5012. Has it been a common case within the last two or three years for the fishermen who are employed in the way you have described to have a balance in their favour at settlement, or have they usually had balance against them?-During the last two or three years a good many of Mr. Grierson's fishermen have had a very good balance to come to them to account, but I and some others have been behind and could not get clear.
5013. Are there many of that sort?-There are few.
5014. Is it worse for a man of that kind to leave and get free of his obligation to fish than for a man that has cash to receive to do so?-Under Mr. Grierson's arrangement there is no difference between the two kinds of men as regards getting their liberty to fish to any other man, because none of them have any such liberty.
5015. The obligation to fish depends on the holding of land; it does not depend on the amount of debt due to Mr. Grierson?-No, it does not depend upon that.
5016. Are there many men there who fish for Mr. Grierson and who do not hold land?-Yes, there are a good few.
5017. Are they under any obligation to fish for him?-They are all under one obligation from head to foot.
5018. How does that happen in the case of men who do not hold land?-Because they are all on Mr. Grierson's ground.
5019. Would the party they live with be warned if they were not to fish for him?-That was in his first arrangement.
5020. Is that arrangement still in force?-I never knew of any alteration being made upon it.
5021. Have you been told anything about that obligation since it was read over to you in 1861?-No; there have been no cases in which it has been broken except the two I have mentioned, and we saw what happened.