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6557. Then, before you come to the floors, you ascertain if there are any flaws in the closetpipes, or defects of that kind? —All repairs are executed in that way, but if there are any special repairs needed they are at once attended to. 6558. The Chairman.'] Do you take away all the skirting-boards and remove all the woodwork around the closet-pipes ? —lt was all stripped last year, when there was a general overhaul. Except in one ward new floors were put down in the closets, and the closets themselves had additional ventilators. Under the old system there were boards stretched across the whole of the back portion of the closets, and in front, but these have all been swept away. 6559. You have reduced the closets to what is called a " circular " form ? —Yes. 6560. Does that apply to the baths, or are you only talking of the closets ?—I am only speaking about the closets. 6561. Mr. Chapman.'] The lavatories and baths are still boarded in? —Yes. 6562. The Chairman.] Do you strip them for the annual cleaning?—No ; but if there were any leakage or burst we would have to strip them. 6563. But do you not strip them to see if there is any accumulation of dirt ?—No. All the woodwork about the closets and bath-rooms is painted—that is to say, one side is painted, while the other side is painted, grained, and varnished. The floors are well washed. 6564. Mr. Chapman.] What is the process of washing the floors?—By scrubbing. 6565. With scrubbing-brushes?— Yes, with plenty of soda and soap mixed. We wash them two or three times. 6566. Do you wash them three times during the fallowing period ? —I think so, but I will not be certain. 6567. Do you use any particular kind of soap ?—Ordinary common soap. 6568. Do you take any special care to see that the floors are thoroughly cleaned ? —Yes. 6569. How long does a ward stand vacant ?—Usually about three weeks from the time that it is first empty. That will depend on whether there is any urgency for keeping the ward vacant. In that case the time it is empty may be less. 6570. The Chairman.] You keep it vacant three weeks if possible ?—Yes. 6571. Mr. Chapman.] Are the windows in the ward washed?— Yes ; they are frosted, and the woodwork is all washed. 6572. Are the places where dust or dirt may accumulate well washed?— Yes ; that is all done before the cleaning commences. 6573. The Ghairman.~\ Is that the first thing you do?— Yes. 6574. Mr. Chapman.] As to the other parts of the building, what steps are taken as to cleaning ?—ln the basement once a year we give them a coat of hot limewash all round the walls, after dusting them down in the same way as the other walls. 6575. The Chairman.] Is any fumigation done there ? —No. 6576. What is. the limewash made of?— Hot lime, with the usual quantity of salt. 6577. Mr. Chapman.] Apart from this annual cleaning-dow m in the basement, is it regularly kept clean ?—Yes. 6578. In what way, and how often ?—Every week it is swept all round. If there is any dust I direct the attention of the porter to it, and it is cleaned up by him. In addition to whitewashing the walls, every third or fourth year there is a coat of tar spread over the asphalt—the whole of the basement has been asphalted—and it is top-dressed with sand. That was done last year. 6579. Are the windows in the basement kept open regularly ?—Yes; I see to that myself. 6580. Are you satisfied that the basement is kept thoroughly cleaned?—l am satisfied there is nothing there which we can avoid. 6581. Is there any oozing, or anything of that kind?—ln some places there are some damplooking spots, but Ido not know what they are due to. I have never seen any signs of water. 6582. The Chairman.] It is sealed down with the tar; otherwise damp would arise?— Yes, I think so. I may mention that the main hall has a coating of whitewash. We tried limewash there, but it all flaked off, and looked rather unsightly. 6583. Mr. Chapman.] As to the staircase and galleries, how often are they washed?— They are cleaned once a week. I think, once every fortnight they are washed, the matting taken up, and the boards scraped in the same way. 6584. And the floor of the main hall—is that done at the same time ?—Yes ; but it is sometimes done oftener. It depends on the amount of traffic and on the appearance of the hall. 6585. And the various rooms on that floor—are they cleaned in the same way?— Yes. 6586. And the rooms upstairs—are they cleaned in the same way?— Yes. 6587. There has been some reference made to the channels overhead—to the trunks leading the water to the outside gutters : are these attended to ?—Yes. 6588. How do you get access to them —through the man-holes ? —Yes. 6589. What is done to them ?—They are all scraped out. 6590. How often ?—I think about twice a year. 6591. The Chairman.] When were they last cleaned?— About a fortnight ago. 6592. The whole of them?— Yes. They only go over the four upper wards. 6593. Mr. Chapman.] How 7 many of these channels are there?— Four. They seem to be rather hollow-shaped in the centre, and the water runs to the outside-from the ridges of the roof. 6594. Then they are not square at the bottom ?—They are certainly not level. The channels on the main roof are cleaned out about once a quarter. 6595. You say that the various parts of the building are cleaned out regularly from time to time?— Yes. [The dispenser's return of the goods dispensed from 1887 to 1890 inclusive, also analysis of amounts spent during same years in repairs and additions to buildings, here handed in ; Exhibit Ixiv.]