issued to one of the companies in X shed was putrid. 51. Did Surgeon-Major Pearless inspect that?— Yes, he went down and condemned it. 52. Did Major Wolfe make a report in -reference to it ?—Yes. 53. So far as the quantity of the provisions is concerned, was there sufficient ?—There was sufficient in quantity for every one, but it was not properly cooked. 54. Was it improperly cooked on more than one occasion ?—Only on one occasion. 55. Can you account for that in any way ?—The only way I can account for it is that the men employed as cooks were not used to the business. 56. Were those men perfectly sober ? —Yes, perfectly sober. 57. Were there sufficient cooks ?—Yes. 58. You think they did not understand their work ?—Yes. 59. Was the meat that Surgeon-Major Pearless reported upon as putrid the only instance of bad provisions being supplied ?—Yes, the only instance. 60. Can you account in any way for that happening ?—Perhaps the meat had been lying in the cookhouse and the heat of the fire had turned it bad. That is the only way I can account for it. 61. Is there any reason why it was not discovered before the meat was cooked ?—There should be no reason, but the quartermaster could not stand and watch every piece of meat that was put into the pots. 62. Did the quartermaster attend to the issue of the rations daily?— Yes. 63. On other occasions was there any reason for complaint as to the rations supplied?— No. 64. How was the accommodation ?—Quite sufficient for the number of men there. There was no crowding and there was sufficient straw, but the light in the shed was very poor at night. 65. I understand you saw something of the procession in the streets?— Yes, I stopped it on Lambton Quay, on Wednesday afternoon, the 19th June, between 2 and 2.15 p.m. I was in Messrs. Littlejohn and Son's jewellers' shop when I heard cheering going on outside and went to the door to see what it was about. I saw a body of men in uniform in the middle of the road with a pole about 6 ft. or 7 ft. long, with a board on it and a piece of beef. I think the inscription on the board was, " These are our rations." 66. Who was carrying the board ?—A Volunteer. 67. Was he in uniform ? —Yes. 68. Which direction were the men going in ?—Down Lambton Quay towards the Exchange Hall. They had passed the Government Buildings and were going through the town. 69. How many men were there in uniform ?—Twenty or thirty were in the crowd, besides the drunken civilians who were round them. 70. Were those twenty or thirty men taking part in the procession, or were they merely onlookers for the most part ?—They were taking part in it. 71. Were they in any kind of formation ? —No, in straggling order. 72. Did they say anything ?—They were singing and shouting. 73. Singing songs, or what ?—I believe they were singing songs. 74. What did you do ? —I went out into the road and halted the men. 75. Were you in uniform ?—Yes. I asked them what was the meaning of going on like that in the public streets. The reply 1 got was that the rations were bad, that they had made complaints to their officers, and no one had taken any notice o£ them. I told them that it was no matter whether their complaints had been recognised by their officers or not, that was not the way to conduct themselves in uniform. I took the pole and the meat from the man who was carrying it, and took the meat into a passage between Littlejohn's and Holliday's stationer's shop, and gave it to a man and asked him to destroy the stuff. 76. What did you do with the pole?— The pole went in there too. 77. Did the men then disperse?—l told the men when I took the pole away from them that the best thing they could do was to get on the footpath and go quietly away. 78. And did they do so ?—After coming out of the passage-way I stood to see if the men carried the order out. Colour-Sergeant Redmond, of the Civil Service Rifles, who was standing close to me, said "Sergeant-Major, there is the ringleader," and he pointed to a sergeant. I asked the man his name and he told me he was Sergeant Rankin, of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles. 79. What uniform was he dressed in?—A mounted uniform with an overcoat on. 80. Had he any badges?—No; but I could identify him again. While I was in the passageway disposing of the meat this Sergeant Rankin incited the men to come and bring the meat out again. I happened to turn round very quickly when talking to Redmond, and I found a boy about sixteen or seventeen years of age standing on the kerb with the meat in his hand. I took it away from the boy, and took it back to the passage and asked a man to kindly burn it or get rid of it. He said it was rather hard lines. He said, "If you put it down I will dispose of it," but I said, " I want to see it disposed of here." 81. Did the men go away?— Yes. 82. Do you know any of the other men there ?—No, I have only got the ringleader. 83. Do you know what corps the men belonged to ?—No. 84. Rankin was pointed out to you as the ringleader, and you say that in your presence he incited the men, after you had told them to disperse, to get the meat again ?—Yes, 3—H. 19a.