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600. On an idle day are the men paid?— No. 601. But the whole expense of running the mine does not cease?— No. 602. What ensued then ? —We have been standing ever since that date. We gave them the idle day, and they never resumed work. 603. They went out on strike then ?—Yes. 604. Was that before any coal was actually supplied to the Union Company ?—The company took coal on the following Monday in the " Brunner," and since then the mines have been idle. 605. Was the "Brunner" in before the Monday?— Yes; she was in discharging before the Monday. 606. Have the company made any overtures to the miners to resume work?—No; they have made no definite offers to them. 607. In your opinion, then, the stoppage of the works at present is because of the Union Company's steamers getting coal ?—Yes ; the men having been called out by the Maritime Council. 608. Did they know the " Brunner " was loading coal ?—No ; but I think they got to know on Sunday that there was some chance of the "Brunner" being loaded. I know one of their officers came up and told them that it was rumoured that she was going to load. They came to know, I think, when she had loaded the coal on the Monday. Indeed, we had no other ships to take it. 609. Did they give you any notice of not continuing work after that ?—lt was taken for granted. 610. You consider they went out in consequence of the notice contained in your letter of the 30th August, they having previously declined to fill coal for the Union Steamship Company ?— Yes. 611. Now about other interruptions to the working : how far could they be remedied by anything that could be done by the railway authorities ?—I do not know what the Eailway Department could do, except to provide extra storage. 612. Have you thought of any scheme ?—There are two ways of doing it; additional trucks or staiths could be erected in Greymouth. 613. To what extent would extra storage be required, do you think ?—I should say about 3,000 tons. 614. For what period would that suffice ? —That would give something like a week's work with the trucks now available. I am speaking now of the present mines. If any other mines were opened up they would require increase of storage according to their output. 615. Apart from the question of expense, which would be the most satisfactory way, in your opinion, of providing storage ? —The coal-trucks, I consider, would be the best. 616. Are the present trucks satisfactory ? —Very suitable. 617. If staiths were adopted, where would be the best place to erect them?—At the lower end of the wharf; but I think they would only be available for unscreened coal. 618. You consider the dropping the coal into the vessel would damage it ?—Yes, it would. 619. With the present system of lifting the trucks from the frames and lowering them into the vessel, have you observed if it breaks the screened coal and forms fresh slack?— There is very much less breakage than in dropping the coal from the staiths, where you require a greater elevation. 620. Supposing, instead of staiths on the wharf, storage was supplied down on a reserve in such a way that that severe drop was avoided—that is to say, the trucks run over bunkers, and when the coal is taken from the reserve supply the train is run underneath the bunkers —do you you think that would obviate the danger to the coal ?—I think it would prevent breakage to a considerable extent. 621. What proportion to the whole coal that is shipped does this screened coal, for which special provision has to be made, form ?—I should think probably 70 or 80 per cent. 622. That quantity would require these precautions?— Yes. I think the present trucks for the mines now working would form a very good reserve for screened coal alone, provided there was staith accommodation for the unscreened. I think staiths on the wharf would be ruinous to the screened coal. 623. Is there any other provision that could be made by the Harbour Board in the way of increasing the facilities for getting away the coal ?—I do not know that there is. There is, however, sometimes a little difficulty about getting special trains up. I think they should do all they can to run specials. 624. What is the practice when specials are required?— Applications are made from our Greymouth office by our agent there. 625. Then there is nothing else that you can think of? Is the wharf accommodation quite sufficient ?—Yes. The cranes work very well. 626. Have you any suggestions to make as to the interruptions caused by miners—l mean in general terms ?—Of course there are the union holidays. They insist upon taking them. They have provided for them in their union rules ; and at times they are very inconventent to the company. 627. Are these numerous?—l cannot give you the number, but I think about four or five in the year. Sometimes they have a couple of days at a time. 628. Are there any other holidays ? —There are the usual holidays in the district, of course, and these generally lay the mines off. 629. Are these public holidays ?—Yes, and for races and other things. They generally take them all. 630. Do they, as a rule, work steadily ? Have they ever gone off work, or anything of that kind ?—Of course there are a few who neglect their work, but on the whole they are regular in their attendance when there are no holidays. I should call them a fairly steady body of men.