AN EGG SCANDAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 78, 3 April 1926, Page 9

AN EGG SCANDAL.

COMPANY DENOUNCED. IMPURE FOOD CARGOES. I A PUBLIC MENACE. ((By Cable. —Press Association. —Copjri__t.) c CAPETOWN, April 2. A Commission was recently appointed by the South African Government to inquire into the cause of the tainting of eggs exported from the Union. This had involved a loss of £80,000. The Commission has now issued a startling indictment against the Imperial Cold Storage and Shipping Company as being mainly responsible. The report says the board of the company, acting on legal advice, refused to allow certain of its officers to give evidence, as certain claims had been preferred against them for damages. The company thus disobeyed the direction of the Governor-General to assist the Commission, says the report. The Commission recommends that all the company's contracts with tthe Union Government shall be subject to a detailed review by the legal advisers of the Government for rescission, or for cancellation where possible, in view of the company's contumacy. --' It is also recommended that the attention of the British Government shall be drawn to the company's Beelruanaland concession for the purpose of review. The Commission further recommends that legal proceedings be taken against the chairman of the company and two branch managers. It denounces the company, inter alia, for excessive charges, and declares • that it has developed into a public menace. The eggs concerned in the inquiry became tainted, says the report, owing to the fact that they were stored in the vicinity of chambers full of decomposing fruit.— (Reuter.)

COMPANY'S VIEWPOINT

(Received 12.30 p.m.) CAPETOWN, April 2/ The Imperial Company on March 31 issued a preliminary statement in reply to tbe findings of the Egg Commission, declaring it is not correct to state that the company refused assistance. The company acted on legal advice, with a vfew to claims for damages pending against it. and offered to reply to the questions of the Commission, but this did not suit the purpose of the Commission. The company thereupon offered a statement concerning the handling and export of eggs during the season, which the Commission received and quoted throughout the report without a word showing that it was actually supplied by the Imperial Company. No further information was requested by the Commission. The statement completely justified the company's assertion it was not responsible for the taint in the eggs, and showed that while the eggs were being examined and passed for export the Government egg inspector and staff were in the company's cool chambers daily, and at no time sugi gested the presence of any taint or | foreign smell. — (A. and N.Z." Cable.)