MUNGANA MINE AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19975, 9 July 1930, Page 11

MUNGANA MINE AFFAIRS.

* MR THEODORE'S STATEMENT. DENIAL OF CHARGES MADE. (CHITZD PRESS ASSOCIATION—BI BLKOTBIO TELEGRAPH—COPWUGHT.) (Received July Bth, 10.5 p.m.) CANBERRA, July 8. Mr E. G. Theodore, the ex-Federal Treasurer, contrary to expectations, mad© no attempt to-day to answer the charges of fraud and dishonesty levelled against him by Mr Justice (Jampboll, the Mungana Mine Commissioner His statement in the House of Representatives, which was awa.ted throughout the Commonwealth with the greatest interest, concluded with the hope that the Queensland Government would give him the opportunity of answering the charges seriatim by presenting an indictment against him. ■'l do not want a further Royal Commission," he said. "1 ask ior a uar trial by formulating an indictment against mo covering every one of the charges." .Before Mr Theodore began, every inch of space in the House was occupied. The Prime Minister (Mr J. »Scullin) briefly' explained the events which led to Mi l'heodore's resignation of the Federal Treasurership, and paid a tribute to the manner in which tie had carried out the work. U© said that Mr Theodore had brought to bear immense industry, and intellectual capacity in dealing with the _ complicated and most difficult financial situation, and one which was unprecedented in the annals of the Commonwealth. Mr Theodore, in the course of a long statement, said that he did not wiir.t anyone to infer that his retirement from Ministerial office was in any sense an admission that the report of the Roval Commission was justified. He merely desired to correct wrong impressions on a couple of matters which were agitating the public mind One was that he had onlv himself to blame for not appearing before the Commission and g'vinar evidence The terms of reference of Mr Justice Campbell's Commission, however, in no way impugned his honour. He had tried to appear before the Commission at the end of May. but the dates suggested had not been acceptable to the Commission. He next received an invitation to give evidence before the Commission on July 7th. but this was rnarceptnh'e to him. owin<r to the preparation of the Federal Budget. He wrote suggesting another date after the delivery of the Budeet, but he received an answer from the Commission sayinc that his letter was vague and unsatisfactory. .r Thoodore added that he thought ho should hav» been heard, particularly as his banking affairs had been raked up by the Commission. It was a recognised principle of British justice to grant an adjournment of the Commission in such circumstances enahle him to give evidence. "Is it any wonder that T have come to the conclusion that I was the victim of a hired assassin ?" he declared. Mr Theodore went on to repeat the charges. He said: "I am not going to answer these now, T am looking for a better opportunity. All the charges are false, damnably false." He read a letter he had received that day from his solicitors and counsel before the Muneana Commission. This stated: "The Comhiiss-'oner's finding is absolutely unjust and biased. There is no oral evidence, to connect Mr Theodore in anv way with the rharpes. We regard it as a scandalous decision based merely on assumption and inference." MR M'CORMACK'S EXPLANATION. INVESTIGATION IN COURT OF JUSTICE DEMANDED. (Received July Bth, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 8. Mr William McCormack, the former Premier of Queensland, in an interview at his Darlingburst flat, said that the Mungana report reeked with political malice, based entirely on hearsay and inference. He demanded a full investigation of the charges in a Court of J us t ice. Mr McCormack pointed put that Mr Justice Campbell was in error in associating him with Mr Peter Goddard'» appointment as general manager of the Chillagoe smelters. He said: "The fact was that I was not a member of the Government until several months later. The /report also condemns Treasury officials for laxity at the time of the purchase of the Mungana leases. The fact was tnat the purchase was made upon the report of an independent engineer, Mr Poole, of Sydney. An additional factor, that £300,000 worth of metal was obtained after the purchase of these mines, is given 'no consideration whatever by the Commissioner. I believe if a high grade of ore only had been mined, this venture would have proved profitable. I was unable to attend the Royal Commission. owing to a comnlete nervous breakdown, while, in addition, I knew that all the records of Mungana were available for anybody desirous of probing tha history of the transactions." LABOUR OFFICIALS DEFEND MR THEODORE. SYDNEY, July 8. Mr J. Graves, president of the Australian Labour Party Executive, and Mr J. Garden, secretary of the Labour Council, representing the industrial and political wings of the Labour movement, have issued statements strongly defending Mr E. G. Theodore. It is therefore assumed that if Mr Theodore is to go before the electors of Dalley he will receive Labour endorsement.