THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

Northern Advocate, 8 January 1920, Page 5

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

SIGNIFICANT ADMISSION'S.

THE VESTEY INTERESTS,

(Received 8 a.m.)

DARWIN, .Tan 7,

Before the Inquiry Commission, Mr Barratt, counsel for the residents, asked Mr F. E. Carey, ex-Director, "Did not Dr. Gilruth Iry to buy the North-

em Territory for a private company for four or five million sterling?"

Mr Carey replied: "No; he asked the Government if it would sell the territory to a chartered company." Witness believed that one of the essential points in the proposed company was thai only white labour be. employed. Witness further stated that. Dr. Gilruth and the other officials were fairly popular in the territory at, first. He considered the later change of feeling was largely due to industrial reasons.

Witness said he left Darwin fearing personal violence from Bolshevik Russians and other undesirable extremists. He denied that Dr. Gilruth made a practice of sending round a black-list of people who offended the Administration in order that these people be debarred from all Government employment.

Mr Caroy, replying to a question, admitted that he said that either Vestey's Meat Company should own the Territory or the Government, own Vestey's. He told the Federal Treasurer that Vestcy's business and the Territory administration were so mixed up that it was impossible to divorce them.

Questioned regarding the troubles which led to the officials leaving the Territory, he admitted that the population was fairly law-abiding, excepting a few extremists and foreigners. —A. and N.Z.