H.—29

2

And I do further require you within thirty days from the date of these presents, or as much sooner as the same can conveniently be done (using all due diligence), to report to me under your hands and seals your several proceedings, and your opinion touching the premises. And I do further declare that these presents shall continue in full force and virtue, and that subject thereto you shall and may from time to time proceed in the subject-matter hereof at such times and within the prescribed limits as you judge convenient. And I do hereby further declare that the said Alexander McArthur shall be Chairman of the Commission, and that these presents are issued under and subject to the provisions of " The Commissioners Act, 1903," and " The Commissioners Act Amendment Act, 1905." Given under the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this second day of August, one thousand nine hundred and six. Wm. Hall-Jones. Approved in Executive Council, J. F. Andrews, Acting Clerk of the Executive Council. The Chairman: We propose, this morning, going through the list of witnesses which it is proposed to have called, and to whom subpoenas will be issued, giving them twenty-four hours' notice at least. However, as some witnesses will be available to-morrow morning, we shall commence the taking of evidence at 10.30 o'clock to-morrow morning, and in veiw of the fact that the transcription of the evidence will be supplied from time to time —not left to the end —we will sit each day at 10.30 a.m., and then on till 1 o'clock. Commencing again at 2.15 p.m. we shall sit on till 4 o'clock. For the information of the Commission the report and evidence taken by the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the shipping of wet wool, which was laid upon the table of the Legislative Council on the 16th August, 1894, was put in and marked Exhibit No. 1. The Commission conferred. The Commission adjourned till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow, Tuesday, 14th August, 1906.

Wellington, Tuesday, 14th August, 1906. The Commission sat in the Upper Court, Magistrate's Courthouse, Wellington, at 10.30 a.m. Samuel Vickert Burridge sworn and examined. (No. 1.) 1. The Chairman.] What is your name? —Samuel Vickery Burridge. 2. What are you? —I am a fellmonger by trade. lam manager of the Gear Company's fell-mongery-works at Petone. 3. The Commission is desirous that you should give some information relative to the matters before it, and we should be glad if you would assist us. First of all, what experience have you had? —I have had thirty years' experience of the wool trade. I have been for the last seventeen years with the Gear Company, managing their fellmongery department. For four years previously I was with the Wellington Woollen Company as their buyer and classer. 4. Have you formed any opinion—definite or otherwise —as to the fires on wool-ships?—Well, following my own experience, I might say that during the last ten years I have prepared and shipped, on behalf of the Gear Company, about forty-six thousand bales of wool, and I might add that I have never had a bale of wool upon a ship that has caught fire. 5. You have never shipped any in a vessel that has caught fire?—l have never had any wool condemned as being damaged; I have never had any wool returned from the Harbour Board or from the stores since I have been in the company's employ. So far as handling wool is concerned, I have never had any trouble with wool being heated or otherwise after it had been baled. I have taken the precaution always to have the wool thoroughly dry, and L invariably spread it out to cool till the next day before packing it. This, in my opinion, removes any possibility of its retaining any moisture or heat. At one time, during my apprenticeship, I did see a woolpack burning, but this was in a stack of bales of locks stacked up in the yard owing to our having no accommodation for them in the building. That is the only fire I have ever known or seen during the whole thirty years of my experience. Following up this subject of the belly-wool and locks—now that I look back, as I have done during the past two or three months, and given the matter more consideration owing to the serious loss there has been to the country —I think it all points to the low qualities of wool. What I mean is, that if these fires have been caused in the wool at all, then I say it must be in the low qualities of wool. You will know that during last season and this season wool has been at a very high price, which has, no doubt, induced the farmers to ship more locks and pieces than they hitherto did. Previously most of this class of wool was scoured