must not lead the witness,’ said Harrison mildly.
‘I’m sorry, Mr Chairman.’ Rickman smiled encouragingly at Crowell. ‘Who appointed Mr Ballard as managing director?’
‘The instruction came from London – from a majority shareholder.’
‘You had nothing to do with his appointment, then. Could we say that Mr Ballard was foisted upon you?’
‘As a minority shareholder I didn’t have much say in the matter.’
‘If you had had a say in the matter whom would you have picked as managing director?’
‘Mr Dobbs, who was mine manager.’
‘And who is now dead.’
Crowell bowed his head and said nothing.
‘That is all,’ said Rickman.
‘What did you think of Mr Ballard when you first met him?’ asked Harrison.
Crowell shrugged. ‘I thought he was a personable enough young man – perhaps a little too young for the job.’
‘Did you suspect him of any proclivities towards drunkenness or practical joking?’
‘They did not present themselves – then.’
‘But they did eventually? When?’
‘On that evening, Mr Chairman.’
Harrison sighed, exasperated at Crowell’s woolly-mindedness. ‘But we have heard evidence that Mr Ballard was neither drunk nor playing a practical joke. Why should you not believe what he said on that occasion?’
Crowell shook his head unhappily and looked towards Rickman, whose head was down as he busily scanned a sheet of paper. ‘I don’t know – it was just that it sounded that way.’
‘It has been suggested that Mr Ballard was “foisted” upon you.’ Harrison uttered the word as though it had a nasty taste. ‘Upon his appointment, did you make any complaint of any kind – to anyone?’
‘No.’
Harrison shook his head slowly as he regarded this most unsatisfactory witness. ‘Very well. I have no further questions He looked down from the rostrum. ‘Yes, Mr Ballard?’
‘I would like to ask some questions.’
‘I see that you still have no legal representation. Do you think that wise? You must have heard the saying that the man who argues his own case has a fool for a lawyer.’
Ballard smiled. ‘That may hold good in a law court, but, Mr Chairman, you have repeatedly said that this is not a court of law. I think I am quite capable of asking my own questions.’
Harrison nodded. ‘Very well, Mr Ballard.’
Ballard looked at Crowell. ‘Mr Crowell, two weeks after the disaster the board suspended me from my duties. Why?’
Rickman’s hand shot up. ‘Objection! What happened two weeks after the incident does not come within the scope of this inquiry.’
‘Mr Rickman has a point,’ said Harrison. ‘I cannot really see that this is helpful.’
Ballard stood up. ‘May I argue the point?’
‘Certainly.’
Ballard picked up a note-pad. ‘I took notes of your remarks when this inquiry began. You ruled that evidence given here may not be used in a future civil action. It seems to me that this inquiry may be the only public hearing possible.’
He turned a page. ‘On the second day Dr McGill said that the death-roll in the disaster was higher than need be. You overruled an objection to that on the grounds that this is not a court of law and the procedure is at your sole discretion.’
He looked up. ‘Mr Chairman, this inquiry is being widely reported in the Press, not only in New Zealand but also in the United Kingdom. Regardless of your findings, the public is going to blame someone for those unnecessary deaths. Now, certain imputations have been made about my character, my drinking habits and a supposed propensity for practical joking which, in my own interests, I cannot allow to pass unchallenged. I ask to be allowed to question Mr Crowell about these matters, and the fact that I was suspended from my duties a fortnight after the disaster certainly seems to me to be a legitimate reason for inquiry.’
Harrison conferred briefly with his two assessors, then said, ‘It is not the wish of this Commission that a man’s reputation be put lightly at stake. You may sit down, Mr Ballard, and continue your questioning of Mr Crowell.’
Rickman said warningly, ‘There may be grounds for appeal here, Mr Chairman.’
‘There may, indeed,’ agreed Harrison tranquilly. ‘You will find the procedure set out in the Commissions of Inquiry Act. Continue, Mr Ballard.’
Ballard sat down. ‘Why was I suspended from my duties, Mr Crowell?’
‘It was a unanimous decision of the board.’
‘That is not exactly answering my question, but we’ll let it pass for the moment. You said in evidence that you had nothing to do with my appointment, that you would rather have chosen another man, and that the instructions came from London. Do you usually take your instructions from London, Mr Crowell?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then where do you take your instructions from?’
‘Why, from …’ Crowell stopped short. ‘I do not take instructions, as you put it, I am chairman of the company.’
‘I see. Do you regard yourself as a sort of dictator?’
‘That is an insulting question.’
‘Maybe you might think so. All the same, I’d like you to answer it.’
‘Of course I’m not a dictator.’
‘You can’t have it both ways,’ said Ballard. ‘Either you take instructions or you do not. Which is it, Mr Crowell?’
‘As chairman I assist the board in making decisions. All decisions are made jointly.’
‘A most democratic process,’ commented Ballard. ‘But the decision to appoint me as managing director was not made jointly by the board, was it, Mr Crowell?’
‘The decision need not be unanimous,’ said Crowell. ‘As you have pointed out, this is a democratic process where the majority rules.’
‘But not so democratic as to be a one man, one vote system. Is it not a fact that he who controls most votes controls the company?’
‘That is the usual system.’
‘And you said in evidence that the instruction to appoint me came from a majority shareholder in London. Is that shareholder a member of the board?’
