F.—B.

72

[j. 0. WILLIAMSON.

175. You know that the Postmaster-General himself cannot open a sealed letter? —Yes. 176. Then, without, any instructions whatever to open the correspondence of this box you ordered that correspondence to be opened? Mr. Gray: No, certainly not. 177. Mr. Ostler.] The first part, of your order is these words : " Literature distributed by the Committee of Vigilance, post-office box 912, is to be submitted to censorship . . . Vigilance." Now, so far, those were the instructions you got from the Head Office. Now, these words I am going to read you say you added : " Please see that all correspondence posted at Auckland, or delected in transit, is submitted to the Postal Censor." Do you not see the difference between "correspondence" and "literature"? —No, because literature may very well be put up in closed envelopes. Mr. Ostler: It does not matter if it is; if it is in a closed letter you admit you know it is sacred. Mr. Gray: He has not said so. That is your explanation of it. 178. Mr. Ostler.] Do you not know that correspondence in a sealed letter, whether literature or letters or anything else, is not to be opened on pain of dismissal? —Do you mean, not to be submitted to the Censor ? 179. Not to be opened. Do you not know that, is the law under which you have been working forty-odd years?—l do; but. I fail to see the bearing. 180. Do you not know that in that order you went beyond the instructions of the Censor in that you ordered correspondence—that, is, sealed letters—to be submitted to the Censor?—No, I do not, know. 181. lam afraid Ido not understand English words, then. Now, subsequent to your giving that order you received a further order from the Head Office: w r ould you mind producing it — about the sth April, 1 917 ? —This is the original. 182. It is a memo, of the sth April, 1917, from Mr. Waters, First Assistant Secretary [memorandum read]. You have referred it to the Chief Mail Clerk for attention, and then Mr. Rudd has put on a memo., "The Assistant Postmaster; necessary action taken." Did you put a further order in the order-book on receipt, of that order of the sth April?—l gave the necessary instructions to my Chief Mail Clerk. 183. Did he carry them out by putting an order in that order-book? —He will be able to say that. 184. You will be able to say: you have the order-book in front of you?—As far as I know, he did not. 185. Why did you not answer the question at once: that does not look like frankness?—l want to speak from my own knowdedge. ,186. I suppose Mr. Rudd would report to you that it, was done? —I have reason to suppose it was not done. 187. Have you not looked through that?—lt is not indicated there. 188. You must, have looked there to see whether it was?—No, not precisely. 189. Have you received since the sth April any subsequent instructions from the Head Office with regard to the censorship of the correspondence of this box ?—No. 190. Is it not a fact that all instructions which come from the Military Censor to the Postal Censor at Auckland are communicated through the Head Office to you, and by you to the Postal (lensor ?—No. 191. How, then, does he get to know them?— That I cannot say. 192. Does he read the order-book? —It would be open to him to do so, though it is kept in another room. 193. As a matter of fact, would he not have to sign this order-book, being a Postal officer? —No. 194. What is the Censor's name?—Clouston. [Book examined and name not found.] 195. Why did he not, have to sign the order-book, being a Postal officer?— Because he would not deal with correspondence as a Postal officer. It is our mail-room officers' book. He is not in I be mail-room. 196. Referring to the first instructions given, which were pasted in on page 183 of that book —that is to say, the instructions given that " Literature distributed by the Committee of Vigilance is to be placed on Chief Mail Clerk's table. It will be identifiable by the request to return, if unclaimed, to box 912 " —referring to that—that, was the first instruction given—why on the Chief Mail Clerk's table?— Because the Chief Mail Clerk in ordinary course would be the executive officer who would deal with it, 197. But the instructions you had received the day before were that that literature was to be submitted to the Censor—that was the Military Censor. Should not the instructions have been thai, that literature was lo be submitted to the Censor?—lt was not necessary to instruct the subordinate officers to that extent; but the Chief Mail Clerk himself was instructed, and got a copy of the telegram. 198. ft was not necessary to instruct subordinate officers that this literature was to be submitted to censorship?— Not absolutely necessary. 199. Why did you find it necessary to do so on the 24th March ?—lt was a variation of instructions. Instructions are not necessarily always given in the same words. 200. On. the 24th March you. followed the instructions; the day you originally received the instructions you did not follow them?— This paper shows that I did. 201. I say you did not, because it says the literature was to be submitted to censorship ; your instructions were that it was to be submitted to the Chief Mail Clerk?—- Whose business it was to send it to the Censor.