FULL INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 9

FULL INQUIRY.

MR. LANG'S CHARGES. ROYAL COMMISSION. GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 17. Recently I discussed at length the charges brought by Mr. Lang against the Government in regard to the sale of the Monier Pipe Works. I explained the nature of these accusations, and tlie replies offered by Mr. Stevens and Mr. Spooner. and for the moment there is no doubt that the Premier had the majority of the House behind him in his attempt to repel this extremely bitter attack. But there were some points about the transaction which clearly needed further elucidation. When the "Dailv Telegraph" said that it was "not satisfied that the Government had given an adequate explanation of the curious circumstances associated with the sale >f the State Monier Pipe Works" and it added that "too many coincidences had been brushed aside." it expressed precisely what a lar<:e number of people felt about the matter. Came Too Late. Mr. Spooner's explanations, which did 10 some extent clear up dubious aspects of the case and blunted the force of Mr. Lang's attack, came too late in the day to produce a wholly favourable impression, and the insistence of the Hume Pipe Company that it had been unfairly treated by the rejection of the tender '•aised suspicions not easy to allay. Accordingly, both members of Parliament and the general public looked forward with a good deal of interest to 'he promised debate on Mr. Lang's proposal for a Select Committee of the House to inquire into—the Government's

sale of the State Monier Pipe Works, the State Brickworks and the State Metal Quarries. The debate on Mr. La ng's motion lasted 11 hours, and it was marked by a good deal of plain speaking on lx>th sides. Of course. Mr. Stevens had his usual majority behind him. and .Mr. Lanjr's proposal for a Select Committee was rejected by 41 to 26 vote# on 1 strictly party lines. But before the debate closed Mr. Stevens, whose politi- : cal senses are acute enon<rh. had decided 1 that something must be done to dispel l public uneasiness on these matters. Scurrilous Attacks. It was an easy task to condemn '"scurrilous attacks" intended to make the work of Parliament impossible. Also, it was obvious enough that *"charpes framed in the most scurrilous language, and J imputing crimes of the worst kind to members of the Government, officers of|; the Department, and reputable memWrs of the general public cannot be allowed ' to be made in Parliament with impunity." But the House seemed a little startled : when the Premier announced that in view of all the circumstances of the case the Government had decided to set up , a Royal Commission to consider the charges laid by Mr. Lang. The first impression produced on the general public was that Mr. Stevens, had quite astutely manoeuvred Mr. Lang into a very difficult position. A Royal Commission takes evidence on oath, and , many of Mr. Lang's enemies have prayed for the day when they might see him in the witness-box. under cross-examina-tion. Quite Willing. Mr. Lang, whether through bravado or supreme self-confidence, professed himself quite willing to accept the Royal Commission as substitute for the Select Committee which he himself had proposed. However, it soon became evident that the Premier proposed to hedge round his scheme with a good many conditions and reservations. He intended that a Supreme Court judge should preside, but that Mr. Lang and his witnesses should be called upon to state their case, and

that if the judge decided that this testimony "would be sufficient on which to base such charges of fraud and corruption" then the inquiry would go on. hut if the judpe should think otherwise then the investigation would be dis-continued. Strong Objections. Xaturally enough the Lanjrites raised strong objections to any such procedure. They out that in this way it mifrht Ih> jK*>s-ible for the Government to smother up all detail*, and to prevent the investigation of even the Monier Pipe Works sale, if the jud~<- should, conclude that thera was no prima, facie case for it. Mr. Lang therefore demanded that the commission s order of reference be drafted on very comprehensive line*-, so a» to cover all the ground which he had traversed in hi- chaiges re;rardin;r the j.Monier I'ij.e Work-. State Brick Works, State Metal Quarries and State Fire Insurance Office. He also requested legal assistance in putting his evidence before the commission. The demand for a full and searching inquiry was s-upported by several newspapers. notably by "Truth." and eventually the Premier, after f ome hesitation. decided to bow to the pressure of I arliamentary and public opinion. He has novV announced that the investigation of the Royal Commission shall cover the whole ground indicated bv Mr Langs charges, and that Mr. e Rogers, one of our ablest and most experienced judg<*. shall preside. The first session of this inquirv is fixed for next Monday. and further developments are awaited with -cat public interest. c "