COMMONWEALTH NAVY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 12

COMMONWEALTH NAVY.

MINISTER UNDER. A CLOUD. (from our own correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 30. It -will tie remembered that a Royal Commission which was set up to enquire into the whole matter of the administration of the Navy Department during the early days of tho war recently issued a report which cast grave blame upon, those who had control of this Department. Some newspapers at the tune said that "a Minister was impugned, but tho delicate subject was handled so gingerly by the organs of publicity that the public gathered only that there had) been waste and extravagance of a Kind that would be regarded as. criminal m any business house, but'which are more or less the regular thing in Government departments. Matters became a little clearer yesterday, however, with the removal (at) his own request) of Mr Jensen from the Ministerial nosition he holds in the Federal Cabinet. It appears that the Commission has all /this time been investigating certain matters, and a few days ago it asked for legal assistance. m looking into one particular transaction —the purchase of tho Shaw wireless works at Randwick, Sydney. The matter .was duly enquired into, and the Acting-Prime Minister stated yesterday : "It disclosed a suggestion of such a nature concerning the then Minister of the Navy—the present Minister for Trade and Customs (Mr Jensen) —that the matter was placed before me at onoe. I advised Mr Jensen of the nature of tho report, and he a£ked me to relieve him fiom duty until the completion of the investigation." The development, of course, has aroused a great deal of bitter comment. It is the custom in Australia always to refuse the benefit of the doubt to ttie politician. Australia insists on cherish- j ing tenderly its numerous tribe of politicians, and yet quaintly refuses, wnatever the circumstances, to accord them i any trust or confidence. j The Shaw wireless transaction was ; carried through in July and August 7 i 1916. The price paid by the Na»vy Department for. the land, buildings, ma- j chinery, and stock w&s £55,000. •