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Q. How is it there is such a difference between the rents of the two stalls? A.-Probably the positon is the reason.
Q. Why is one man granted a lease and another man not?
A. Well, sometimes if a man takes a stall in a Market as we do not want to be chopping and changing we ask him if he will enter into a lease for more than a month. The Chairman.-Though you do not care to let a stall by the month you would not refuse to do so?
A.--No, but if a man would take a year's lease we should prefer it.
Mr. Maitland.--It is the general idea of the Government to get as much out of the Markets as they can?
A. I do not know that it is.
The Chairman.-Are there any stalls in the Central Market unlet ?
A.-Very few; there is always a good demand for stalls in the Central Market. Q. Do you have the photographs of the stallholders?
A.--Yes.
Mr. Maitland.-Do you know that they are really the men who carry on the business?
A. That is what I do not know positively.
The Chairman.-Is the Inspector supplied with copies so that he can see whe- ther persons at the stall are the same?
A. We do not supply him with copies, but they are put up at the stalls.
Q.-Well it has been reported that it is a practice in the Market for a man to rent a stall from the Government for $20, or $10, or $8 a month and to sub-let it for a greater amount. Have you any reason for believing that such a practice exists ?
A.-Such a system does exist.
Q. Are there no means of checking it ?
A. We try to check it as much as we can.
Q-To what extent does it exist? How many stalls in the Market are in that -condition ?
A.-I cannot say; it is only when there is perhaps a little dispute that we hear about such a case.
Q.-But have you no means of effectually checking it?
A.-Well, we inspect the stalls and see if the men whose photographs we have are present there. Occasionally they are called up to the office.
Q. Of course notice has to be given for them to attend on a certain day, and the right man marches up, and you have no means of knowing whether he has been in the stall for the last three months or not?
A. -We do not give them notice; we send for them.
Q.-But whether he is actually the person doing business at the stalls or not you have no means of knowing?
A. If we have any suspicions we send and make enquiries.
Mr. Maitland. Have you been able to trace any particular case?
A. Yes.
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