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[j. P. P. CLOUSTON

4. Are you also acting at Auckland as the Postal Censor? —Yes; that is so. 5. How long have you been acting as Censor at Auckland? —Since about—l do not know the exact date—but about the 14th December last. 6. Had you acted in that capacity anywhere else before that? —I acted from February, 1915, until the 29th September, 1916, at Christchurch. 7. You are an officer of the Post-office as well as Censor? —Yes. 8. And I understand the whole of your time is not taken up by the duties of Censor? —No. 9. In respect of the censorship, under whom do you act?—l receive my instructions from, and account direct to, the Deputy Chief Postal Censor, Wellington. 10. Do you account in any way to the Chief Postmaster at Auckland? —Absolutely No. 11. Or to any other Postal authority?—No; none whatever. 12. Do you receive, or have you received, any instructions from the Post Olfice as to your office as Censor, or your duties as Censor? —No. 13. Are you accountable to anybody except the Deputy Chief Postal Censor in Wellington ? — No. 14. You know an instruction was received some time ago that literature emanating from box 912, Auckland, should be submitted to you as Censor?— The Chief Postmaster gets the instruction. 15. And, no doubt, communicates it to his officers. When did you lirsl know that anything relating to box 91.2 was to be submitted to you? —In December, 1916, 16. From whom did you learn the fact? —From Wellington. 17. From your chief? —Yes. 18. Not from the Post Office?— No. 19. Without inquiring into your methods or practice, which I am not permitted to do, may I ask whether there arc other persons besides the holder of box 912, Auckland, whose correspondence is submitted to you. for censorship?— Necessarily so. 20. Did you have any postal matter relating to box 912 submitted to you as Censor in the first week of July in this year —between Monda)', the 2nd, and Monday, the 9th July?—l do not know whether I am permitted to say whether I had or not. His Worship: lam somewhat doubtful about that myself. If he answers that question, that is his responsibility. lam not going to allow any interference with his duties as Censor. 21. Mr. Gray.] May I ask this: are you prepared to say whether you received any letters bearing the superscription of box 912 on the Friday or Saturday of that week?—On Saturday morning I did. 22. You received some, bearing the superscription " Box 912 " ?—That is so. 23. What was it you received?—l received documents in closed envelopes similar to those. 24. How many ?— -About two hundred on Saturday morning. 25. Did you receive any more?—l received some on the following Monday morning—about two hundred and sixty. 26. That is about four hundred and sixty in all? —Yes. 27. All closed envelopes?— All closed, as far as I know. 28. None of them open?— No. 29. Those which were handed to you on Saturday—were they of the same character as those delivered to you on the Monday, to all external appearance?— Yes. 30. What did you do with these two bundles of two hundred and two hundred and sixty?— I released them when I got instructions from my superior in the censorship in Wellington. 31. At what time?— About 11 a.m. on the 9th. 32. In time for delivery that afternoon, I presume? —Yes. 33. I want to ask you this: the letters which were handed to you on Saturday morning— by the way, what time were they handed to you?—l got them about, 9 o'clock, when I came on duty. 34. But for their being handed to you, I presume they could have gone oul in the ordinary course of post on that Saturday?—l presume they could. 35. Was the holding of these letters on Saturday and Sunday, and up till 11 o'clock on Monday, the act of the Post Office or the act of you as Censor?—lt was the act of the Censor. 36. And you held them until you were instructed from Wellington to let them go?— That is so. 37. I do not want to inquire into your methods; but may 1 ask you this: Some of these letters which have been produced have got pieces of stamp paper on the backs as if to seal down the covers. Will you tell me whether or not that was your work ? —That is not my work. 38. You have been in the Post-office some years, I understand? —About twenty-one years. 39. And I understand you were selected as Censor partly on account of your postal experience?— Yes. 40. To your knowledge, is gummed paper like that used in the Post-office?—l do not know whether it is used or not —not to my knowledge. 41. Have you ever seen it used in the Post-office?— No. 42. Mr. Ostler.] Have you ever been asked before you were asked just now by Mr. Gray about that stamp paper?— Yes, I have. 43. By whom?— Mr. Williamson. 44. But Mr. Williamson professes to tell us he knew nothing about it because he had not asked you ? Mr. Gray: Pardon me, 1 do not think so. My learned friend professes to think so; but I do not think Mr. Williamson said anything of the kind.