6288. Did it take a great many years to carry some of them through, and to enable them to pay up what had been advanced to them?-I cannot tell how their accounts may be standing at present.
6289. Then you only suppose that some of them may have been able to pay up their debt in the course of the following year?-I know they did so; and I might take myself as a specimen of that.
6290. But you said that you have not required any advance for many years back?-Certainly.
6291. Do you think that within the last ten or fifteen years there have been many men who have required to be carried through in that way?-I don"t know. Probably there may have been, but I have not been requiring that for myself.
6292. But you have been speaking about your neighbours, and you say it is an altered time with them?-It is, even within the time you have mentioned.
6293. Do you think some of them, within that time, may not have been able to pay their arrears in the course of next season?-I cannot exactly say.
6294. But you have said so?-Well, it would rather appear so.
6295. You think they may have been so much in debt, that it required more than one year for them to pay it up?-It is very probable that may have been the case.
6296. Have you any boys engaged on the beach?-No.
6297. Do any of your family knit?-Yes; they are always working away at it.
6298. Where do they sell their hosiery?-At different shops.
6299. Do they go to Lerwick with it?-Sometimes.
6300. Are they paid for it in goods?-I don"t know. I don"t inquire much about it.
6301. Have they got accounts of their own?-Yes; they keep their own accounts.
6302. Do they help you to keep the family?-I am not requiring it.
I can keep my wife and myself; and my two daughters knit to provide themselves with what they want. I never inquire whether they get part cash for what they sell or knit.
6303. Do they clothe themselves by their own knitting?-Yes.
6304. Do they never help you to buy provisions for the family at all?-They work very hard at it, but I do not require them to bring any food into the house. I can buy it myself.
6305. Did anybody tell you to come here to-day?-No; I came to Hillswick on an errand to Mr. Anderson"s shop, and I heard that the meeting was to take place to-day. Mr. Sutherland also told me about it.
6306. When did you hear about it first?-I can"t exactly say. I heard about it some time in the course of yesterday, but I cannot say who told me. I told then that there was to be a meeting on Thursday at the school-house.
6307. Do you not remember who told you?-No.
6308. Were you told about it at Stenness?-Yes; I was told about it in the place where I live.
6309. But you don"t remember who first mentioned it?-I do not.
6310. Are you sure you don"t remember?-Yes; [Page 155] I can"t remember exactly who told me, for I just heard the story among the public.
6311. Was that among the public at Stenness?-Yes.
6312. Was there not some one from Hillswick who brought the news to you?-There may have been, for anything I know.
6313. Was it some of your own family who told you-No. I heard it down at the station, where the boats come in from the sea.
6314. Was Mr. Sandison there?-Arthur Sandison was at Stenness on Tuesday.
6315. Did you see him then?-I did. There were some affairs that he and I had to manage, because he is Mr. Anderson"s factor in summer, and I have to do with curing fish for Mr. Anderson in winter.
6316. Did Sandison tell you about the meeting?-No.
6317. Are you sure of that?-Yes.
6318. Did you not speak to him about it on Tuesday?-I don"t remember whether we said much about that, or anything about that at all. There are various things that I may have exchanged words about with him which I don"t remember.
6319. Then you may have been speaking to him about it on Tuesday?-No; I had not heard any word about it on Tuesday.
6320. Are you able to say that Sandison did not speak to you about it on Tuesday?-I don"t recollect him speaking about it at all.
6321. Do you swear that you did not speak to Sandison on Tuesday about this meeting?-I would not be safe to answer, because my memory might not hold good. Recollection gets short when age comes on, and I would not care for swearing to that.
6322. You say it was only yesterday that you heard about the meeting?-Yes.
6323. Can you swear you did not hear of it before yesterday?-I swear that I don"t recollect of hearing about it before yesterday.
6324. Is it possible you may have been speaking to Sandison about it?-I may have done so; but if I did, I have completely forgotten about it.
6325. Do any of your family work at kelp?-Yes; my daughters work at it.
6326. What do they get for that?-I suppose the price varies.
6327. Do they gather the sea-weed and make the kelp themselves, and sell it?-Yes.
6328. What do they get for it per cwt.?-I cannot tell. I think the price is 4 or 4, 10s. per ton; but I am not very sure.
6329. Do you know how that is paid to them?-They are paid in cash if they ask for it.
6330. But they have accounts of their own?-Yes.
6331. Who do they sell it to?-I think they sell it to Mr. Anderson.
6332. And it will be settled for when they settle their accounts?-I believe so.
6333. Do you know if there is any difference in the price of kelp, according as it is paid in goods or in cash?-I don"t know, for I have never inquired about that.
6334. You said that a number of your neighbours had been carried through by the fish-merchant when they were in arrear from the badness of the season, and you also said that you knew a great number who had been so carried through?-Yes, a good many.
6335. Have you any objection to tell me their names?-I don"t know whether I could call their names to recollection.
6336. I asked you to tell me their names in private, and you objected to do so; but I now ask you upon your oath whether you remember the names of any such men?-I don"t think I could tell any of their names now. I would know their names quite well at the time when they were getting what they were requiring, but I cannot name any of them now.
6337. Is that because you don"t remember them?-Yes.