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49. Where does he live ?—At Fitzherbert. 50. What is he ?—He works on the road. 51. What happened then ?—'We saw no more of the procession until it came back. 52. What did you do then ?—When it came back I saw a mingled mass of people. They still had a board, and it was going backwards and forwards. This was outside Kirkcaldie and Stains's. 53. Did you join them again ?—When the crowd formed up I walked in amongst them. It was was not far from the Dresden Piano Company. 54. Did any one speak to you there ?—A Defence officer, I believe, took my name. 55. Some one in uniform ?—Yes. 56. Why did he take your name ?—I do not know. 57. What did he say to you ? —He asked me my name. 58. Did he say anything more—did he ask the name of your corps ?—Yes ; and I told him the Manawatu Mounted Rifles. It was so late when I left the Rifles that I never thought for a moment about the matter. 59. Where did the procession leave you the first time when it was going towards Government House ?—About the Buffet. 60. Where had you been in the meantime before it came back ?—We strolled down a little further this way—down about as far as the arch at the Government Buildings—and then walked back again. 61. How many Volunteers were accompanying this procession and taking part in it ?—I think, by the look of it, there would be about sixty or seventy. 62. Were any of those men known to yourself ?—No, not one of them. They seemed all new men to me, although I have been in the Force some time. 63. Could you tell us what corps they belonged to ?—I did not take that much notice. 64. Did the procession pass any Volunteer officers in uniform ?—I could not say, but lam sure it must have done, because there were officers parading along the streets at the time. 65. Did you see any officers there while the procession was passing?—l could not telf you. As far as saluting any that I knew, I did not take much notice. 66. Of course, the streets were filled at the time?— Yes. 67. We understand you to say that you were not taking any part in the procession ? No. 68. Were the men singing?— Yes, when they were passing us. 69. Did you sing, too ?—No. 70. It was a non-commissioned officer who took your name ?—I could not say who it was. I saluted him. I had seen his face before, I thought. 71. Do you know Sergeant-Major Healy, of Nelson?— No. _ 72. Colonel Davies.] —How long ago is it since you sent in your resignation, as you call it ?—ln April last I think it was. It was going on to the end of the Volunteer year. 73. And was the uniform you wore on this occasion the uniform you wore in the corps ? Yes. 74. Had you more than one ?—Only my fatigue jacket. 75. You had not handed in your uniform ?—No. 76. Had you the sergeant's stripes on ?—Yes. 77. Did you consider you were a Volunteer then or not ?—No, I did not reckon that I was there as a Volunteer. 78. You did not trouble much one way or the other?—l went down as an orderly. 79. In a sergeant's uniform?—ln a sergeant's uniform. 80. What happened after the non-commissioned officer took your name in the street ?—I walked away. 81. When he asked you, you said you were Sergeant Rankin, of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles ?—Yes. 82. Did you see him get the meat taken away anywhere ?—No, I did not take notice of it. 83. You did not see him afterwards ?—No. 84. You had nothing to do with the proceedings after that?— No. 85. Major Haivkins. —How long have you been a member of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles ?— Close on nine years. 86. Therefore you must have had a good idea of the rules existing in your company with regard to returning uniforms when any one hands in his resignation to the captain ?—Well, as regards the uniform, I had never seen a good copy of the rules. I have seen the ordinary rules served out to us in the first instance. Whether a man pays for his uniform in paying a certain amount to his corps or not, that is a question Ido not know. I considered I had paid for it. 87. I am not asking whether you considered you had a right to retain your uniform, but whether you had a right to retain it after severing yourself from your company ?—I cannot say. 88. Do you know of any other men who have retained their uniforms : I am referring to the whole of it—the tunic, hat, breeches, and leggings ?—I do not know. 89. Did you pass an examination as a non-commissioned officer to entitle you to rank as a sergeant ?—No more than in our training. 90. Do you hold a certificate ?—No, not at all. 91. If any one in your corps says that you returned your uniform to the responsible noncommissioned officer—the quartermaster-sergeant—is he telling an untruth?—He must be. I still retain my uniform. 92. Did you ever return it and get it back again—that is the point ?—I never gave up my uniform, except when under repair. 93. How do you account for your name being taken in connection with this procession ?—I could not say at all. I was taken by surprise at the man taking my name.