A. —4b.

The Chairman: lam not clear yet whether Mr. Lewis's letter related to his application that his wife should be permitted to carry on his trading business. Mr. Meredith: I have the correspondence. The Chairman: My colleague thinks that the letter to which he did not get his reply was his first application. My recollection is that the witness said that he wrote to the Administrator suggesting that if he was to lose his trading license for life, could his wife carry on the trading business. To that application he got no reply. Mr. Meredith : In reply to his letter to the Administrator making an application on behalf of his wife, he received a letter from Mr. Lewis asking him to call at the Native Office when convenient. The Chairman : His Honour Judge MacCormick seems to think that there was a previous letter of his which was not replied to. Mr. Meredith : There is no letter on the file. The Chairman : There was some question of title brought into this matter ? Is it of any importance ? Mr. Slipper: Not as far as the cancellation of the license goes. The Chairman : Then do you rely on it as one of your instances ? Mr. Slipper: Yes, that is one instance. The Chairman : Then you had better get it out. Mr. Slipper.] What was your title ? —Ale. Lui is your common name ?—Lui is my taulealea name. And you got notice taking away your title ? The Chairman.] What does " Ale " mean ? —A chief's title, as distinguished from an orator. Mr. Slipper.] Have you got that notice ? —lt is with the editor of the Samoa Guardian. I sent it to Mr. Gurr to be printed in the paper. The Chairman.] When did you recommence using the title ? —I did not use the title immediately after I got the order, but other people continued to call me by it, as they were used to calling me by that name. Mr. Slipper.] Have you received any order entitling you to resume the title I—No,1 —No, I have not received permission to use the title. Now, as regards these matters of sending subscriptions to Matau, attending and addressing meetings of the Mau, have you ever been told before that that was why you lost your trading license I—No.1 —No. John Kruse sworn and examined. Mr. Slipper.] You were a trader for Messrs. 0. F. Nelson and Co. ? —Yes. At what place ? —Faga, in Savai'i. What were your earnings there ? —£3o per month. Was there anything extra ? —I was running a branch consisting of eight stations, and at the end of the year I got 10 per cent, of the net profits. You got this notice from Mr. Bates ?—Yes. You sent a reply to that ? —Yes. This is a copy of the reply I —Yes. Later, on the 16th August, you received this notice ?■ —Yes. It is a copy of a letter sent by the Administration to Messrs. Nelson and Co. [Letters and notice put in : Exhibit No. 16.] How did you get it ?—The firm sent it to me. The Chairman: I notice that this is different from the others. It simply refers to a license held. The others refer to trading licenses. Judge MacCormick: It is called in the Collector of Customs' letter a " license to trade." Mr. Slipper: There is no such thing as a license to trade. I may be at fault, but may I ask the witness ? The Chairman: But he will not know. Mr. Slipper: Was anything sent direct to you by the Administrator, or was it from your office ? —From my office. Judge MacCormick: The first one was sent to the person concerned. This one was sent to the Collector of Customs from the Administration, and copy forwarded to witness by the Collector. The Chairman: These proceedings are with reference to a trading license and not with reference to a store license. Judge MacCormick: I think that section refers to a store license. The Chairman : Subsection (2) refers to new licenses, but these proceedings are in respect of a trading license and not in respect of a store license. Mr. Slipper.] Did you ever take out a trading license ?—No. Have you a license of any kind ? —Yes, a copra-weigher's license. That is the only license you have taken out ?—Yes. Where are you working now ? —At the head office of 0. F. Nelson and Co. At the same wages ?—No. Are you married ? —Yes, and I have two children. How long have you been trading ? —Four years. Have you any other occupation or calling ? —No. Do you know why your license was cancelled ? —No. You can give no suggestions of any kind ? —No. Mr. Meredith.] Were you receiving Mau subscriptions ? —Yes. Did you forward them to Mr. Nelson in Apia ?—Yes, by instructions from the firm.

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