H.—l9a.

76

61. You were his battalion commander ?—Yes. 62. And he would have to apply to you for leave ? —Yes. 63. And you do not know whether any leave was given?—No leave was asked. 64. If you had been under that impression while you were in camp, and in command of the battalion, would you not have taken steps to find out ? —Colonel Sommerville might have given him leave. 65. Could he have given leave without consulting you? —Colonel Sommerville's orders would override mine. 66. Would Colonel Sommerville not give orders through the battalion commander ? —I do not think so. 67. Would you not, as a battalion commander, think the brigadier would give orders through you? —I would understand that the brigadier could give orders himself affecting the officers generally. 68. With regard to the provisions that were hung on a line in camp, have you any objection to tell us whose lines they were in ? —They were on the hill at the rear of my tent, between two trees. 69. Whose lines were they in ? —They were between the Wairoas and Alexandras, as far as I could say. Ido not think they were in the one line. 70. That was on the Tuesday? —It is very hard to remember the particular day. 71. It was the day before the rowdy proceedings in town, we have been told?—I think it must have been on the Tuesday. Ido not see how it could have been after Tuesday. 72. Did you, as a battalion commander, have brigade or camp orders issued to you?—l had camp orders twice, I think. 73. Did you see the brigade staff detailed in orders ?—Orders were brought to me by Lieutenant Fitzherbert, and he said he would read them to me. I was in bed at the time, and said I would read them myself. I took the orders from him, read them, and handed them back to him. 74. Was he in uniform or plain clothes ?—He was half dressed. He had a dark Crimean shirt on, and I think uniform trousers. 75. Did you see him about the camp doing duty in mufti?— No. 76. Did you see him in uniform ?—I do not think I saw him on more than one occasion in camp. 77. How often did you get orders?— Only twice, and they were from him. I might say, with regard to orders, that I issued battalion orders when I got regimental orders. I issued no battalion orders except on one day, when I took it upon myself to issue orders with regard to certain escorts, and that was the day I found myself in command of the camp. I issued general camp orders on the Saturday prior to the breaking-up. I gave orders as to the time when the companies were to leave. 78. You were present in camp when Colonel Penton addressed the men, and heard what he said ? —I heard what he said to the men. He sent me into the telephone tent to send a message to Government House about the escorts, and while I was there he addressed the officers, but I did not hear what he said. 79. Did you hear him refer to certain people as being cowardly ?—The words he used were that there were some infernal curs amongst them. 80. Whom was he referring to, do you think ?—I presume he was referring to those who took part in the demonstration. 81. You have no doubt about that yourself? He was not referring to the whole of them, but only to those who took part in the procession ?—Well, he was addressing the whole of them, certainly, but I thought he was referring only to those who took part in it, and who had not stood out when they were asked to. He did not say, " You are all infernals curs or cowards," but " There are some infernal curs amongst you." 82. Did he not mention " four " ?—I think he said " some." I was talking to a Press reporter when Colonel Penton came on the ground, and before he addressed the men he gave me instructions to put all the civilians off the ground. I asked the civilians to move away, and I noticed that the Press reporter had gone only about twenty yards off and was taking down in shorthand what Colonel JPenton had said. When I read the report in the paper it struck me at the time that it was actually what Colonel Penton had said. I took particular notice that the newspaper report was accurate. 83. The Chairman.] Which newspaper ? —I think it was the Evening Post. The reports of both papers, I think, correspond. I have heard something about the four men from several directions, but I do not know that Colonel Penton mentioned about four men. 84. Colonel Davies.] You took his meaning to imply that he referred to the men who would not stand out and take the blame for what they had done?— Yes. 85. The Chairman.] The orders about the escorts and corps were issued by Colonel Sommerville, were they not ?—Yes. 86. Did you ever see these orders [produced] ?—Yes. 87. Did you ever see any others beside these?— These are the orders which Lieutenant Fitzherbert brought to me on the Saturday morning—some of them. 88. You never saw any other orders but these ?—No, I only saw orders twice. 89. We are told that there was only one officer-of-the-day's report and guard's report sent in to the Brigade Office ; can you account for these reports not being sent in every day ?—I did not know that one was appointed. I was never appointed as a field officer. 90. Did you see anything of the procession that came into town ? —Absolutely nothing. I did not know that such a thing was being contemplated, nor had taken place, until the following morning, within half ah hour's time of Colonel Penton's arrival on the ground. 91. Do you know any of those who took part in it?— No.