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■workmen to put stone packing in concrete. He insists on the stone being put about 3in. or 4in apart," &c. ?—That is not true. I never insisted on anything of the kind. I dare say ho is referring to Mr. Gore, sen. 1398. He also says in that same letter, " I called attention to the matter not being satisfactory, and requested Mr. Gore's manager to remove the man." Were you manager for Mr. James Gore in October, 1882 ?—Yes. 1399. How do you account for this statement appearing in Mr. Brindley's letter to Mr. Lawson : "It is not the first time that he has tried to scamp work"? Do you say that Mr. Brindley had no foundation for making such a statement ? —No, I do not think he had. 1400. Then that letter of his was written on entirely .imaginary grounds? —I cannot say anything about that, but I do say that he had no cause for his statement that the work was " scamped." 1401. He had no cause for stating that? —He had not. 1402. You state that there is a scarcement left on the inside of these walls ?—Yes, there is a scarcement of 6in., carrying the wall-plates. 1403. Are there any wall-plates in the ambulatory ?—No ; it is a concrete floor. 1404. Is there a scarcement shown there ?—No. 1405. Is the footing there any wider, or much wider, than what the wall is?— No. I told you that the wall is carried up to the whole size of the footing shown. 1406. Is the brick wall carried up the whole size of the footing shown ?—Do you mean the base of the pier ? 1407. Yes?— No. They were set off to the plan. 1408. These are your sections [handing plan to witness]. This is a section of the outside wall. Is that built in accordance with the plan ?—No ; it is thicker than the plan by 6in. 1409. Is any part of it broader than the footing ?—No ; it is of the same width. It may be a bit irregular. 1410. I ask you again, is any part of that section as broad as the footing ?—Not as shown on the drawings. 1411. There are five sections along the ambulatory where the damage has taken place : is the concrete shown at any place, or did it actually appear as broad as the footings in the plan ? —They measured 3ft. by 3ft. generally. 1412. I am taking it off the contract-section. Is that as broad as the contract-section ?— Yes. 1413. Will you swear to that ?—Yes. 1414. The Chairman.] Is that the back wall you are alluding to?—No ; the front wall. 1415. Mr. Blair.] I wish you to be particular about answering this. You say that the concrete there is as broad as the footings as shown on the contract-plan?— Yes. 1416. That is your statement ? —Yes. 1417. Well, I will leave that matter in the hands of the Commissioners. You say that some alterations were made in the footings, and that they were done by Mr. Brindley's instructions ? —Yes. 1418. You also said, if I took you down rightly, that in places where the foundations do not come out as far as the brick wall, it was put in specially by Mr. Brindley's instructions ?—I did not say anything of the kind. 1419. Well, were they put in to his satisfaction ?—They were. 1420. Was he quite satisfied with the places where he saw the brickwork overhanging by several inches ? —He must have been, or he would never have passed it. 1421. You swear that he saw and passed it ? —Yes. 1422. And you swear that he was quite satisfied with it ?—Yes. 1423. You stated, or suggested—l will not be sure which—that this drain —your drain which Mr. Ussher found to be filled with rubbish—was put in by Mr. Brindley's men ?—I merely suggested that his men may have done it. 1424. Did you hear the evidence given by the man who put that drain in ?■—Yes. 1425. Will you swear that Mr. Brindley or his men had the " notch" filled with rubbish?—l do not swear it; I merely suggest it. 1426. Then it is merely a theory of yours ?—No ; I merely suggested that Mr. Brindley might have put it in. 1427. You also stated, in reply to a question put by one of the Commissioners, that Mr. Brindley had given special instructions about the toothing of these walls ?—Yes. 1428. The reason alleged for it being that the walls had afterwards to be connected with another wall ?—At some future day. 1429. As a matter of fact, at the place where we examined the toothing, is not the wall already built ?—Yes. 1430. Then why should a toothing be left if the wall is to be built at some future time ?—lt is bricked out here, further westward. 1431. The toothing was between the side wall and the gable-wall, the gable and side walls being already in. How, then, could a toothing be provided for a future wall, which future wall is already in ? —Which toothing are you speaking about ? 1432. This one [indicating on plan] ?—There is no toothing between these. The toothing I am speaking about runs from east to west. I say that this wall [indicating on plan] is the same as the back gable of the south block. I repeat that I took my instructions from the Inspector. 1433. The Chairman.] This, you say, was treated as a temporary wall ?—Yes. Mr. Lawson : The plans were out for it. Mr. Blair : I never heard of that, though the Public Works Department is supposed to have had to do with it.