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143. Then how is the disease to be put down, and how are you to be held responsible for it, unless you have the power to appoint efficient officers for the proper carrying out of your duties ?—lt would be decidedly better if the Superintending Inspector had the power to nominate his own officers. 144. Are you not crippled now, owing to the want of that power ? —So far as I have gone yet I must say that I have experienced no such difficulty as that which has been referred to. 145. Have you had to remove any of the Inspectors ? —Yes, in one or two instances. 146. But if you had the power of nominating the Inspectors do you not think you would make just as good a selection as is made now ?—Yes, I think better men would be had by one man only recommending appointments. 147. What is the best means of getting rid of scab ?—By seeing that the provisions of the Act are properly carried out by competent men. 148. Are you a good judge of these matters ? —Yes. 149. Are Mr. Maunsell and Mr. Cooper capable men? —I do not know what their qualifications are. Mr. Cooper has had experience in station work and with stock. 150. You have had to remove some of your men ?—Yes, I had to remove some who were appointed before I joined the service in my present capacity. 151. If you had appointed them yourself would you have had to dismiss them ? —Did they neglect their duty I should treat all alike, whether I recommended the appointments or not. 152. I wish to ascertain what is the best means of getting rid of this disease of scab ? —The law now in existence will ultimately result in getting rid of it. 153. Would you not prefer to have the appointment of your officers ? —-Yes, if I am to be held responsible for the manner in which they perform their duties. At present lam responsible for all officers, whether appointed by myself or not. 154. The Oh airman. ~\ Were you aware of a vacancy in the department when the two Inspectors were appointed ? —I was aware that there was a vacancy at Napier. 155. Supposing that it had been left to you to make these appointments, would you have appointed the gentlemen who have been appointed ? —I cannot say. 155a. Do you know these gentlemen, or what their qualifications are ? —No. 156. Then is it likely that you would have appointed them ? —Not without seeing them. 157. At the time these appointments were made, were there any applications in the office from persons who were competent to fill the vacancies properly ?—I presume there were applications in the office. 158. Mr. J. Buchanan.'] Is Mr. Eobson a Sheep or a Eabbit Inspector ?—He is a Sheep Inspector at Tauranga.

Friday, IGth June, 1882. Thomas Telfoed, examined. 159. The Chairman*,"] You are the petitioner in this case ? — Yes. 160. You consider that you have been removed from the Civil Service without sufficient cause ? —I was removed very suddenly. There had never been any complaint made against me, and I never received any reprimand either from the Provincial Secretary or from the Colonial Secretary's Office. I have been thirteen years in the Service, and I have had substantial marks of recognition from both the General and Provincial Governments. 161. Was there not a complaint of remissness on your part in the conduct of the Sheep Inspector's Department ? —No. 162. You state in your petition that you have just cause to complain that the Government were acting as they did in consequence of the misrepresentations of Mr. Maunsell. What was the nature of those misrepresentations ?— I do not know exactly ; but I do know that he wrote a minute to the effect that the Sheep Inspector's book was kept so badly that it had to be written up again. On several occasions he objected to my work, though I told him I would do anything I was ordered in writing to do. 163. Do you say he was interfering with your duties as Sheep Inspector ? —Yes, he was dictating to us. 164. Your duties as Sheep Inspector were defined by law ? —Yes. 165. And you say that Mr. Maunsell was interfering with your duties ? —Yes, and I declined to submit to any verbal instructions from him. 166. Can you give an instance of his interference ?—Yes ; one of the sections of the Act empowers the Inspector, when he considers it necessary, to herd and yard infected flocks. Mr. Maunsell, on one occasion, sent to me asking whether I had attended to this rule in a certain case, and I had to tell him that it was absolutely impossible to do so in that part of the country. 167. Then, you mean the Committee to understand that in these matters, where the law allows you to act on your own discretion, Mr. Maunsell tried to influence your judgment? —Ye3. I may perhaps have expressed myself rather warmly against him at times when I was not satisfied with his behaviour to me. 168. Through whom did you receive instructions from the Government? —I received instructions from the Colonial Secretary's Office, the letters being usually signed by Mr. Maunsell. 169. And you carried out the instructions you got from the G-overnment through Mr. Maunsell?— Yes. 170. And any other communications that you received from Mr. Maunsell, which appeared not to have the recognition of the Government, you considered to be an interference with your duty?— Yes. 171. Have you any of the telegrams that you have spoken of ? —I do not know, though I may have some of them. 172. What makes you think that the G-overnment acted as they did in consequence of Mr. Maunsell's action ? —I had never been reprimanded either by the General or the Provincial Government, but the Government intimated that it was desirable to make a change in the Sheep Department, and that they had appointed Mr. Sutton to take my place. I was informed that I would receive the usual com-