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ing advances? I take it at present the Overseer brings the Contractor to you and has more or less in his hands the power of recommending that such a man should get an advance of $1,000.
A.--But they have not that power. They may imagine they have. I am always very willing to hear what they have to say or what they have to recommend, and they are all
very full of recommendations, but I can assure you it has not the least influence on me. I never make any advance without going to see what proportion of the work in relation to the whole has been finished, and I recommend on that basis.
Q.--You go yourself?
A. Yes, or send the Deputy Surveyor General. I make an exception at China New Year when the men are all wanting their money, but I always retain a certain proportion of the amount due to them in hand in accordance with the terms of the Government contracts.
Q. Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-You appear to me to have shown the great difficulties in the way of appointing a measuring Surveyor, but at the same time you have also shown there is a great field for bribery if these men whom you describe are left entirely without any supervision.
A. Yes, unquestionably.
Q.-They not only, according to the account you have given, appear to be left almost wholly alone with regard to the character of the work
A.-No.
Q.-Wait a minute. But also as to the amount of the work, and then the making of the bills. If there is no superintendence over what they do but that which you and Mr. BOWDLER can give them, it seems to me it is necessary there should be some one else under you who would help you to supervise these men?
A.-But I don't admit your premises.
Q.-If these men appointed to superintend the work cannot do it, because it is too great, how can you and Mr. BOWDLER do it?
A.-It is not superintending. Mr. LISTER did not make use of that word—it is measuring.
Q.-But you made use of the word superintend. You said, "How can a man who goes round ascertain the character of the concrete and so on?" But that is not the work he is supposed to do. The difficulty we have is as to settling the account for work absolutely done. Is it not possible for a man with four coolies to go round every day and measure, where there are works going on requiring measurement, unless they are very far distant?
A.-Oh yes, it might be done, but he could not go out of the town. He would have to be all day going about.
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