ALLEGED FAVOURITISM

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1912, Page 5

ALLEGED FAVOURITISM

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CHARGE AGAINST THE WARD ' GOVERNMENT- '•

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO THE STAR.]

WELLINTONG, This Day.

During the course of his speech on the financal debate last night, the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in charge of the Government Insurance Department, made a serious allegation and partiality against the Ward, administration. He declared there would be no more Cabinet decisions that the business in one town was to go to only one particular firm. He had asked for the papers but they had gone astray. They were lost in the Premier’s office, pbssibly accidentally, but it was a coincidence to say the least, that if an important matter cropped up the records were misplaced.

Sir Joseph W r ard ; What town was it. and what .firm ?

The Minister: It was in your own administration. The firm was McAllister, a lawyer in Invercargill, and instructions were given that all the business of the Government Insurance Department was to be given to one man. The head of the Department has wrtten to m« saying tli--this is not in the interest of the country and the restriction ought to be removed. I have told him he is to run his Department on business lines. This sort of thing must stop, he added. The Government was not going to receive tenders in secret and accept them without publicity. Tenders had been renewed from time to time t 0 t 1 complete satisfaction of the particular firm-

As the debate adjourned at this point no reply was forthcoming from the Liberal benches.