C. WADLEY.]

57

H.—29

26. And the whole time in Wellington?—Yes. 27. And you have been dealing with flax throughout the whole of that time?—Flax, wool, and tow. 28. We have been told that, prior to the starting of this grading, flax was occasionally shipped wet?—Yes, wet and green. 29. You said just now that no flax was shipped wet?—Not now. 30. But it has been prior to the grading?—Yes. 31. Do you consider the grading now is a thorough preventive to shipping wet flax?—Oh, yes. 32. When wet flax was shipped prior to the grading, did you ever find any heating?—No sir 33. It did not heat at all?—No. 34. Did you ever see any of those flax-bales opened?—Never seen them opened. 35. When wet they were simply dealt with? —Rejected flax is generally stowed by itself. 36. You have never seen a bale opened?—No. 37. So that you would not know what condition it was in? —No. I have seen them discharged in the Old Country. 38. But you would not know what the condition was inside—you would not know whether they were hot or warm?—No. I have seen tow wet inside, and I have seen it all go mouldy after it has been opened. 39. And was there any increase in the temperature at all inside?—No, it was just mouldy— rotting away. 40. Was it still damp or had it got dry?—lt had got dry. 41. So that if it had got dry the heat would have gone out of it? —Yes, absorbed from it. 42. Was there anything to lead you to suppose that that part which was mouldy was not mouldy when it was packed ?—I should think so. 43. You understand what I mean?—Yes, was put in in good condition. 44. Was that mouldy condition there prior to its being put into the bale?—l do not think so; I think it was in good condition when it was put in. 45. Except that it was wet? —Yes. 46. What led you to think that?—lt was through the fire it got wet —that was the "Jessie Osborne." 47. It was saturated owing to the fire?—Yes, with water. 48. And subsequently, owing to the heating as one would expect, it got mouldy?—Yes, started to get rotten. Most of our ropes we get made in New Zealand of flax, and they are wound up pretty tight, and if you look at the heart, which is wet with fresh and salt water, although it starts to go rotten, there does not seem to be any heat at all, because 1 have had flax in ships for three weeks and then broke it out, and it has come out all right after having been screwed down tight. 49. Do you mean going in wet?—No, gone in dry. After I have taken it out after being screwed down for three weeks, 1 have found the same temperature as when 1 put it in. 50. We have had no evidence as to whether flax which is in good condition and thoroughly dry would heat. What is the condition of wet flax when dumped?—That it will rot —it will never fire. 51. Have you ever known of any loading of flax or wool in wet weather? —If it rains at all we knock off loading. 52. But you work in a sort of Scotch mist?—No; if it is going to wet the woolpacks we do not work, and if we see the least sign of rain coming over the wool, we have it rushed into the ship's hold and cover the hold over. 53. Do you stow the flax and wool in the same hold?—Yes. 54. And if the flax is stowed in the same hold, is it ever in contact with the wool ?—There are generally partitions of either mats or wood. 55. If there were no mats used and you were putting tow in, would not some of that tow be likely to come in contact with the woolpack?—lt is very likely to come in contact with the wool-bale. ' 56. In between the wood?—Yes. The partition of wool is only a thin partition, and it is screwed up in the sailing-ships, but in the steamboats it is just stowed in, and there is more likelihood of friction than in the ships. 57. What do you mean by a " partition " ?—A sort of bulkhead. 58. Closed bulkhead ?—Yes. 59. I thought you meant dunnage?—No, the dunnage is underneath. 60. Supposing in a hold you had a certain quantity of wool, and you had to put flax in, would you put it on top of the wool?—Yes. 61. But what would you have between them?—Dunnage—close-boarded wood. The dunnage goes first on the lower part of the ship, and then if the ship has 'tween-decks we put the dunnage underneath, so as to allow a certain amount of ventilation to go between the bales. 62. That is close-boarded ?—Yes. 63. So that there would be no possibility of the tow getting down and coming in oontact with the wool? —Oh, no, unless when it is being squeezed in. There is a tremendous pressure on the screws when squeezing it in. In steamboats they simply place it in without screwing it. 64. Have you ever found any wool heat after it is stowed? —No. 65. Not on any occasion? —No. 66. Did vou stow the "Pitcairn Island"? —I partly stowed her. She took three thousand bales in Dunedin. 67. Did you take any notice as to whether there was a large quantity of locks and pieces?—l could not tell you that. 68. You do not take any notice of that? —No, no notice at all. Of course, you can generally tell when it is heavy wool —when you know there are locks and pieces in it. , 69. Did you notice whether there were any heavy bales?—There were a lot of heavy bales in the " Pitcairn Island."

B—H. 29.