A. —4b.

Judge MacCormick.~\ You must not deduct that. Surely you can work it out the same way as Samoa ? —As far as I can see, it has been worked out the same way. Mr. Meredith.] You have compared the amount that was spent on public works with the total revenue, have you not ? Bead your own report. You said that you will have £28,435 for public works and divers expenses other than salaries paid out in connection with the various Departments and officials, so that out of a revenue of £150,000 there is about £25,000, or one-sixth of the revenue, or less, disbursed for the actual development of public works. What is the revenue for Fiji on the same page : £550,000, is it not I—Yes.1 —Yes. That is the same as the £150,000. If you get the blue-book, you have the actual figures for the public works as £71,000. What is the relation between the revenue of £550,000 to the £71,000 ? That is the same comparison is it not ? —Yes. That will be 13 per cent. ? —Yes. We will just take the percentage in Samoa : even on these figures the Samoan percentage is something over 16 per cent., is it not ? —From what figures ? You have the figures. You say yourself it is one-sixth. That will be something over 16 per cent. ; so that the proportion of amount of revenue available in Samoa for public works is greater than it is in Fiji ? —That is so from those figures. The Chairman.'] The blue-book shows the net amount of expenditure on public works for the year is, in Fiji, £71,000, and extraordinary expenditure for the year is £12,962 (see page 60 of the blue-book, 1925) : that is a correct extract ? —Yes. Mr. Meredith.] And the amount spent in public works is under 13 per cent, of the revenue of Fiji ? —Yes, that is so. And the net amount available for public works in Samoa is over 16 per cent, of the revenue ? — Yes. I want to explain this. In the Fiji statement, page 60, and immediately before the item, " Public works annually recurrent," there is " Works establishment, £10,643 ss. 6d." Of that sum £9,693 3s. Bd. is put down as personal emoluments, and other charges £950 Is. lOd. It should be that £950 added, I think, on to the amount we are calculating just now. Judge MacCormick.] That would make very little difference in the proportion ? —Yes, but to be correct I just mentioned it, sir. Mr. Meredith.] Do you mind telling me, Mr. Gurr, who read the Samoan report on finance ?• — I do not know. Who produced it to the committee I—That1 —That I do not remember. Were you present when it was produced ? —I was present when it was produced. Who read it and explained it to the committee I—l do not remember. Who was the spokesman on behalf of the Samoan members of the committee when the com mittee discussed these reports ?—I do not recollect. Did you not discuss the Samoan report with the Samoans I—l1 —I did not discuss it, sir. The report was read for our information, and to the best of my recollection I made no discussion. Did any one else ?—I do not recollect. Who read the European report to the Samoans ? —ln Samoan ? Yes ?—-I believe it was Mr. Nelson. Did you hear him read your report to the Samoans ? —No ; he interpreted the report to the Samoans. At that time it had not been translated. You understand Samoan ? —Yes. Did he interpret it as you had it prepared ?—I believe so. I would say so. Did they ask or want any of the figures explained to them, or was it merely read to them ? —lt was merely read to them. It was late at night. I recollect that it was the last report read. It was not explained to them ? —Tt was read ; that is all. When was it printed in Samoan ?—Between that meeting and the time the reports were sent to the Administrator to present to the Fono of Faipules, as requested by the Minister. Where was it printed ? —I do not recollect it being printed, but typewritten. By whom ? —By Matau, a Native clerk. He was the Native secretary to the Committee, was he ? —Yes. Did he distribute it to the Natives ?—I do not know what he did. Did you prepare any other reports ? —I have prepared none. You only prepared the financial report ? —Yes. Who prepared the other reports ?—I believe Mr. Williams prepared the medical report; I believe Mr. Nelson and Mr. Meredith the report on Native affairs. And the legislative report ?—I think, Mr. Westbrook and Mr. Nelson, to the best of my recollection. These sub-committees were set up, were they not, to prepare the reports ?—Yes. On what occasion were they set up ? —The committee elected at the first meeting arranged among themselves as to who should make the reports. How long after the first meeting was that done ? —Shortly afterwards. You have minutes of that meeting, I suppose ? —Minutes were always taken. All the minutes have been kept ?—Yes. I think you told us you were resident in what is known as American Samoa ?—Yes, I was. How long have you been in Western Samoa ?—I came to Apia in the beginning of June, 1924. I think you told us you held some official position in American Samoa ? —Yes. What was that position ? —Secretary of Native Affairs and Chief Judge. Combined with that there was the nominal position of Secretary to the Commandant. When did you vacate that position, Mr. Gurr ? —Tn 1908.

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