"ROGUERY" SUSPECTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 135, 9 June 1932, Page 11

"ROGUERY" SUSPECTED.

MR.. LANG'S ADMINISTRATION. PUBLIC INTENSELY CURIOUS, j POLICE WATCHING WITNESSES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 4. W ithi u tlic past week the newspapers have given prominence to the appointment of the Royal Co:;:missions promised by Mr. Stevens to inquire into the rumours and charges of conspiracy an.'l corruption that have centred round various Departments, or phases of Ministerial activity, under the Lang regime. On May 20 it was announced that four separate commissions are to 1)0 set up, presided over by judges, to inquire into: — (1) The ciecumstances leading to the appointment of Mr C. J. Goode, as Chief Transport Commissioner; (2) the granting of "tin hare" licenses; (3) the granting of "fruit machine" permits; (4) the charges of conspiracy made by Mr. Weaver in connection with the New Guard case. The Government lias decided that it should not utilise these investigations for propaganda during the election campaign, and therefore it is not intended to take evidence till after the elections. Of course the move has been greeted with shrieks of denunciation from the "Labour Daily," which has re-christened Mr. Stevens the "Muck-raker," and charges him not only with striving lo cast unworthy and undeserved suspicion ui)on the Lang Government, but with inventing this expedient to divert the attention of the workers from the

"£2 11/(i basic wage," which the Lang organ still charges against Jlr. Stevens' party. But the general public is immeiisely interested, and its curiosity lias been quickened by the anxiety and alarm that the Lang faction is displaying about the expected revelations. According to the newspapers, very important witnesses arc to lie subpoenaed, the police are watching these gentlemen to prevent their disappearance, and at least one prominent member of the Lang faction has been refused his passport. "Will be Brought to Book." Some remarks made by Mr. Stevens last night are well worthy of notice. The police have reported to the Premier that ilicy have in their possession documentary evidence bearing 011 the "tin hare" licenses and the conditions under which permits were granted; that their discoveries involve "Ministers of the Lang Government, other prominent politicians, an executive member of the A.L.P., numerous private citizens, and a man who occupies a judicial position as chairman of one of tho Conciliation Commissions, set up by the late Government." The police now have these people under constant surveillance, and Mr. Stevens, after stating that the granting of these licenses involves "the strongest suspicion of malpractice and roguery," lias emphatically declared that "the evil doers will be brought to book, no matter how high or low their place or political reputation." Use of Unemployment Funds. Mr. Dunninghani, Minister of Labour, has been investigating the records of the Unemployment Belief Department, and lie has unearthed a number of "irregularities," which, 110 doubt, will secure further attention after June 11. He alleges that from the unemployment relief funds, a grant of £5000 was recently made by Mr. Lang "unconditionally," to the Furnishing Trades Union, a notoriously "red" organisation; and a grant of £750 was made, also "unconditionally," out of the same fund to Mr. Graves, one of the little Trades Hall coterie that formed "the power behind the throne" during the Lang regime, and there is 110 evidence to show for what this money was intended or liow it was spent. A grant of £100 was made to the refractory Newcastle waterside workers "to keep them quiet" —the money being doled out at the discretion of tlie secretary, a Victorian. Mr. A. C. Crofts, organising secretary for the Lang Plan, had a free pass (iirst-class with sleeper) on the Sydney-Melbourne railway (return fare £12) so that he might move freely between the two cities and bring Victoria into line with Langite New South Wales. Apart from this, £5000 had been paid to the Government Printing Office, £40,000 in salaries

to the Taxation Department, and £40,000 for rents to the Chief Secretary's Department —all out of the moneys sup posed to have been specifically allocated for the relief of the unemployed. It will be admitted by anybody in a position to exercise an impartial judgment that these things cry aloud for searchinginvestigation. Some Big Salaries. But this is by no means all. It is notorious that Lang's faithful adherents profited in a very substantial and material sense through their loyalty to "the great man," and all these things are to be subjected to merciless scrutiny. Perhaps the best summary of such charges yet made public was contained in tlie speech delivered by Mr. J. F. Coates, M.L.C., Leader of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labour party. Mr. Lang, said Mr. Coates, attempted to explain a great many things, but he omitted to explain "how it is that, while unemployment is spreading through the land, the incomes of Trades Hall satellites have been increased, so as to allow the Martin family to draw £45 a week, the Graves family £45 a week, the Garden family £42 a week, and the McCauley family (including Lang's own private secretary) £50 a week." Mr. Coates also cited the case of Mr. McGirr, who, having denounced the Lang Government 011 the floor of the House, was "appeased" with a position worth £30 a week, while Mr. Watson, a defeated Langite, received a salary of £1000 a year. Mr. McGrath got £1000 a year as Deputy Industrial Commissioner, though for seven months he had nothing to do; Mr. Piddington was to have retained office seven years longer than any other judge, with a salary £000 higher than liis judicial brethren, and free from taxation, and Mr. A. C. Willis was sent to London with a salary of £3000 a year, to preach Langism there. All these little matters are being in vestigated.