A.—4b.

that they were running a barber's shop and a butchery against private enterprise. When he had to admit these untruths he fell back on " beach " rumour as his authority, being quite incapable of realizing that he ought to have verified rumours before stating them as fact. He was unable to refer to any private individual who would have undertaken to maintain the hotel, and was not aware that the butchery was a German, business in course of liquidation. He had written as fact what was in reality rumour and surmise where it was not within his own knowledge untrue. He admitted that leading residents had been asked to become members of the Legislative Council and had declined, but could not see that his strictures on the appointments actually made were not justified. He says that he must criticize. Our discussion made it quite plain to me that when he writes he loses his sense of discrimination between fact and falsehood —that he is more or less irresponsible. J. E. S. Wilson. Do you disagree with this report of Mr. Wilson's upon his interview with you ? —Yes. Have you got a copy of the letter you wrote ?—'No. [Copy of Mr. Westbrook's letter then shown to him to see if it was a correct copy of his letter to the Overseas Club. Examined by Mr. Westbrook, who said that it was quite right.—Exhibit No. 11.] You admit that you have been writing for twenty years, and that recently you have been writing to various journals ? —Yes. In Australia ?—Yes, occasionally. On these particular matters of Samoan administration ? —-Just press notices. You also have written to the New Zealand papers ?—Yes. In the New Zealand papers you talked of that £100,009 loan ?—Yes. What did you say about it ? —I mentioned something about Samoa creating a national debt. Do you remember what was said about that £100/ 00 loan ? On page 18 it says, " The property which was pledged for the repayment of this loan of £100,000, upon which the New Zealand Government has already received interest and part sinking fund amounting to the sum of £28,997, is now, by the action of the New Zealand Government, the property of that Government. The New Zealand Government has, in plain language, foreclosed on the secured property." Was that what you wrote to the Auckland Star ? —No. What was it, then ? —I think that it was the Hon. E. P. Lee, who was Minister for External Affairs, who on one occasion stated that Mr. Massey had said that Do you know what you do write ? In any case, it was an attack on the Administration, was it not ?—Yes, it was. As a public man, why not ? That attack in the financial report was reported to the Natives in Samoa ?—I had nothing to do with the financial report. I mean that an account of what you had written in the New Zealand press got into the hands of the Natives in Samoa here, did it not ?—I do not know. Did you know that letter was the subject of discussion amongst the Natives in Samoa I~No. Do you know that after your letter appeared that the Natives declined to meet the Administrator, because from your letter they had lost confidence in him :do you know that ? —I know nothing about that. While Mr. Nelson was away were you writing to him—that is, amongst other people ? —Yes. Giving him beach rumour ? —I cannot tell you. I gave him general news and not beach rumour. Was it facts or beach rumour ? —I gave him facts, so far as I know. When did you first discuss with him the holding of a public meeting I—After1 —After his return to Samoa, when he informed me that he had met the Prime Minister and that the Minister of External Affairs was coming. Whose idea was it that the Samoans should be brought into political discussions ?—I was quite in favour of it. In fact, you discussed it with Mr. Nelson ? —lt has been my idea that the Natives should have a little more representation. You approved of the Natives being brought into this political discussion at this meeting ? —At a public meeting. Since your public meetings there have been meetings of the Native section of the Mau ?—Yes. How many have you attended ? —Four or five. With Messrs. Nelson, Williams, and Gurr ?—Yes. Have you always been to those meetings together ? —Yes. Have you addressed the meetings yourself ?—Only on one occasion. Who has generally addressed them —Mr. Gurr and Mr. Nelson ?—Mr. Nelson, Mr. Gurr, and occasionally Mr. Williams. You have only addressed them once ?—Yes. Mr. Baxter.] With reference to those meetings, was the Administrator attacked or criticized ?— Criticized. Have the Natives ever approached you and asked you about the letter that was in the Star ? — They have. Are you married to a European or to a Native ? —A Native. Is she a Samoan Native ?—She is a Wallis Island Native. Samuel Hornell Meeedith sworn and examined. Mr. Slipper.] You are a commission agent, residing in Apia ?—Yes. You are a half-caste Samoan '?—Yes. And your father was Scotch ? —Yes. You were born in Samoa, were you not ? —Yes. And you have the status of a European ? —Yes.

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