149

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4. The Chairman.] Whom were you assisting ?—Mr. Beaglehole and Mr. Crawford. 5. Mr. Taylor.] It was distinctly understood, as far as you were concerned, the information you collected was for the Prohibitionist newspaper and not for police purposes ?—Yes; I would have had nothing to do with it if it had been otherwise. 6. What hours were you about ?—From 7 in the morning till 8 at night. 7. What date was it ? —lt was on a Sunday in March, as far as I can remember. 8. Was it not a few weeks before the licensing poll was taken in 1894 ?—I think it was; lam not sure. 9. What was the result of the observations ? Do you remember the number of people who went into the Post Office Hotel ?—Four hundred and four : that is, not including those whom we thought were lodgers. 10. How did you distinguish a lodger, for instance : what kind of judgment did you bring to bear on the question ? —Well, several went in with portmanteaux. 11. And you thought they were bond fide lodgers ? —Yes, travellers coming off the steamers. 12. Any one whom you thought was travelling you tried to distinguish, and did not take note of them ?—Yes. 13. Does that hotel do a large luncheon business—a pretty considerable travellers' business? —I think it does. 14. Have you got a note of the numbers who entered, say, between a quarter to 12 a.m. and 2 p.m.; have you the number separate on your list ?—No, but I have calculated it out, and I think it comes to about 116. 15. The Chairman.] How did you calculate it out ?—I have the hours down on a list here. 16. Which was taken at the time you saw the people entering ? —As we saw them go in we put the time down. 17. Colonel Pitt.] That is, you made those identical notes?— Yes. 18. Mr. Taylor.] Was the object in making that separate calculation to give an idea as to how many might have gone in legitimately for lunch?— Yes. 19. Have you made any systematic attempt to collect information in regard to that hotel since that date ? —No. 20. So far as you know there has been no systematic attempt to collect information of this kind since ?—No. 21. Were you not surprised at the number who entered the hotel ?—Yes, I was. 22. Supposing anybody had suggested that three hundred would go into the hotel would you not have thought it unlikely ?—Yes. 23. You have made no systematic observation since then ? You would not like to express an opinion as to whether things were better or worse now ?—No. 24. Did you make observations in regard to any other hotels that day ? —I more particularly watched Eylands's. 25. From your standpoint, how many hotels could you see ?—Three hotels. 26. Could you see both sides of the corner hotel, or only one face ?—One face. 27. And you could see the fronts of two others ?—Two others. 28. How many did you see go into Eylands's Hotel ? —From 7 in the morning till 10 in the morning I think forty-one went in, and about 1 o'clock—l do not know the exact time—the door was closed, and from that time right through the day nobody could get in. There were twentyseven persons tried to get in, but they passed on to the next hotel. 29. And was that subsequently closed altogether ?—Yes. 30. Was there any other hotel—what was the other hotel you were able to see ?—The Pier. 31. What was the result of your observation there ? —About eighty people. 32. In the same time ? —That was all day. 33. Did any of the people at any of the three hotels show any signs of drunkenness on leaving the houses, do you remember? —■Nβ. There was a little disturbance by some of the»people coming out of Eylands's Hotel, but it was over money matters I think. 34. You could not hear anything from where you were ?—No. 35. Did there seem to be a watch kept on any house from the outside ?—Yes. 36. Which house ?—The Pier. 37. What was the nature of it ?—As far as I noticed there was one person walking up and down all day long, and at intervals he went inside. 38. He did beat duty really, all day ?—Yes. 39. Do you ever see any drunkenness on the streets of Wellington on Sundays now ?—Occasionally, sometimes more than others. 40. But you have made no particular observations bearing on this question since that date ?— No. 41. The Chairman.] Did you see any policemen about during that day ? —There was one went into the Post Office Hotel, and I think I have got it on my notes, stating that he went in on inspection. It appeared to us he went in to see if everything was all right. I have got the notes here : " A policeman, after investigating, came out." 42. Do you know what he did when he went inside ? —Oh, no. 43. How long was he in ?—Oh, just a short while. 44. What time was that ? —Fifty-two minutes past 10. 45. The Chairman.] How long was he in the house?—Oh, just a short while; about five minutes. 46. Was he in uniform ?—Yes. 47. Mr. Taylor.] Do you remember whether there would be any customers there at that time ? • —I could not say, but there must have been from the number of people who went in.