Q.That is the kind of talk
A. Yes.
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you
have heard?
Q.-Then I understand your objections to give us names arises, not from our inquiry being in private, but because you have nothing to give us?
A.-Nothing you could take hold of.
Q. Hon. A. LISTER.-Is it the opinion of the Officers of the department that work could be done cheaper by outside people?
A.-I don't know, because I have no communication with the Officers of the de- partment. I know one thing, about our own work at Tai-tam, that no one could possibly do it cheaper than we are doing it. I consider so far the work has been done at the lowest cost, and that no one could have got it done cheaper.
Q.-Then these people who thought the work could be done cheaper were outside
persons?
A.-Outside persons. We must have heard the same thing.
Q.-Well, in some points I confess to having had the same opinion. Governor HENNESSY gave me much trouble about this. If I wanted a box a foot long I was to ask the Surveyor General for it instead of getting it made myself. I always held I could get these things done cheaper than by the Surveyor General. At the same time I am willing to admit they were done much better by his Department. Then as far as you know no Officer of the department holds that opinion?
A.-As far as I know, no.
Q.-The CHAIRMAN.-Then you
individual allege that any Officer of the department had been guilty of any act of squeezing or corruption?
have never heard any
A.-I have heard it in general terms.
Q.-But you have never heard any individual state, either that he made any charge or had heard any charge made against any particular Officers? I mean it is one thing to hear people say, "oh, we all know well enough the Officers of the department get squeezes," and it is another for you to hear "oh, we have very good reason to believe that in the case of that work, so and so, who was Overseer, made a good thing of it?
A.-Well, as I told you before, I have heard names mentioned, but I consider they come in the light of a private conversation, privately held, and therefore I don't feel justified in repeating them.
Q.-Would you be willing to give the names in public?
A.—I would give the names of the persons with whom I had the conversation.
Q.--Hon. A, LISTER.-Oh, we will print them in the Daily Press to-morrow if
you like.
A.—If I am on my oath and so on I am compelled to.
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