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exactly plumb, but taking them by the eye they were pretty plumb. When the movement took place the cement floor commenced to bulge in the centre and gradually commenced to force the pillars out of plumb, this way and that way. The pillars of the colonnade commenced, I should say, from the centre to crush on the top towards the north. They opened on the north side of the pillars, and inclined northwards at top, and opened at base of pillars on south side. 2954. Mr Gore.} I understand they inclined towards the north and towards the sea as well ? —In the foot they did, from their original position. Ido not say from the plumb. 2955. Mr. Blair.] Did you have any trouble with any of the doors in the north wing before the strengthening was put in at any time ? —Yes, a good deal of trouble with the doors along here. 2956. I refer to this portion of the building, the north wing?—No, never had any trouble to speak of there. One or two doors here, about cell 25, I think, had to be touched up a little. In fact, I am touching them up every day. 2957. Have you had to alter or touch any of the doors towards the front of this wing ?—No. 2958. Not in the slightest degree ? —Well, I believe there is a door leading in here. I believe I have had to touch it. The door leading to the lavatories was down a shade. 2959. When did that occur ?—That is a considerable time since. 2960. Is that the only movement you have seen in the north wing?— Yes, the only movement. I know there is a shake down here, a sort of shiver down this gable. 2961. But as far as the doors are concerned ?—Yes, that is all that I have had to do down there. I think I did touch them slightly, but not to any extent. 2962. Was the middle wall of the ambulatory ever straight to your knowledge ?—Well, I can not say exactly straight, but nearly. 2963. When did you first notice any irregularity in the alignment of the colonnade pillars ?— Shortly after this pushing and rising up here. I could not give any dates for it. 2964. Is it a long time since ? —lt must be three years ago nearly, I should say. 2965. Have you been in the habit of watching this building carefully all over from end to end ? —Yes, I have had. to. 2966. Is it part of your duties ? —Yes. 2967. Have you charge of the whole building?—l have charge of keeping it in order—keeping doors and everything in working order. 2968. Did you ever get a site through the corridor from end to end of the building ?—Never until lately. 2969. Were you in the habit of looking to see whether the front of the building was straight ? —Well, I have taken to look at it after the cracks showed at the back. I thought it might be some slip, and I have looked at the front. 2970. Very well, you looked at it in connection with the cracks ? —That was what drew my attention to it at first. 2971. Have you looked at it since ?—Yes, I have observed it lately. 2972. Can you tell, from looking at the southern end of the building, whether the north wing of the building is exactly in the position in which it was when you first looked at it when the cracks appeared ? —I believe it is very much the same. 2973. Have you been in the habit of aligning it from the south end, looking at it from the south ?—Yes ; looking at it from the south towards the north. 2974. And it is now in the same position ?—I should say nearly. I did not look at it to take any particular notice. 2975. You looked at it for this purpose ? —Yes, in connection with the thing slipping, because I had had trouble with the other building slipping. 2976. You looked at it in connection with this very thing ? —Yes. 2977. And to the best of your belief the front part of the north wing is now in the position it was when you first saw it ?—I should say much the same, so far as I could judge. 2978. Might it be down 16in., or 18in., or 2ft. without your noticing it ?—I do not think it could. I should be apt to notice it. 2979. Where are the water-supply pipes along the back of this building, are they not close ?— They come, I should say, I do not know T what distance from the back of the building, but just at the back of the airing-yards—close to them. 2980. The Chairman.] Outside the airing-courts ? —Yes. 2981. Mr. Blair.] Are they 10ft. outside the airing-courts?—No; scarcely 10ft. —not at the corner, at any rate, because we had occasion to repair them up there. 2982. Have you ever found these pipes to leak from any slip in the ground?—No ; there was only one leak, to my knowledge. 2983. What was the cause of that ? —The small pipe was[*tapped into the large pipe. The pipes were very hard, and I think there had been a flaw. 2984. The leak was not through displacement of the pipes ?—I think not. 2985. Have there been any other leaks anywhere ?—Not to my knowledge. 2986. Now, there is a line of drain-pipes along the front of the building ; the main drain runs along the front of the building ; the sewage-drain parallel with the building?— Yes. 2987. About 10ft. away, or more ? —Well, we had occasion to put a trap into it, and I have a good idea where it is. We had to put a trap into it the day before yesterday. 2988. How far are they ?—They are outside the front of the central portion. There is where we opened it, down there [indicating on plan.] 2989. Has that drain ever been broken through a slip in the ground ?—Not to my knowledge. I have never known it to be, and I should most likely have known if it had been. It was broken into, as I tell you, to run another drain into it. 2990. The Chairman.] Did you see these water-pipes laid ? —No; I was not there at the time they were laid. They were there before I went out in October.