F..—B.

E. BLANDFORD.]

89

11. Did yon give him any information about those in your possession?—l showed him one circular. 12. From an open envelope?— Yes; I do not know whose it was. 13. Was it from an envelope bearing the same superscription?— Yes. 14. Did you have a number of envelopes bearing that superscription?—l saw them on the table; I did not handle them. Mr. 'Ostler: A number? Mr. Gray: Yes. 15. Mr. Gray.] What were they doing on the table?— They were waiting to be redirected. 16. Did they then bear wrong addresses?—l did not look at any of the addresses. The head letter-carrier was redirecting them, and they were in front, of him. 17. What did Mr. Lowe say after seeing the form or circular? —He said, " If it is only printed matter I will not trouble any further." I offered to give him an inquiry form, but he would no! fake it, 18. Did you read the circular?— No. 19. Mr. Ostler.] Did you know, Miss Blandford, when Mr. Lowe came in and showed you the empty envelope—did you know the contents of the other circulars'? —No; f had not seen them. 20. How are you able to tell him you had many of the same sort in the office?—l saw them lying on the table. 21. After he asked thtv question ?—Yes. 22. And you took one and showed him?—l showed him thai it was printed matter —that is all. 23. And you yourself did not know what the printed matter was about? —I noticed that there was something typed at the top about the Protestant Political Association. 1 did not read any I hing else. 24. Were some of the other envelopes thai passed through your post-office empty?--! did not see any others. 25. You cannot tell whether they were empty or not? —No. David Geobiik Tlayks, Post Office Chauffeur, examined. 1. Mr. Gray.] What is your full name?— David George Hayes. 2. What are you?—A chauffeur in the Post-office at Auckland. 3. What are your duties? —I am on the night clearance. 4. What are your duties? —Driving the lorries to collect mails. 5. Were you on night duty in the w r eck beginning the 2nd July ?—Yes. 6. And in pursuance of your duties did you collect letters from the Dominion Road post-office amongst others, and take them down to the Post-office?— Yes. 7. What time did you collect the letters at the Dominion Road post-office?— About 12 o'clock. 8. When did you finish your round and get down to the Post-office?— About 1.15 or 1.20. 9. When you took the letters oul of the Dominion Road post-office wdiat did you do with I hem ?—Put them in a bag, took them to the car, and emptied them into a basket, 10. All letters, I suppose, are put into that basket?— Yes. 11. And when you took them out of the car at the Post-office what did you do?— Took them out of the car into the office, and put them on the sorting-table. 12. Who took charge of them?— Mr. Linton. 13. Was that practice followed every night during that week? —Yes. 14. It was necessarily followed on the 3rd and sth?—Yes. 15. Did your duty so far as those letters were concerned end there? —Yes. 16. Was there any act of interference with any of the letters you took out of the Dominion Road post-office between the times when you took them out of the pillar and when you put them on I he sorting-table? —No. 17. Did you examine any of the letters? —No. 18. Did you do anything more than was necessary to take them from one receptacle and put them on the table? —No. 19. As you did not handle them. I need hardly say you did not abstract any of the contents of any of these letters? —No. 20. Mr. Ostler.] Do you go by yourself on these rounds at night ?—Yes. 21. No other officer with you?— No. 22. When you get to a post-office such as Dominion Road post-office, are the letters already made up in a bag or-do you bundle them in? —I bundle them in. 23. I suppose you have got to look pretty sharp lo finish your round?— Yes. 24. Is there any record kept of Hie time you clear each box at night ?—Not each box. A record is kept of the time we come in and go oul, 25. How is that record kept : is it, kept in the General Post-office? —Yes. 26. Do you have to sign some book ?—Yes. 27. Have you looked at the book to see what time you arrived on that night?— No. I generalh arrive at the same time. 28. You then sign the book to say what time you did arrive?—l sign to say what time I wenc out on the second round. 29. Then you do not sign to say what lime you bring those letters to the General Post-office? —No. Mr. Ostler (to Mr Williamson) : Have you looked up the book ? Mr. Gray: Yes.

12— F. 8,