[s. V. BUKEIDGE.

4

H.—29.

many cases-outside, for instance-it is very difficult to finish them, because they have not sufficient shed accommodation. In such cases it is very much harder to finish them dry. 30 Taking into account what vou know of the conditions throughout the country districts, do you'think there is risk of sheep-skins being packed damp i—Yes, there is great risk. 31 Supposing they are packed damp, would you consider them more like y to generate heat than wool?—I do not think so, but I have had very little experience of drying skins. 32. Another point that occurs to me: have you found that sheep-sluns when flayed have a deal of fat about them—country skins particularly J—Yes 33. Would that not tend to generate heat—to promote the generation of heat (—1 would say, No It turns the wool more greasy or oily. „,.;■,, , 34 Sir James Hector has stated in his evidence before a Committee that if it had been smeared with e-rease or oil ?—There is a great deal of difference between oil and tallow. 3 g 5 Oil becomes tallow at a certain temperature?-It has a very different effect upon wool. Oil will make wool heat more quickly. . 36 I was assuming that skins'were packed damp. It would generate a certain amount of aea t_possibly not sufficient to be dangerous, but if that generated heat, would that fat not tend o become tallow I—lf the skins were packed damp and created heat over 120° the akin would be useless. It would not be a skin at all. It would be quite useless it it rose to that heat 37 That goes beyond the question. I was asking you, supposing the skins were packed damp would they generate heat to a sufficient extent to liquefy the fat, which, becoming distributed in the wool, would cause fire?—l do not think so myself. _ 38 Sir James Hector says, " Wool in bales will heat if damp and smeared with oil, or if full of wooUy greaT Vegetabk/fiWe in contacr, with grease and moisture and not under pressure will ignite much sooner. Moisture in promoting decomposition supplies sufficient oxygen to produce the point of incandescence. If putrefaction commences heat is generated. This heat may real the pit of incandescence " ?-I do not think so myself, not from the experience I If you put oil on it I should say Yes, because I know as a fact if you put oil on the wool it will crpntf heat in less than half the time than without the oil. • 39 Have you ever seen any bales broken out of the ships' holds in a condition that they have hppn dangerously heated?—l have known of them being returned— undumped 4oCeyouet S een them?-I do not think so. I have seen bales of crutchings or locks suppose they had become heated-so hot that you could not PUt under which the locks had been from the time they were narked ?—The condition was that they were damp at the time of packing. 43 Have you Sen able to form any" idea of the time it took to reach the temperature you Would you whether you consider that wool of good quality packedl damp wouW be Hkely to heat to a danger point!_l do not think so; it would have to be more than damP 45. If wet?-Well, if wet I would not say. I have never seen a bale of good-quality wool heated in my be to gay h your opinion good-quality wool would not be likely to "reach a point of heating to cause fire?-I am prepared to say that is my °4 P 7 n And by good-quality wool you mean wool thoroughly well treated ?-I mean wool free country?-A fan- amount. conditions as to the control of the shearing? Who No- 1 ;l™ne" .*oca,o .hearing .»J wool If h. knew exact,;how far to go-bnt 7 o„ know oi no case of a bale having teen heated. Mhm „ e „. or an ignorant man, <i« yot.