THE COAL VEND CASE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1108, 22 April 1911, Page 5

THE COAL VEND CASE

REMARKS BY ACTING-PRIME MINISTER. ALUECED CONTEMPT OF COURT. Bj Teleeraph-Press Association-OopyriEht (Rec. April 21, 11.35 p.m.) Sydnoy, April 21. Mr. Hughes, 'the-'Acting-Federal Prime Minister and Attorney-General, speaking on the referenda at Adelaide, is reported to have 'said that the Coal Vend was being prpsecuted not before it was time, because it had been exploiting the people. It had a special affection for South Australia, for when South -Australia proposed to havo its own mine it seemed in the eyes of the Vend that the proposal emanated from Satan, Tl]o Vend had stopped it, and was now supplying coal at the old profits in tho old way. . He believed the day of competition was gone,.and that the day of co-operation was here. He reiterated .tho statement that combines and trusts were financing the opposition to the referenda. .Counsel for defendants in the Vend case drew the attention of Mr. Justice Isaacs to the report,- and made an application to call upon the AttorneyGeneral "to show whether he made tho statement which he (counsel) contended was contempt of Court, the caso being sub judico. Counsel- sought an ex-parto interim injunction restraining Mr. Hughes from making a similar statement or any comment until ■ the proceedings had terminated. Mr. Justice Isaacs rofused to express an opinion, because, in the first place, Mr. Hughes was not present, and, secondly, because great and important issues of a political nature were connected with the observations. He would therefore do nothing to prejudice the other issues elsewhere. He would quire tho appearance of Mr. Hughes to be made upon notice, so that a, full and fair opportunity be r.iven to hear what he had to offer in defence. To-day's evidence was formal.