GOVERNMENT STORES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 247, 18 October 1922, Page 8

GOVERNMENT STORES.

ALLEGED FREE GIFTS. A CANDIDATE'S CHARGES. REPLY BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Keporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Colonel T. W. Mac Donald, Independent candidate for Wellington East, opened his campaign last week with a speech containing a number of charges agaiiist the Government's administration. He alleged undue preference in Crown lands disposal, and stated that a large quantity of valuable defence stores had been given to a former high-salaried officer of the Defence Department, and that the State had to pay the cost of transport of the gifts to the officer's house, this expense including first-class railway passes for officers who attended at the donee's residence to hand over the gifts. Another allegation made by the candidate was that £26,000 wortli of stores had not been properly accounted for, Mr. Mac Donald suggesting that the real deficiency was nearer £40,000. Sir R. H. Rhodes (Minister of Defence) made a statement to the House to-day in reply to the charges relating to" the Defence Department. There was, he said, only one officer to whom the charge regarding Defence stores could refer, namely, Colonel Nichols. Two obsolete heavy guns had been offered to local bodies, but were refused. Colonel Nichols arranged for them to be handed to him, and subsequently a 64-pounder gun was transferred to the Oamaru Borough Council, a seven-inch gun and a number of obsolete rifles were presented to Colonel Nichols by the General Officer Commanding. These were delivered to his residence. He paid various items relating to the cost of transport, but declined to recognise certain charges totalling £15 3/10. The dispute was referred to the Crown Law officers, who advised that the claim could not be enforced. The amount was therefore written off. This, added Sir Heaton Rhodes, was the whole explanation of the charges of wholesale free gifts of Defence stores.

Mr. Glenn, chairman of the Defence Committee, suggested that the whole of the charges relating to the Defence Department might be referred to them for inquiry. fciir Heaton Rhodes replied that he had no objection.

A member: Will you call Colonel Mac Donald ?

Mr. Massey: Certainly. I shall make it my business to clean this up.

Mr. Holland asked the Premier what he would do in connection with Mr. Mac Donald's charge that £40,000 worth of stores were missing, and the Govern ment knew it.

Sir Heaton Rhodes: He does not say Defence stores.

Mr. Massey repeated that so far as the Government could investigate the charges it would do co, as it had no intention of covering anything up. Of course at election time people said things which it was difficult to know whether to take seriously or to ignore. They were in the habit of making exaggerated statements.

Mr. Howard: Yes, about flaps. Mr. Massey concluded by declaring that the whole of the charges would be investigated, because the Government had nothing to hide.