A BOGUS SCANDAL

Evening Star, Issue 14413, 8 July 1910, Page 1

A BOGUS SCANDAL

E. A. I>MITH AND CO.

AND THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE.

[From Our Parliamentary Rki'Ortkr.]

WELLINGTON, July 8. When the business of setting up committees had been disposed of, tho House proceeded lo deal with two motions standing in Mr Massey’s name. One was for a return showing tho names, duties, and salaries of ail poisons employed in the High Commissioner’s Office in London. 't he Loader of tho Opposition said tho House- was entitled to tho information without asking. There had been a rapid increase m the expense of tho High Commissioner’s Office without, so far as ho knew, any increase in tho work done. Tho Prime Minister said there was" no objection to giving full information. He went on lo deal with criticism originafng in the Opposition Press reflecting o on the relation of ’ho firm of E. A. Smith with the High Commissioner’s Office.

Mr Taylor raised the objection that the Prime Minister could not discuss this matter, because Mr E. A. Smith, not being an employee of the High Commissioner’s Office, ho could not bo discussed on Mr Massey’s .-notion. Ho suggested that this matter would be threshed out on a motion standing in his (Mr Taylor’s) name—viz., “That in view of the suggestions of improper relations between the Government and the firm of E. A. Smith, London, so industriously circulated by the Opposition Press in New Zealand, there bo laid before this House the correspondence on the matter that has passed between the Government .tnd the. late or present High Commissioner.” b

Tho Prime Minister mentioned that Mr E. A. Smith, though not now an employee in the High Commissioner’s Office, had been employed there some twenty years ago under Sir F, Dillon Bell, and had worked in connection with tho High Commissioner’s Office ever since.

Mr Speaker ruled against reference, to Mr E. A. Smith being in order, aird ' The Prim© Minister said h© would postpone making a statement until to-day, contenting himself meanwhile by saying that a more bogus attempt to create a scandal had probably never been perpetrated- in- this