LABOUR SCANDAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 7

LABOUR SCANDAL.

PREMIER IN THE BOX. MR. LANG GIVES EVIDENCE. BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS. (By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyrigat.i (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, giving evidence before the Bribery Select Committee, caused a sensation when he said the committee was not properly extending the scope of the inquiry in that it should have included events connected with the Legislative Council as well as the Assembly.

This view was strongly opposed by Dr. Evatt, chairman, who stated that the committee was carrying out the terms of the resolution laid down by the Assembly. Mr. Lang further stated that he was of oninion that the article in the "Labour Daily" newspaper was used as a stalking horse for an attack on him, and that he did not put a serious construction on it, though some people did. Again referring to the Council, he said he certainly thought there should be some inquiry as to how the Labour members of the Council had betrayed the party by dishonoured word, and stopped its progress in most vital aspects in connection with the abolition of the Legislative Council. Mr. Lang then stated that he had been credibly informed by a member of the Nationalist Council that he was going to get four members of the Labour party to cross the floor of the House and vote with the Nationalists or stay away when the vote was taken. This member of the Nationalist party was a high Government official, and in fairness to him Mr. Lang would not divulge his name, which the committee did not press for.