( 96 )
Q.-Do any of them get paid by cheque?
A. Some of them.
Q. What proportion?
A.-In December last I think I gave a cheque direct to the Contractor Nan Ashing.
Q.-It is the exception to pay by cheque?
A. When I see the name of only one man on a pay list, I draw a cheque in his favour; when there are more names then one on a pay list, I draw a cheque for the whole amount and pay to the parties.
Q.—The general rule then is that one cheque is signed for a number of works, and
this is then distributed to the various men in notes and silver?
A. No silver.
Q.-Small silver?
A.-Small silver, yes.
Q. Do you ever hand notes to any body else in the Government Offices for payment? I mean, for instance, have you ever given notes to any Officer in the Public Works Department and told him to go and pay them to so and so?
A.-I have done so.
Q.-Often?
A.-Not often. For the Tai-tam Water-works I did.
Q.-To whom were these notes given?
A. To Mr. GOULBOURN.
Q. How often has this been done?
A.-There are a good many people living at Tai-tam who are unable to come over here for their money, and Mr. GOULBOURN will take their money over there and pay them on the spot.
Q.-Are you satisfied yourself they are unable to come in?
A. Yes, because they work day and night. Even on Sunday they work. At the beginning I used to ask Mr. GoULBOURN to send these men to the Treasury, and he told me it would be very inconvenient for these men to leave, and Mr. ORANGE said the men were not allowed to leave their post.
Q.-I think I understood you to say this morning that to pay each man by cheque where the sum was more than $10, say, would involve more labour than the present system of paying it through the Shroff?
A. Yes.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.