LACK OF EVIDENCE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20636, 16 August 1941, Page 9

LACK OF EVIDENCE

THE NATHAN INCIDENTS REFERENCE IN HOUSE FAILURE TO PROSECUTE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. Discussing in the House of Representatives to-day the Police Department estimate of £667,900, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, paid a tribute to the police and said that he thought the House would be interested to know that in the last 12 months he had not received a single complaint about the Police Department from any person in New Zealand. He urged that the question of higher remuneration for the police should be considered. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Nat., Otago C.) raised again the question of the case of Mr. H. L. Nathan, and asked whether the case could be presented to the court for adjudication. It had created a great deal of uneasinegs throughout the Dominion and was a case in which very serious charges had been made against men occupying a very prominent place in the Labour movement. He thought the situation demanded an investigation in open court and in the interests of the police themselves the whole position should be ventilated. Private Action Possible In his reply, the acting Minister in charge of the Police Department, the Hon. P. C. Webb, stated that there was not a particle of evidence to justify the police taking action. It was quite open, however, for Mr. Nathan, through his solicitors, to take action at any time should he desire and have the whole case ventilated in court. He invited legal membei-s of the Opposition to go through the evidence. Mr. Webb said the whole matter had been investigated by the most competent detectives. A young lady typist in Mr. Nathan’s office, an accountant who was handy, and a liftman in the building had heard nothing unusual. No one knew that there had been any trouble in Mr. Nathan’s office until three days afterwards, when it was spilled out on the public platform and made political capital of. The men against whom the charges had been made made a statement denying that they used offensive language, although they said they had reproached Mr. Nathan because of the remarks they alleged he had made about union secretaries contesting local body elections. i Mr. W. P. Endean (Nat., Remuera) said it was the duty of the Government to see that candidates in any election were left free from outside influence. It was not right to throw the onus on a private individual to decide whether there should be a prosecution or not. Police Make Decision Replying to a question by Mr. J. A. Lee (Dem. Lab., Grey Lynn), Mr. Webb stated that both the Labour Council and the Labour Representation Committee had so disapproved of the alleged action that both had appealed to him. to take action. He could not do so on the evidence. He invited legal niembei's of the Opposition to go through the evidence, and said he was sure' they would be satisfied that there was not a particle of evidence to substantiate the statements made in the press. Mr. Holland: Who made the decision, the Minister or the police? Mr. Webb: The police. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) asked if it was true that pressure had been brought on the typist to give evidence. Mr. Webb: No! No! He added that he would ask Mi'. Broadfoot to supply information. He would be prepared to take action against any person who brought pressure to bear. Personally he did not believe it was true, but he would like to get evidence. The police vote was passed, as was also the Valuation Department vote of £40,000, and the House was discussing the Lands and Survey Department estimate of £404,800 at the adjournment at 1 p.m.