UNSAVOURY SCANDAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 131, 15 March 1935, Page 6

UNSAVOURY SCANDAL.

AUSTRALIAN MINING CLAIMS. STOCK EXCHANGE ACCUSED. United Press Association—Copyright) CANBERRA, March 14. In the House of Representatives today Mr Blain, the new member for the Northern Territory, directed the Government’s attention to the methods employed by certain mining syndicates operating in the Northern Territory, describing the whole business as “an unsavoury scandal.” He particularly referred to the Arnhem Land Company, whose reports he alleged to he misleading and incorrect; and to the activities of C. H. Chapman, of the Gravities goldfields, who he alleged was a “professional claimjumper.” Mr Blain declared that such rascality was going on among some leaseholders that it would not surprise him if it led to violence.

There were also grave suspicions of “salting” on some leases. Two persons closely associated with the Arnhem Company had previously been associated with political scandals in Sydney. The Government haying granted the leases in thei first place, should now institute an immediate inquiry into the whole of the gold mining operations in the Territory, for nobody was making anything out of mining there except the “go-getters” and the Sydney Stock Exchange, which appeared to have no morals where commission was concerned.

Mr T. Paterson (Minister for the Interior), replying, said that the Government was not going to be stampeded into action on the mere allegation of one member. Nevertheless, he would do everything possible to protect the investing public and .he promised to make a statement to-morrow.