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2586. Did you go up with a ladder and examine the bond ?—lt is not a temporary wall, except on the top part. 2587. That is the gable ?—Yes. I understand you to mean the inside of it. We built it in two 9in. walls, the idea being that the outer 9in. wall would bo removed and the inside 9in. one should be bonded in. 2588. You mean to say that there are two 9in. walls, and that the outer one is not bonded in ? —It is not bonded in here [indicating on plan]. This one should have been. There were two 9in. walls side by side. 2589. Then you meant to shift the outer portion of it ? —That was intended to be removed. 2590. It is an 18in. wall now? —Yes. 2591. Nine inches of it was of a temporary character, which need not have been bonded in?— It is toothed in, I should say, with the usual quarter-bond. It runs in about 2Jin. That was all the bonds we could get. I think that the other side was built in exactly the same way. 2592. There was no iron bond put through ? —Yes, I think there was. 2593. There was in the inner, but not in the outer wall?— That I would not say at the present time. But I say again that the inner wall was intended to be a permanent one. It was done, I think, by some arrangement or instruction given at the time. This thing had almost slipped from my mind, but now something strikes me that it was in the same part of the building as these windowsills, and these piers were carried up afterwards. There is just a blind joint up there. 2594. Mr. Gore.] You have said that concrete was put in the footings by two gangs working at one time ?—Yes; I think so. 2595. I want you to tell me what part of the concrete was put in by two gangs in one day. My object is this : I want to know if the concrete was put in more rapidly than you could inspect it; in other words, were the men trying to rush the concrete in? —In one or two cases they did. I know that on one occasion 60 yards were put in one day, when I was down in town. 2596. Put in where?—lt was put into the centre block. 2597. In the front of the centre block?— Yes. 2598. And you say positively that that concrete was put in while you were in town?— Yes. I cannot exactly call to mind whether the two gangs were on then. 2599. As a matter of fact, did you see most of the concrete put into the trenches?—l saw a good portion of it. 2600. Most of it, in fact ?—I was never satisfied with it, from the beginning to the end. 2601. But you saw most of it go into the trenches?— Yes. 2G02. It has been stated in evidence that a boulder has been found in the foundations. Do you remember anything of it ?—Yes; it stuck up out of the bottom. 2603. Can you explain why it was left there ? —lt was too largo a boulder to dig out. Some of the boulders we came across were yards wide. 2604. Do you know why it was not removed?—l cannot tell you the reason why. 2605. I did not like to put leading questions to the witness, or I might suggest why?—lt was a difficult thing to get out such a big boulder; besides, it would make a great hole; and, seeing they placed the stone packing on the bottom of the trenches, it was quite as good as the material of the foundations. 2606. The Chairman.] You consider, then, that the rock was as good as concrete ?—I do, and a little better. 2607. Mr. Gore.] Did you complain at any time of the quantities of concrete that were put in ?—No. You never tried to shirk the cement, except in regard to sending up qualities that were not specified. I never had anything to grumble about in regard to the quantities of the cement used. 2608. With respect to the cement not being as specified, do you know that Mr. Ussher examined and passed it ? —I cannot say. 2609. Did you receive a letter from Mr. Lawson stating that it was of good quality ? 2610. You did some cementing in the airing-court for the Government, did you not ? —I bought some cement from you. 2611. Do you know if it was of the same brand as that you have referred to ? I may tell you as a matter of fact that it was ?—When the first cement was finished a German brand was sent up. There was no name on it. 2612. How does that cement-work in the airing-court which you did for the Government compare with the work done by the C ontractor ? —That was for a totally different purpose. In the one case it was to make up a cement floor, in the other it was to carry the wall of a building. 2613. Then I will refer to the cement floor. How will the floor of the ambulatory compare with the floor that you put in the airing-court ?—lt will compare favourably. 2614. Very favourably?— Yes : a little better, I think. 2615. Do you remember putting in some drain through the ambulatory in the northern part of the building ?—Yes. 2616. Do you know whether any holes were cut into the concrete-wall ?—Not to put the drain through. 2617. Were not holes cut ? —There was a hole left in the centre of the front ambulatory-wall in the north wing. It was to allow of a drain-pipe being put in. There were bricks placed on each side about 18in. apart and about 9in. deep, and the concrete was filled up to same. The pipe did not go through the place left, but was taken underneath. 2618. You would not conclude that this was put in by the Contractor in order to scamp the work?— No. It was not done by you, but by myself. I think if it were examined it would be found that there was one on the corrresponding side. 2619. You have already said that you had got plans showing the depths of all the foundations ? —Yes.