"TAINTED."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 304, 17 September 1908, Page 7

"TAINTED."

CHARGES IN VICTORIAN ASSEMBLY. MINISTER'S RETORT. "CAD" AND 11 LIAR."—A WITHDRAWAL. (DI TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) \ Melbourno, September 16. In the State Assembly, Mr. Elmslie moved his motion consuring tlio action of the Minister for Water Supply (Mr. Swinburne) in dcaliug with tenders for contracts in connection with the Water Supply Department. Mr. Elmslie charged Mr. Swinburne with having, when he tabled in the House papers conncctcd with tenders, suppressed some and substituted others. He also complained that a particular firm had been specially favoured over all other contractors. Mr. Swinburne defended tho Government and absolutely denied the charges. The Government is assured of a substantial majority. ALLEGED RINC. CENSURE MOTION LOST ON A PARTY DIVISION. ' (Rec. September 16, 11.5 p.m.) Melbourne, September 16. In the debate on Mr. Elmslie's censure motion, Mr. Anstey, a prominent Labour member, said that to-day in.yictoria they could not buy anything from',any part of the world without every penny'of the expenditure of tho Stato passing through the hands of the Minister for Water Supply or bis relations, or of men who had been his employees or associates. They constituted in this State an industrial and financial ring, and had tho expenditure of public monoy completely under their control. "Of all tho Ministers of tho Crown,' 1 added Mr. Anstey,." the Minister for Water Supply is the most untruthful and most unreliable. He is regarded as a tainted person even by his associates in the business world,, and as an unfair competitor." Mr. Swinburne: "You're a cad! You're a liar!" Tho Speaker ordered the Minister to withdraw this remark, and he did'so. Tho censure motion was rejected by 22 votes. Tho division was purely on party lines, tho motion beiug supported by the Labour members solely. MINISTER AND BUSINESS MAN. The Hon. George Swinburne, born at New-castle-on-Tyne, in 1881, arrived in Australia in 1886; practised in Victoria as an engineer, especially in hydraulic and gas undertakings) beoame a mem .er of the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 19(12, and has been Minister for Water Supply and Agriculture since 1901. He is author of tho Acts on which the Victorian Government's irrigation policy is founded. He is also a director of the Melbourne Hydraulic Power Co, the Sydney Hydraulic Power Co., the Broken Hill Water Co., the Metropolitan Gas Co., and other undertakings.