TIN HARE SCANDAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21239, 20 July 1932, Page 12

TIN HARE SCANDAL.

COMMISSION AT SYDNEY.

FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD. > ' ■ ' ' " '• . • t

! TRANSACTIONS IN SHARES. ;

DENIAL OF'CORRUPTION,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. , (Received July 19, 7.25 p.m.) SYDNEY. July 19. Mr. Justice Halse Rogers, the Royal Commissioner appointed by the Stevens Government to investigate the allegations regarding tin hares and fruit machines, resumed the inquiry to-day. Jack Munro, director of the Australian Coursing Club, further examined, explained how his company and another had joined forces, pooling their shares and placing 'themselves unreservedly in the hands of " Judge" Swindell. Counsel for Swindell sought to assure the Commissioner that no bribery or corruption of Ministers of the Crown was ever contemplated. The Commissioner replied: The whole * thing reeks with trickery and dishonesty;

A Threat of Disclosures.

Munro said the ex-Premier's secretary, McCauley, was mentioned in connection with a tin hare licence for Woollopgong. 'A man named Cowdroy threatened to make disclosures. He said he would ".tell the world" if he did not get that licence. Eventually ho did get it. Continuing,'" witness said 12,000 fully paid shares in the Australian Coursing Club were issued in the name of Hutton, who did not get the scrip. Swindell later said: " 1 do not want them in my 3 name."

Mr. W. W. Monahan, K.C., who is assisting the Commissioner: You knew Swindell was going to use these shares for bribery ? Witness: My opinion was that he wanted to make sure of his holding in my company, in fact, in every company conducting coursing. Control ol Coursing Association. John Bateman, director of the Greyhound Coursing Association, related a conversation in which he said Swindell told him he must have three seats on his board in order to get night-betting restored in dog racing. He emphasised that " J.T." —presumably meaning the ex-Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang—had insisted on that course.

Swindell duly brought his three nominees along, said witness, and they wero accepted. Mr. Monahan: Were you pleased ? Witness: We reckoned we had been beaten by Swindell. After that the voice of the board wa§ the v voice of Swindell ?—Certainly. You understood him to say he was working for Mr. Lang ?—Yes. Although I did not believe it. The hearing was again adjourned.