Testimonies

Woodcock, George | Day 8

Witness Type: Bribee

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

• 8110.

  (Mr. Turner.) What are you ? — A grocer.

• 8111.

  Where do you live ? — High Street, Upper Walmer.

• 8112.

  Did you receive any money at this election ? — Yes.

• 8113.

  How much ? — 4L.

• 8114.

  From whom ? — Mr, Minter.

• 8115.

  What was that for ? — Canvassing.

• 8116.

  Had you a canvassing book ? — No. I rendered Mr. Minter all the assistance I could.

• 8117.

  How many days were you engaged ? — I should say about seven days.

• 8118.

  When did you begin ? — I should say about the third day after Sir Julian Goldsmid came down.

• 8119.

  Were you to rote for the Liberals if you were employed as a canvasser ? — I should have voted for the Liberals.

• 8120.

  Mr. Minter knew that you were a Liberal ? — Yes. I should not vote for a Tory, not at any price.

• 8121.

  Do you say you are a grocer ? — Yes.

• 8122.

  Do you keep a shop at Upper Walmer ? — Yes.

• 8123.

  Your own shop ? — Yes.

• 8124.

  How much of your time was occupied in canvassing ? — I should say about a week.

• 8125.

  Who attended to your shop ? —My wife.

• 8126.

  Does she always attend to it ? —Yes, when I am away from home.

• 8127.

  What do you suppose you would make a week in your shop ? — About 2L. a week.

• 8128.

  (Mr. Holl.) You were not occupied all day ? — No, not all day, off and on.

• 8129.

  An hour a day ? —Yes ; and after I closed the shop.

• 8130.

  Not more than an hour each day ? — Oh yes ! I should say about half a dozen hours a day.

• 8131.

  Each day ? — Yes.

• 8132.

  Tell us who you canvassed ? — I canvassed all the voters who I thought had the least chance of voting Liberal.

• 8133.

  How many will you undertake to say you called upon altogether ? — I should say there were about 30.

• 8134.

  Looking at the size of Upper Walmer it would not take you six hours even one day to call upon 30 — you might have called on some of them twice, but you could not have occupied very much time in calling upon 30 people ? — I canvassed all the voters who I thought there was a chance of voting Liberal.

• 8135.

  (Mr. Turner,) Were they the same people that Mr. Flower called upon ? — I cannot say.

• 8136.

  (Mr. Holl.) Taking 10 minutes for each person it would take about five or six hours altogether ? — I was away from my business each day.

• 8137.

  I suppose you knew you were being employed because it was known you were a Liberal ? — I was. not aware that I should receive anything.

• 8138.

  It was understood that you were to be paid when you were asked to be a canvasser ? — No was not aware that I should receive any money. ‘

• 8139.

  You have said that you were employed by Mr. Minter to be a canvasser— you knew that you were going to be paid something afterward ? — I expected something, but it was not decided upon.