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Q. And then?
'A.—I found out sufficient to be able to return it.
Q.-I suppose we must not ask the name.
A.—I should not like to give the Contractor's name.
Q.-It was a Contractor?
A. Yes, a Government Contractor.
Q.—Could you give us any idea, if you have formed any, as to what was expected of you for these $300 if you had taken it?
A.-There was a good deal of work I was in charge of, and it was expected, I suppose, that I should overlook the class of work and that sort of thing, and that I should forward the Contractor's payments, get him the certificates.
Q.-Make things pleasant for him?
A. Yes.
Q.-You say this was placed in an envelope on your table. I suppose the office boys, messengers, and so on, must have known perfectly well of its being there?
A. I should not think so. The Contractors were in and out of my room all day long, and when I was out they just put it down and left it there. That is the way I
found it.
?
-Do you suppose it had been lying on the table any length of time?
A.-No.
Q-I suppose the Chinaman would not have trusted it there very long.
A.-No, except that there were a number of chits always on my table and no one but himself would know there was anything valuable in this particular one.
Q.-Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-With reference to delayed payments, had you any reason to suspect payment was purposely delayed in order to squeeze the Contractors?
A.-No, I can only speak from hearsay.
Q.-But from your knowledge of the system do you think there was any good ground for suspecting payment was occasionally delayed in order to get a squeeze?
A.- -Well, the only thing I can say is, it seemed to have become a custom that all the bills must be made out by a certain man, or they did not get put forward as quickly as they might.
Q.-Would you have any objection to name him?
A.-I would rather not. He was a Government Official.
Q.-Without giving the name could you indicate his position?
A.—A clerk.
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