ALLEGED BRIBERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 11

ALLEGED BRIBERY.

LABOUR MAN'S CHARGES. SENSATIONAL STATEMENTS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 12.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 7. The sittings were continued to-day of the select, committee appointed by Parliament, (o inquire into the allegations made recently that four members of the Labour Party were offered £32,000 to seduce them from their allegiance to the party. Mr. Farley, who made startling allegations at the opening of the inquiry a week ago, extended his charges to the Sydney City Council. He said that in May ho approached a Labour alderman on the council and asked him for a certain position which was then vacant in the council.- He. said he was told his appointment would be possible if he paid £IOO.

After that, said witness, he saw another .alderman and told him what had occurred. The latter asked him, if possible, to make an offer to the Labour alderman. He agreed and accompanied the second alderman to the office of the Civic Reform Party.

There, said witness, he was told he would receive £lO a week and his expenses to secure a conviction against the member of the City Council. One member of the Reform Party said he would pay him £2500 out of his pwn pocket if he would go on with the work of securing a conviction.

Witness admitted that he received a certain amount for expenses. He said the suggestion to hrihe members of Parliament came from the same source. He was taken to the headquarters of the Nationalist Party, where, he alleged, a plot was mooted.

Witness then made sweeping allegations of corruption on the railway construction works.

Other witnesses flatly contradicted Farley's statements.

Tn the course of his evidence at the opening of the inquiry Mr. Farley said he was approached by the Hon. E. PI. Farrar, a member of the Upper House, who suggested to him that if a certain number of members of the Labour Party could be bribed before the passage of the 'Workers' Compensation 'Act it would be worth Mi'. Farley's while and the Nationalist Party would find all the money necessary to bribe' the members. Mr. Farley alleged that he told Mr. Farrar later that lie had approached four members, but he admitted to the chairman of the committee that he had not told the truth in saying this. Mr. Farley alleged that he subsequently told the Premier, Mr. .J. T. Lang, of Mr. Farm's offer and the Premier said he had thought for a long time that something of the kind was going on.