INQUIRY ADJOURNED

Northern Advocate, 11 August 1934, Page 9

INQUIRY ADJOURNED

UNTIL AUGUST 20 PROTRACTED AUDIT. MAY OCCUPY SIX WEEKS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received 9 a.m!) SYDNEY, August 10. When the Royal Commission resumed j the investigation of the affairs of the 17 companies mentioned in' the schedule of the special Act passed on Wednesday by the New South Wales Parliament, an officer of the Auditor-Gen-eral’s Department asked Mr Justice Halse-Rogers for further assistance from the Public Service Department. The officers estimated that two men Working jtwolve hours a day would take six weeks to examine the books and papers of the 17 companies into whose activities the commission is inquiring. His Honour agreed that it was desirable to deal with the important details as soon as' possible, in order that the companies’ business should not be interfered with;unnecessarily.. •, The commission adjourned to enable assistance to be obtained. Late in the day, Mr Lewis Barker, an officer of the Auditor-General’s Department, said he had visited the company’s offices, and had made a list of eight pages of securities, handed to him. These .were mostly share, certificates. • Mr J. W. JS. McArthur and Mr H. T. Glasson, the latter the secretary of throe of the companies, were recalled. They informed the commissioner that they, had commitments to meet within a fortnight. Therefore they desired to have 'access to their hooks. Mr Glasson said it was intended 'to sell about £16,000 worth, of assets. The commissioner, in announcing the adjournment of the inquiry until Mon- , day week, said a digest of the audit - officers’ report, resulting from their in- j vestigation, would be available to legal , representatives at the next sitting. In the meanwhile the Government had sanctioned the appointment of ( three officers and three typists to ex- - pedite the work. } His Honour gave no ruling with re- j gard to the application for access to , books by company directors. .