SIB E. 0. GIBBES.]

15

I.—B.

277. The Chairman.'] Will you please supply us with information as to the exact number of copies of those regulations that were typewritten, and what was done with them; the total number of copies of the Secondary Schools Bill that you received from the Printing Office, and what was done with them; and the same with regard to the printed regulations ?—Yes. Lopez Wilkes, Clerk in the Education Department, examined on oath. (No. 10.) 278. The Chairman.'] Is it part of your duty, Mr. Wilkes, to receive any printed matter which comes from the Printing Office to your office?—lt is. 279. Did you receive any copies of the Eegulations for the Inspection and Examination of Schools? —I received three or four packages of papers, but they were addressed to Sir Edward Gibbes and were marked "Private and confidential," so I did not open them. Papers that are marked " Private and confidential," and are addressed to him, are always handed to Sir Edward. 280. Then, you did not open any of these?— No. I sent them in to Sir Edward Gibbes. He may have handed them to me afterwards, but I did not open them. If papers are addressed to Mr. De Castro, the Chief Clerk, and are marked " Private and confidential," I hand them to him. 281. From your own personal knowledge you cannot tell us how many copies were received from the Printing Office ? —I cannot. 282. You did not open the package which was marked "Private and confidential"?—-That is so. 283. That answer applies also, I suppose, to the Secondary Schools Bill?— Yes. 284. You cannot say how many copies you received of that ?—-I did not open the packages. They were marked " Private and confidential," and I treated them accordingly. 285. You signed for them?—l may have done that—signed for the packages. 286. Are you in the habit of signing for a package that is said to contain so-much, without ascertaining whether it does or not?—No; but, you see, during the last three or four weeks we have been getting things in by the five or six hundred. You do not keep the boy waiting all the time whilst you count papers —say, such papers as E parliamentary papers. 287. You signed for the draft Bill that came in marked " Confidential draft " ?—I might have done so. lam not aware that I did. 288. The Government Printer has produced the receipt here, signed by you?— Very good; then it must have been me. 289. It is signed by a Mr. Wilkes. Is there any other Wilkes than yourself in the office?— No. 290. The receipt was signed by you for a certain number of copies, but you do not know whether there were fifty or forty ? —I could not say. I signed the receipt, and handed the package in to Sir Edward Gibbes. I believe the package was addressed to Sir Edward. Nearly all those things were, because, I believe, he sent the order over to the Government Printer. 291. You cannot afford us any information as to what was received? —No, not as to the quantity. 292. Do you know what was done with the copies after you received them ? —I was told off to prepare all the papers for the Education Committee. Amongst other things, I was told to send up twenty-five copies, which were sent up, I believe, on the 28th August with three other things. They were sent up to the Clerk. I came up to see the Clerk on the Saturday morning, and he said he required two more copies, which I brought up myself on the Monday morning to complete the sets of all the papers that were required. 293. That is, twenty-seven copies in all ? —Yes. There is one copy which is a file copy, and there is one copy included in the set that I made up for Mr. Hogben. 294. That, is the total number of copies that were dealt with by your Department, twentyseven ?—Yes ; as far as I am concerned. 295. The rest ought to be in the office ?—Yes, I suppose so. Mr. Hogben may have sent some away. 296. Would any one else send them out if you were told off to deal with them?—l think not. They were all kept in Sir Edward Gibbes's room. 297. Hon. Mr. Guinness.] When papers are sent to your office marked " Private and confidential," whose duty is it to keep them private and confidential?—l should do as I did in this case—sign for them, and hand them to the individual to whom they were addressed. 298. Would Sir Edward Gibbes, to whom you say you would hand them, keep charge of the papers and keep them private and confidential ?—I conclude so. They were put into his room. I was told to send a certain number up to the Committee.

Saturday, 12th September, 1903. John Baee, Beporter for the New Zealand Times, examined on oath. (No. 11.) 1. The Chairman.] You are a reporter for the New Zealand Times ? —Yes, sir. 2. Were you reporting the parliamentary news for the New Zealand Times on Friday, the 4th September, or at about that time ?—Yes. 3. Have you seen the articles which appeared in the Times of the sth and 7th September entitled "Educational," " Our State Schools," and " Secondary Education "?—Yes. 4. Have you seen the proposed new State-school syllabus? —No. I have seen nothing but what was in print. 5. This is a copy of the Regulations for the Inspection and Examination of Schools. [Document handed to witness.] Have you ever seen a similar document to that ?—■Nβ. 6. Have you seen the proposed new regulations in regard to training-colleges ?—No.