“SECRET FUNDS”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20623, 26 November 1941, Page 5

“SECRET FUNDS”

PAYMENTS MADE MINERS’ PRESIDENT EX-MINISTERS' CONSENT FINDING AT INQUIRY lElec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) I (Reed. Nov. 26, 9 a.m.) 1 CANBERRA, Nov. 26. The report of the Royal Commissioner. Sir Percival Halse Rogers, following an investigation into the “secret fund” allegations was tabled in the House of Representatives. In September it was suggested that payments had been made out of Government funds for purposes not approved by Parliament. Sir Percival Halse Rogers found that £3OO was paid out of an account established in the name of the Australian Democratic Front to the president of the Australian Coal Miners’ Federation, Mr. Charles Nelson, that this sum was handed over by the foYmer assistant Government publicity officer, Mr. Joseph Winkler under instructions from the then Federal Attorney-General, Mr. W. M. Hughes, with the approbation of the then acting-Prime Minister, Mr. A. W. Fadden. The object was to secure peace in the coal industry during the war and was meant for a campaign to achieve that result. Such a campaign was not conducted.

“Deliberate Perjury”

The commissioner added: “There is no doubt that one of the witnesses who came before me lied valiantly on the problem of what became of the money. On this and many incidental matters there must have been deliberate perjury. Mr. Hughes made many mistakes and Mr. Fadden possibly more. Their testimony on matters incidental to the transactions could not be relied on, but such mistakes were not basic and did not touch the questions of major importance. There was, however, a vital conflict of opinion between Mr. Hughes and Mr. Nelson whether Mr. Nelson called on Mr. Hughes on March 7 and asked for assistance to secure industrial peace on the coalfields.” The commissioner said there was nothing sinister in the acceptance by Mr. Hughes of Mr. Nelson’s suggestion of a peace campaign and its subsequent adoption by Mr. Fadden, and there was no grounds for finding that they entered into a conspiracy with Mr. Nelson to do something with him for a purpose unspecified. “Vindictive and Treacherous” It was also proper to say that there were many parts of Mr. Winkler’s story which appeared to be true, but his action in making the original disclosures to the Prime Minister, Mr. J. Curtin, about payments from the fund could only be described as vindictive and treacherous. The commissioner commented on the errors on matters of detail in the evidence of Mr. Hughes and Mr. Fadden and said it would have been perfectly reasonable if they had said at once, -when first asked, that they had no clear recollection because they had been engaged on matters of national importance and, consequently, all but outstanding features of what to them was at the time a minor incident, had escaped their memory. “I still maintain my innocence and I will put my case before the rank and file of the Miners’ Federation who will determine my guilt or otherwise,’’ declared Mr. Nelson, general president of the Miners’ Federation, commenting on the commissioner’s findings.

“I have been through seven years of the toughest battles in the history of the Miners’ Federation. I will fight with all the energy I posses to vindicate myself. I shall also stand for the presidency of the Miners’ Federation at the forthcoming ballot unless other forces remove me.”