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4439. Mr. Loughrey.] Take Storer's papers : are there such property-tax returns amongst the records in Storer's estate? —I do not see them here. The Ledger-keeper would be best able to talk on that part of the matter. 4440. The Chairman.} Will you look through the records in Dallon's estate, and tell the Commissioners if you find such a statement there ?—No, there is not. There may have been a reason for not rendering them. 4441. Now take any estates the papers of which you see in this room—and I suppose there are papers here representing twenty estates —and you will not find such a return in one of them?—No? 4442. Take the papers in the estate of Richard Winter, deceased—are the returns there? —There are none here. 4443. Have you ever had anything to do with any of the loans for the Trust Office, in judging of the securities offered, or procuring securities for the Trust Office ?—When I was in Auckland, conducting the agency for five months when Mr. Macfarlaue was killed, I sent down soma applications for loans. I sent down an application for a loan from Mr. Eanderson. I saw that property, and part of the amount was advanced on part of the securities. 4444. Does that loan exist now ? —I think it does. 4445. And it is not worth the money that was lent upon it?— Not now; but it is a fine property. 4446. Was it chiefly on your advice that the money was lent ?—Not on my valuation. I received the application and sent it down. 4447. How much money was lent on it ?—About or a little over £1,000. 4448. Do you know of any other properties in that direction that are not worth the money that was lent upon them ?—ln Auckland there is a large proportion we lent money on years ago which we could not realise now on account of the fall in prices. 4449. Do you know where those properties chiefly are ?—I think, hi the north of Auckland and Tauranga. 4450. Can you remember the names ? —I am a very bad hand at recollecting names. 4451. Do you remember a mortgage from Burleigh? aud do you think that is worth the money lent? —I do not know the property at all. 4452. Do you think that Randersou's mortgage has been paid off, or has the property been sold ?—I am not sure; and I cannot say whether the property is sold. It may have been sold since I went away ill. 4453. Do you remember the amount originally lent to Randerson ?—lt was over £1,000. 4454. Now, Mr. De Castro, are you sure that when you were before me last you had no other communication to make to me than what you then did? —No, I had not. That was all. With regard to the bracelet, I think I shall be able to clear it up to your satisfaction. I inquired from Thomas and Co. as to the purchaser of the bangle, and they told me it had been purchased by a dealer named Cleary. I went to him and asked him if he had still the bracelet or bangle. He said he had, and that he would give it to me. He said it is a broad band with stones in the middle, and was only an imitation of gold, and that he was taken in. Mr. Thomas Acland further examined. 4455. The Chairman.] Mr. Acland, have you something further to say to the Commissioners? —Yes ; I wished to say that, in regard to the Asylum patients, Dr. Macgregor issued a circular in December, 1889, telling the Medical Superintendents to give the discharged patients who had no money a few shillings to keep them for a day or two. We represented the matter to him, and he remedied it as far as he could. 4456. Then, the cause of the friction in that direction was and is with the Public Trust Office ? —It was then with the Public Trust Office. 4457. Mr. Macdonald.} In fact, every lunatic patient discharged should have £1 or £1 10s. given to him ?—lt ought not to come out of the charitable-aid business, but should come out of a separate fund. With regard to the method of conducting auction-sales, we used to give these small auctions to auctioneers year about, so that nobody could ever complain, which I think was a failway of doing it. In an estate at Oxford, for instance, the local man had that sale, and as to the men in town they had it year by year. 4458. Had you occasion to sell personalty as well as real estates?— Yes, a few odds and ends, In Dr. Turnbull's estate, we sold all his things. I took an undertaking from the son that he was to have what was wanted. If the estate did not realise fair value he was to give it back to make the thing good. 4459. Mr. Loughrey.] At such sales as you mention, did you or any one in your office bid?— No ; I should consider myself more than a fool if I did. 4460. Is it honest or proper to do it ?—lt is not, I am bound to say, usual. 4461. Do you think it would be proper for the Public Trustee, or any one from his office, to bid at these sales ?—No. In a recent sale I saw goods go at a less price than their value. I saw a microscope and some instruments go at a less price than I considered they were worth. I saw the microscope going at 70 per cent, less than it was worth. I think it was sold for about £7, and in my opinion it was worth about £20. I was credibly informed that it cost £50. I could not do anything to protect the property unless I made a bid on behalf of the estate, which I was not authorised to do. There was one instance where a section was sold at Southbridge. It sold at £40. I was definitely instructed by the Public Trustee to protect it, and I told the auctioneer that he was to make one bid. 25— H. 3.