ANOTHER GOVERNMENT MYSTERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 721, 21 January 1910, Page 4

ANOTHER GOVERNMENT MYSTERY.

Ii anybody ever, writes the sccrcfc history of the Liberal Administration it should make a large and surprising volume. ■- A week - ago /the Christchurch Press "discussed another mystery connected withthe Government, of . which no. explanation, has yet- been-,given.", During the .final frantic rust: in the House of Representatives, when .the Estimates, for the High ■ Commissioner's : office were under .consideration, the. PitiiiK Mis-. istee stated that one effect, of lie. reorganisation: of that Department would-be to save.'£2ooo a year which had been paid to outsiders as commissions for doing shipping and immigration work for the Government. In future, Sir Joseph Ward added, that work would be done by the Trade • Commissioner and immigration . officers; Tho statement thus. put forward as a title; to virtue really had . reference, it would seem, te a.former method of doing business which, until it isiexplained, has all the appearance of a very singular policy on, the Government's part. It appears -that in the same building as the High Commissioner's office is a firm which does business under the stylo,; of "E. A. SMiTH^'-ishipping agents.- When-applications for assisted passages' to ■ the Dominionwore rcoeived from, other shipping agents.' or, the intendi'ngLemigrants,, and approved by ,tho High Commissioner's . .arrangements'for such passages were not. carried out . by the High ; , Commissioner's I staff. Tho names and papers were i handed.to.Mr. "E.' A. Smith," who booked; tho passages• through , the shipping companies and 'called upon the latter for commissions. Many applications for.' assisted 1 passages which wore not approved were also sent on to Mb. "Smith," who in .a considerable proportion of eases found ordinary passages for the applicants, and' received commissions.', The originating- agents feceived nothing,-and the system, . while highly satisfactory,'no doubt,' to Me. "E. A, Smith," did not tend to enlist the sympathies of the, shipping, firms in promoting emigration to this country. As in a single year the number of - assisted immigrants -.alone: was' more; than 3000, v Mb. .; "Smith's" monopoly of this',particular businosa must have, been, a fairly valuablo one - But; this apparently was hot the end of the monopoly. It is stated ■ that the firm of."Ei- A; .Smith'.' were:also agents' on. commission' for theshipment of goods to-Now Zealand for the Government,' and altogether this peculiarly favoured agency must have - been deriving several ■thousand pounds.a year.' from - the' monopoly of services which now tho Government, by its reorganising ac-- 1 tion, confesses can be carried out as well by tho High Commissioner's office.

Who is Mb. "E. A; Smith," . and what :is 'the constitution of thiß favoured firm? None but the Government appcara to know, iand the Government has hitherto, preferred'., not to.say.. The Prime Minister informed - a representative of this paper. yesterday, .however, that hointends V; to. - make, a statement on tho subject. Tho mystery that surrounds this firm is of. old standing. So long ago as August, ■1008, .the Hon. iT. ; .Kennedy 'Macdon-' ALD, in tho Legislative Council, asked for a ■ return of'sums paid for immigration, including "full information as to the; commission allowed in - connection with all shipping transactions .with ta.'.firm .known' as 'E. A. Smith.'" .! Dr. Findmy. replied that the return, could not •be furnished, because its preparation would cost too much in time and money. Some rather vague discussion took place as. to the reason for wanting a return, and, Mr. Macdonald, in withdrawing the motion, said that he would reintroduce it in a series of definite propositions, "so that the - Attorney-General and the Government would know exactly what he meant and what he thought was going wrong." ' Apparently the request was not brought up again, and the matter lapsed temporarily into oblivion'. If -the- business had riot been rushed through in the hasty mannerwhich' always suits;, the Goveriiment at the end of the session! questions would probably' have > been asked regarding it when the reorganisation of the High Commissioner's office was referred to in the diseussion of tho Estimates. We hope the Prime Minister will give information not : only as to the details of the Government's superfluous and' expensive arrangement with "E. A. Smite" and the constitution of that firm,' but as to any other monopolies which, private 'firms may enjoy, in England 'or elsewhere, in connection with; transactions of the Government. -It : is .'stated that sinoe the work, for which Mr. "E. A.' Smith I ',, held a monopoly was taken over recently by tho High; Commissioner's office the, imposing 'staff' of clerks which that firm employed has been reduced by half, but the personnel of this long fortunate. firm, and the reasons why it held a monopoly of Government business, are unknown to anxious inquirers ; in Now Zealand,. ' The Prime Minister will find . that 1 candour is necessary if ho wishes to "convince" the taxpayers.of this country that his : Administration has not a small army of other ■unexplained Smithb. lurking in its Bhadow. , >