THE PETROL SCANDAL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15560, 8 April 1916, Page 10

THE PETROL SCANDAL.

EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. DEGRADING PROPOSALS. <By C*bl«.—Press Association.—Copyright.) 1 SYDNEY, April 7. Before the Petrol Commission, Mr Wagstaffe gave evidence that 1 per cent, commission meant at least £8000 per annum for Morgan. He expressed the opinion that Reed was an honest %nan at heart, but had boon very foolish. ✓ A letter written by Mr Black, the Sydney manager of the British Imperial Oil Company, to Mr Wagstaffe, was I read expressing the opinion that the Labour Party was falling from graced and wanted to rush the petrol business through in order to get the pickings, and thus be secure in the event of j defeat at the elections. Mr Black/ describing Morgan's ideas, said "it was 'hellish and degrading' to think that ; Ministers could stoop so low as to sell their country for personal gain." Ho trusted to God the company's London board would turn the proposal down. In another letter informing Mr Wagstaffe that the company's solicitor had placed the whole facts beforo Mr Holman and Mr Hall, Mr Black said the ! solicitor was convinccd that Mr Hol- ; man and Mr Hall were absolutely ignoj rant of any move that was leading the Government into such a position as the Minister of Education had landed them in. Both were greatly cut up, and he was assured, knew nothing of the proposition. A letter from the Company's London Board, turning down the proposals, said:—"We are absolutely astounded j that such proposals should be put I forward by a responsible Government of a British colony through a broker acknowledged by Mr Griffith as his official agent." April 7th, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 7. j The Attorney-General (the Hon. D. R. Hall), in the course of his evidence, said there was no trace of Government remuneration or payment to Morgan, but Reed mentioned that if the scheme came off, Morgan would expect a good Government job. ! Mr Wagstaffe, cross-examined, said neither Reed nor Morgan objected to i his statement that any brokerage or commission would have to be shown clearly in any document recording the j sale of the company's interests, j Amongst several letters read, was one from Mr Waxman, the British Im- , perial Oil Company's solicitor, to Mr ; Wagstaff, in which he declared "Mr ' Holman and Mr Hall feel intensely the near possibility of the Morgan proposal filtering through to London, as having ; emanated from them or from the Go- ! vernment as such," and urging that . these gentlemen should be freed as far ; as possible from the taint that otherI wise would affect their names and reI putntions in London.'' | Mr Wagstaffe, writing to Mr Black after the facts had been placed before Mr Holman and Mr Hall, said: —"It looks as though we have won hands down in defeating the Government on this particular plank of their -platform. I I intend to put- the matter before Mr Waxman in such a way as to be able to show the Premier the advisability of committing to black and white that I this monopolistic idea is not to be proceeded with, because I want to send that to London. Such a declaration by him will leave him his freedom in London and permit his having entrv to our i principals, which, under existing circumstances. is most certainly closed against iiim.'i '