49 17 928.
The buyers always place a mark on the cattle ?
—Yes.
17 929.
Have you ever heard any disputes arising at the toll gaps ?—Sometimes
people have refused to pay, and they keep the cattle then.
I think they swear them.
There is a sort of declaration by placing their hand to the board.
173930.
They do not produce any book or paper ?—
No.
'
17.931.
They ask them to touch the board to clear their conscience P—Yes.
17.932.
Have you ever heard any complaints of the levying of this toll of 6d.
on a head of cattle actually sold ?—Nothing
came to my knowledge officially.
17.933.
Outside of that have you heard any com¬ plaints P—I suppose people would rather not pay if they could help it.
17.934.
Have you heard complaints P—I have not.
17.935.
Have you heard complaints that the facilities afforded for weighing in the market place have been insufficient P—I have not since the fair green came under our control.
17.936.
I mean in the market place P—No.
17.937.
Is yours the only public ouncil in the town P —Yes.
17.938.
Are there not some private individuals in the town having ouncils or weighbridges?—The
railway company have a weighbridge.
17.939.
They do not utilise for the public ?—No.
There is another at the gas house, but they do not utilise it either.
17.940.
Have you consulted Mr.
Barry as to the sche¬ dule of queries forwarded to him or have they been brought under his notice P—They were brought to Mr.
Townsend's notice.
17.941.
You say some cattle are sold on the streets of the town ?—Yes
; sometimes.
17.942.
But the pig fairs are held on the streets P— Yes.
The cattle are not, except going to and from the fair green they might be purchased.
All cattle are carried to the fair green, and sometimes they are kept about the gates of the fair green.
17.943.
When you weigh these different commodities mentioned you have got printed tickets to give denoting the weight ?—Yes.
The following are copies of the tickets handed in by witness :—
TlPPEKABY BUXIEE MaIUCET.
No.,
Mr.
1888.
.firkina
of butter, at per firkin.
TlPPEKAKY MABKET.
188 Weighed for.
.bags
of.
st.
lbs.
J.
Mulqueek, Weighmaster.
17.944.
You put the gross and net weight on them P —Yes.
17.945.
When your men are doing that do they ever ascertain the contract price entered into between the buyer and seller P—Almost always.
17.946.
Do they keep any record of that p—They do on the block.
17.947.
Then you keep blocks to the tickets p—Yes.
17.948.
If the ticket is lo»t you are always able to give a copy of it p—We are always able to give a copy of the weight, but not of the price.
17.949.
Is it entered from the copy into the book?—
It is not entered in total, but just for cash purposes.
17.950.
If it was required to make up a periodical return of the average prices of the different commo¬ dities do you think it would be possible to keep it ?—I
think it would.
I 59796.
17.951.
And such a return you think would be pretty accurate p—I think it would be fairly accurate.
17.952.
Do you ever keep any record of the number of cattle brought to the fair green ?—No.
17.953.
But you tell me you could segregate the amounts received from each species, how much do you receive from cattle and pigs?—There
is one thing I did not mention.
There i3 6YZ.
charged for young pigs brought in a cart; a cart selling young pigs.
17.954.
That is irrespective of the number in the cart p—Yes.
17.955.
If they are brought in a cart you charge 6cZ.
P —Yes.
17.956.
If a smaller number, say two or three, are brought in a cart ?—It
is all the same.
17.957.
Are empty carts ever brought in ?—I
do not think they are.
17.958.
Have you got such a thing as clothes dealers coming in on fair days?—They
used to be here on market days.
17.959.
Where used the carts to be placed?—In
the market yard.
17.960.
If on fair days such as I have mentioned, clothes dealers, carts, or anything like that were brought into the town, would you levy any charge P— No ; that was given up about 1870.
17.961.
Previous to that you did levy a charge P— Yes.
17.962.
Is £Uh brought here at all ?—Yes.
17.963.
Is there any charge on it P—No charge as far as tolls are concerned.
It is sold on the streets.
17.964.
The pig fair being held on the streets of the town does not that occasion much filth and dirt about the streets P—Yes.
17.965.
Have you ever heard complaints of the fact of these fairs being held on the streets P—Some people of the town are for the fair green and others for the street.
17.966.
Do you know of your own knowledge does Mr.
Smith Barry contribute anything towards the addi¬ tional expense occasioned by the cleaning of the streets P —I have heard there is a rush for the cleaning of the streets after these days between the road contractors and the town commissioners.
17.967.
So that the manure acts as an equivalent for any expense they incur ?—I
have heard so.
17.968.
Directly, Mr.
Smith Barry does not contri¬ bute anything ?—No,
except what tax he bears.
17.969.
Do you know the districts from which the marketable commodities are brought ?—I
suppose from within a radius of 10 or 12 miles.
17.970.
From what districts are the cattle brought ?—
From the surrounding districts.
17.971.
When were these new fairs established ?—In
1853.
17.972.
You do not know under what authority.
Were they established by Mr.
Smith Barry ?—Yes.
17.973.
He does not levy any toll P—No.
17.974.
Mr.
Frewen, solicitor, said :—I appear for the town commissioners in this matter, and with your permission I will ask Mr.
Caldwell a few questions.
17.975.
The witness was then cross-examined as follows:— 17.976.
You say that the market yard is principally supplied with hay, &c.
?—Yes.
17.977.
Have you room enough for all the hay that comes to the market in this yard ?—In
spring time there is not.
17.978.
Have you had enough of room, this year P— No, I think not.
17.979.
Have you had during the season the streets— that is, this street, Nelson Street—crowded with hay ?
—Yes, but that is the case in every town just at the fall of the spring.
17.980.
I understand that is the principal time of the year hay comes into the market?
— No, It is all throngh the year around.
For average accommodation I think it is fair enough.
17.981.
At the principal time of the year for hay it is grossly insufficient ?—There
is a glut in the market for a few days.
