H.—7a.

12

WILLIAM ROBERT CONDY.

Mr. Kennedy, in explanation of his not putting other questions to his witnesses, said that it was not to be expected that the men would stand up and make charges against the Medical Superintendent in his presence. Witness (to Mr. Kennedy): You have not taken any part in this agitation which was not approved of by me personally. You were not alone in getting up these petitions; they were got up by all the attendants. (To Dr. Levinge): I signed the petition in the A Ward, in the day-room, when I was on day duty. I was attached to that ward in the mornings; I signed at night, in the ward. It was understood that we were to sign it. I signed of my own free will; Kennedy handed me the petition. You have never had me before you for the purpose of censuring me. You have only once spoken to me; I am mostly on the farm. You have never seriously reprimanded me about my work, although you have sometimes spoken to me sharply. Harry Bearman examined. Witness (to Mr. Kennedy): I have been here eight years, and have never known you to be untruthful. You have not been the cause of discontent amongst the attendants. I have seen the petitions and round-robins that were sent away. These were drawn up, not by you personally, but by the attendants, or, rather, by a committee of the attendants. I signed the last petition to Mr. Witty; I signed of my own free will. (To Dr. Levinge) : Nobody in particular asked me to sign ; there were three or four of us in Ward C at the time. My salarj' is now £90. Under ordinary circumstances it would be £80; I got an increase on account of special work. I remember you addressing me sharply a few'days ago for the tone in which I was speaking to a patient. I admit I was using bad language at the time, that I lost control of my temper. Thomas McMillan examined. Witness (to Mr. Kennedy): I have been sixteen months in the service here, and have never known you to be untruthful. I have seen several round-robins and petitions that have been got up by the attendants. I saw them all. They were got up by all of us. Those who did not sign were just as bad " agitators " as those who did. I can honestly say every man was dissatisfied. I signed all the petitions of my own free will; I agreed with them. (To Dr. Levinge): We wanted to better our condition. Fred Goldsmith examined. Witness (to Mr. Kennedy): I have been an attendant thirteen months, and have never known you to be untruthful. I am aware that certain petitions and round-robins were got up by the attendants and sent to the Minister and members. They were got up with the assistance and approval of all the attendants. It was not a " one-man job." I was not pressed to sign ; I signed of my own free will, because I agreed with the statements contained therein. (To Dr. Levinge): On a previous occasion I was here for three months, and left on account of illness. When I came out of the Hospital I applied to be taken back. You took me back on the Ist October. You have never at any time blamed me about my work or reprimanded me. (To Mr. Beetham): I have not any feeling of insecurity about my billet at present. (To Mr. Kennedy) : Yes, there is dissatisfaction amongst the attendants with the conditions of their work. The dissatisfaction existed long before I came here, and is not caused by the present agitation. Your action and the agitation has not. caused the dissatisfaction. Dr. Levinge said he would call evidence to show that there was no dissatisfaction with the conditions of work. Alfred James Murphy examined. Witness (to Dr Levinge): I was employed here some little time ago, and left to better myself. I left in consequence of the insinuation that was made at the mess-table that I had something to do with the disappearance of some articles; that, at any rate, had a little to do with my leaving. I had another situation to go to. I applied twice by letter to be taken back here, and personally a third time. Nathaniel Burgess examined. Witness (to Dr, Levinge) : I was here about twelve months ago as an attendant. After that I went to South Africa, and then came back to New Zealand. I applied to be taken back here. (To Mr. Kennedj'): 1 have never known you to be untruthful. I signed the round-robin to Mr. Witty; I was not pressed to sign it. I should not say that this agitation has caused any unsatisfactory feeling amongst the other attendants. Your part in it has not caused any dissatisfaction with the conditions. Some of the others have been worse than you. I think the dissatisfaction is general, and not confined to one or two. (To Mr. Beetham): The security of our position all depends on what the doctor does. The doctor is very severe. Yes, I have a sense of insecurity, partly on account of signing these roundrobins and trying to obtain privileges. This disturbance being raised among the attendants has made the doctor dissatisfied with the attendants. He has been more liable to change than he was before. (To Dr. Levinge): You have spoken to me about my work, and the Head Attendant has also done so. You said I was not as active at my work as I used to be. Edward Condon examined. Witness (to Dr. Levinge): I have been here two years and a half. A brother of mine applied to come here as an attendant; possibly my sister did also.