60

A. H. MILES.

H.—29.

9. Have you ever noticed whether sheep-skins will heat to the same degree of temperature that wool will?—l"have never really taken the temperatures, but 1 should say from what I have seen that those sheep-skins I mentioned were undoubtedly as hot as any wool I have seen heated. You might be able to get that information from the Harbour Board officials who saw the sheep-skins with me. 10. Do you consider that sheep-skins are or are not a greater danger from heating than wool, assuming that either would burn? —I should say they are not a greater danger than some of the greasy locks and pieces that are shipped. Most shippers who are interested in the wool trade endeavour to dissuade their friends from shipping heavy belly-pieces and locks; and while on that point I might refer to a letter I received from the Commission this morning inquiring whether the tendency has been to ship more locks and pieces this last season than in previous seasons; but that is absolutely opposed to my opinion. This last season we certainly shipped on behalf of our clients fewer locks and pieces than we did before, and we are not singular in that respect, 11. It has been stated in evidence by several witnesses, but I do not know whether they have access to the figures to enable them to form an opinion, that the quantity of locks and pieces shipped has been greater this last season than in previous years ?—That is not my experience. The only way you could get at that would be through the export returns; but the tendency last year was to d"ispose of the locks and pieces in the local market owing to the high prices ruling, more so than has been usually the case. 12. It has also been stated that large quantities of locks and pieces bought at sales were packed and so shipped, not having been scoured? —1 think any one buying them would scour them. You see, locks lose 50 to 60 per cent., sometimes more, in weight, and a man would in ordinary course undoubtedly prefer to scour them if shipping them Home for a speculation. Of course, there are locks and locks, and pieces and pieces. 13. We find it difficult to get any proof from either the Customs, shipping companies, or Harbour Boards, and we thought that in all probability the shipping agents would be able, from their records and by turning up a number of their old clips, to say whether there is or is not any foundation in the statement that a greater proportion of locks and pieces had been shipped?—l am afraid you will only get that in a general way, because, although I might come to you and say that, so far as my experience goes, we shipped less than we are in the habit of doing, still those locks might have been bought in the local sales and shipped. It is exceedingly difficult to trace. 14. You held wool-sales last season? —Yes. 15. Did you notice whether a large proportion of low-quality wool came into your stores wet? 1 think we only had one or two cases of damp wool which we detected, and we have that every season. 16. Did you regard last season as having been a particularly wet season —abnormally wet?— Not abnormally wet. It was wetter in some districts than other seasons perhaps, but I should think on the whole there is not very much in that. A number of my friends I find conducted their shearing through the wet weather, and others had a good time; but it happens nearly every year that people who shear early get a wet time, and those who shear late get a drier time, or vice versa. 17. Captain Blackburne] One witness stated that it was notorious among shearers that a great many sheep had been shorn wet ?—Shearers will not shear wet sheep as a rule, and the growers do not want to shear the wool when it is wet. 18. Mr. Foster] I have here a letter addressed to me, which is unsigned, from a former owner of a station called Akitio. Do you know that station ?—Yes. 19. Have you any idea who could have been the former owner?—There are two Akitios—one on the north of the river owned by Armstrong Bros., and Akitio on the south. [Letter handed to witness.] No wonder he is not the owner of the property to-day according to that letter. 20. Can you form any idea as to who it is?—l should not care to say —it would not be fair. 21. Do you think there is anything in it?—No. That letter raises one point which I might refer to. There may not be anything in it, but I suppose you gentlemen will be glad to get hold of as many points as you can, and then form your own opinion as to whether there is anything in them. 1 have seen several cases, particularly "on the east coast, of small shipping-sheds where wool has been waiting shipment—sheds build on the sand, and these bales of wool have been lying there virtually on the sand above high-water mark on dry sand, but ten or fifteen bales stacked there awaiting shipment. The bottom of the bales has been lying right on the sand, and that is one of the risks the underwriters have to face—no greater risk, probably, than men having wool stacked in a shed with a leaky roof. 22. You referred to two bales sent from your store to the Harbour Board —they would be undumped bales ?—Yes. 23. Do you think the temperature would have been forced up much higher had they been dumped ? —I do not see why it should —they are packed so tight. 24. Captain Blackburne] You gave evidence in a former inquiry, and collected some evidence about the s.s. " Bungaree " in which the bales were found heated in the centre, and were- discharged into a lighter. The bales fired next morning apparently?—Fired the woolpack, 1 think. 25. The lighterage people gave a bad receipt as being wet and stained, and it is stated that the next morning those bales fired. 1 suppose that meant that it blazed?—The pack probably blazed. 26. And you quoted a letter from the average-adjusters which states, " If we are right in this conclusion (and we cannot help thinking we are), then there is no claim for particular average on wool damaged in this manner " ?-—That was the case in point. 27. Do vou know what conclusion they eventually came to about that case?—Nothing more was heard of "it so far as I know. I could not, without reference to my books, say whether the claim was ultimately paid. That was a ship from Melbourne. 28. You might be able to find out?—Yes. 29. You also said, "It is difficult to fire wool by itself. If there was a mixture of cotton and wool there might be danger " ?—I am still of that opinion.