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I.—4a

32. You are certain that you have that letter ? —Yes. 33. Mr. Easton.] With regard to the Dobson No. 2 Company, can you say from memory whether Mr. Cook has ever sold any vendors' shares ?—Yes, he has sold some. 34. Has he sold any contributing shares ?—-I cannot say definitely from memory, but I think he has. 35. Has he sold any contributing shares in the Tucker Flat Company? —The register will show that. Yes, he has. 36. How many ?—250. 37. Has Mr. Cook sold any vendors' shares in the Boss Day Dawn Company?— Yes; 150 transferred to Mr. Howes. Mr. Cook: To save time, I might say that I gave those shares away—not sold them. 38. Mr. Easton.] The register shows that Mr. Cook has transferred 150 vendors' shares to Mr. Howes; will you give us the date of the transfer? —February last. 39. Has Mr. Cook dealt with any contributing shares in the Boss Day Dawn Company ?— Yes. 40. How many ? —He transferred 100 shares in June, 1900, shortly after the formation of the company, to another party. 41. Has Mr. Cook transferred any vendors' shares in the No Town No. 2 Company ? —-Yes ; seventy-five, to Mr. Howes. 42". On what date ?—The 19th March of this year. 43. Has Mr. Cook sold any contributing shares in the No Town No. 2 Company ?—No. 44. Are you aware that there is an entry in the Boss Day Dawn Company's minute-book on 27th November, 1900, directing you as secretary to invoke the law against shareholders for calls due ?—I could not speak from memory, but I have the minute-book here. 45. Will you read the entry, please?— Yes. "Overdue calls: Besolved, to instruct the secretary to place overdue calls 1, 2, and 3 in the solicitor's hands for collection." 46. Now, will you tell us what was due to the company from Mr. Cook on that date, 27th November, 1900?—£590. 47. On that date—the date of the entry in the minute-book directing you to instruct the solicitor to take steps —Mr. Cook was owing the company £590 ?—Yes. 48. Is Mrs. Cook a shareholder in this company?—No, not in the Boss Day Dawn Company. 49. What was Mr. Howes owing on the same day—27th November, 1900 ?—£6o. 50. What was Mr. Mace owing?—£3BB. 51. Are you aware that at that date Mr. Cook was a director of the company ?—Yes. 52. He was drawing fees as a director? —Yes. 53. How much did he receive in fees for the eleven months he was on the board ? —Fifteen guineas. 54. How many directors' meetings did he attend for that fifteen guineas ?—Two, according to the minute-book. 55. Have any of the shareholders in the Boss Day Dawn Company been summoned for their calls ?—Yes ; that instruction recorded in the minute-book was not carried out at that date ; the people were summoned in May, I think. 56. Was Mr. Cook summoned ?—No ; I think he had paid up then. 57. Was Mr. Howes summoned?— Yes, I think so. 58. Was Mr. Mace ?—Yes. 59. Has Mr. Howes paid ?—No. 60. Has Mr, Mace?— No. 61. What does Mr. Mace owe now?— About £600. 62. What does Mr. Howes owe to-day?—£9o. 63. Does the balance-sheet for the first year show brokerage to have been paid on those shares?— Yes; it shows commission £175 —that would be on 7,500 shares. But application- and allotment-money has been paid, so the amounts owing would not affect the brokerage. 64. Has Mr. Howes, to your knowledge, ever used Mr. Cook's proxies to prevent companies from being liquidated—say, the Lees Ferry Company ?—I think that is so, but I would not like to say without looking up; I would have to have the ballot-papers. Mr. Hotoes : Yes, I did. 65. Mr. Easton.] At a meeting of the Lees Ferry Company at which I was present, was it not intimated to the meeting that if the company liquidated it might be very expensive, on account of the vendors' shares, to the shareholders —that we might have to pay more on the shares ?—I think that is so. 66. Who did that statement come from ? —Mr. Howes, I think. 67. Do you remember, at a meeting of the Boss Day Dawn Company, my making charges in Mr. Cook's presence as to the large amounts owing by the directors, while other shareholders were being summoned? —I cannot say from memory. 68. Will you look up the minute-book—it was at a meeting held on the 7th May ; who was. present at that meeting ? —Messrs. Wales (in the chair), Cook, Goodeve, McFadyen, A. C. McGeorge, Howes, Cutten, Duncan, Davies, Burns, Easton, Somerville, Johnston. 69. Is there any entry there that I made a speech, and alluded to the heavy amounts owing by directors and their nominees, and resented that other shareholders should be summoned ?—No ; there is no such record in the minute-book. The minutes would not show anything like that. 70. Have any payments ever been made by you, as secretary to any of these companies, to Mr. Chester ?—The only payments I made to Mr. Chester were when he was employed boring for the Lees Ferry Company.