Amend- ment of pleadings.
by the Director of Public Works in accordance with this rule the claimant may within seven days from the service thereof serve a notice of acceptance on the Director of Public Works and in that event may apply to the Registrar for an order directing that his costs of the reference up to the date of the acceptance of the offer may be taxed and paid by the Government and upon the hearing of such application the Registrar shall make such order as he thinks fit. Where an offer is made by the Director of Public Works in accordance with this rule and is not accepted by the claimant within such seven days, the Director of Public Works shall file with the clerk to the tribunal a statement in writing setting out the sum so offered to the claimant, the date on which such offer was served and the fact that such offer has not been accepted by the claimant. Copies of such statement shall be delivered by the Director of Public Works to the claimant and to the Registrar.
13. Either the claimant or the Director of Public Works may at any time apply to the Registrar for leave to amend any pleadings delivered pursuant to these rules and upon such application the Registrar may make such order upon such terms as he thinks fit and all such amendments shall be made as may be necessary for the purpose of determining the real questions at issue between the claimant and the Director of Public Works.
Fixing date 14. At any time either the claimant or the Director of Public and place of hearing. Works may apply to the Registrar for an order fixing the date and place for the hearing and determination of the dispute or for the preliminary hearing of any point of law or any other matter which may conveniently be disposed of on such preliminary bearing and upon such application the Registrar shall make such order as he thinks ft.
tribunal.
Preliminary 15. If it appears to the tribunal at any time before the bearing at instance of hearing that it will be to the advantage of the parties that a preliminary hearing should be held for the purpose of determining the mode of conducting the hearing, fixing or altering the place of hearing, considering whether one or more claims referred to the tribunal shall be heard concurrently, or for any other purpose whatsoever, the tribunal shall have power to hold such pre-
liminary hearing upon giving notice thereof to the parties and may at such hearing make such order as the tribunal shall in all the circumstances think fit:
Provided that no preliminary hearing shall be ordered pursuant to the provisions of this rule unless and until any party affected by any proposed preliminary hearing shall have been notified of the proposal and shall have been given an opportunity of objecting to the same.
16. The tribunal shall have power to examine persons upon Manner of
giving oath or otherwise.
evidence.
17. Where either the claimant or the Director of Public Affidavit. evidence. Works is desirous of proving certain facts by affidavit in lieu of oral evidence, application shall be made to the Registrar for leave so to do stating those facts which it is desired to prove by sffidavit and the Registrar if satisfied that affidavit evidence can properly be adduced may make an order allowing such facts to be proved by affidavit upon such terms as he shall think fit:
Provided that where it appears to the Registrar that either the claimant or the Director of Public Works reasonably desires the production of a witness for cross-examination and that such witness can be produced, an order shall not be made authorizing the evidence of such witness to be given by affidavit.
to admit
18. Either party may give to the other party notice in writing Notice to admit any documents saving all just exceptions and in case of documents. refusal or neglect to admit after such notice, the cost of proving such documents shall be paid by the party so neglecting or refusing, unless the tribunal otherwise orders.
documents.
19. Either party may give to the other party a notice in Notice to writing to produce at the bearing any document to which reference produce is made in any pleading or list of documents filed by such other party, and if such notice is not complied with, secondary evidence of the contents of such documents may be given by or on behalf of the party who gave such notice.
admit facta.
20. Either party shall, not less than fourteen days before the Notice to date of the hearing, be entitled to give notice to the other party requiring him to make any admissions of fact which such party