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paying any rent? Don't you think that would decrease the price of the different articles produced on the mainland-eggs and chickens and so on? If we had a regular market day, don't you think we should arrive at the actual value of the products?
A.—I don't think it would work, for the simple reason, the market people would go and secure the products before they reached here.
Mr. Francis.-You stated distinctly, just now, when you were asked what was the reason of the increase in the price of pork, that you did not see that the Pork Guilds interfered in the slightest degree with pork?
A.-That is pork only. There are lots of other guilds. I said I had no knowledge of their doing so. They might do it.
Mr. Marshall.-Don't you think that suggestion of mine would bring pressure to hear on the guilds so that they might reduce their prices ?
A. It would if you could carry it out, but they would square the people before they get here. You can't beat the guilds. They run everything.
Q.-Then you think the price of food-stuffs is kept up by a combination ?
A.-Possibly.
Q-Don't you think the system of letting out the stalls helps that combination? A.-In what way?
Q.—By concentrating them in one place where they could be watched and regu- lated by the guild?
A. The guild would control them just the same wherever they were.
Mr. Marshall. Doesn't it look like as if there was a combination in the Market to- prevent people getting stalls?
A.-No. In that particular instance it was done because they did not want to be shifted. These vacant stalls were in the middle of the block.
Mr. Maitland.-What is the usual rent of stalls?
A.-It varies very much indeed. I recommended that this row should be moved. They said they did not want to be shifted.
Mr. Francis. Do they use them?
A.-I suppose so.
Mr. Osborne. Why do the Government not charge them the full price?
Mr. Marshall.They arranged that they would not bid for them and thus got them for $1.
Dr. Hartigan. Mr. Ladds, you can tell us about the Slaughter-house. It was farmed out. Now do you think that leads to any squeezing of the owners of the
animals ?
A.-I don't think so.
Q.And the farmer has no ineans of interfering in any way with the routine? It is directly under the supervision of your office ?
A. Yes, such as it is. I have not enough men. The man on duty has to super-
vise it the whole of the 24 hours.
Q.-So it is quite possible that things could go on without the European supervisor knowing?
A.--It is not very probable that anything does go on without his knowledge. It is possible, of course, as the man must have some sleep. It really ought to be run by the Government.