THE LYSNAR CHARGES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19498, 5 June 1925, Page 10

THE LYSNAR CHARGES.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. ADDRESSES BY COUNSEL. (Pee United Association.y WELLINGTON, June 4. At a meeting of the Meat Works Commission, Sir John Findlay commenced his address on behalf of the Government, lie said he really believed Mr Lysnar woulo have made a better tragedy nero on tue stage than a self-appointed champion of a defunct meat company. Air Lysnar seemed entirely to have lost sight of a few simple happenings which had led up to the appointment of the commission, in the flood of his verbosity he had tailed to find a channel or any destination for that fatal gift of volubility against the Aleat Board and Vestey’s, in which he had unnecessarily lost all sense of intellectual and moral judgment. Referring to the charges against Vestey’s, Sir John asked whetner any evidence had been given or led by Mr Lysnar that could or would have satisfied the Minister that the arbitrary and drastic power conferred by section 7 of the Act of 1918 should have been used to refuse the consent to a license to Vesley’s. Surely the evidence bad lieen ail the other way. Sir John paid a tribute to the late Mr W. D. S. MacDonald, who was Minister of Agriculture up to 1919. He had balanced impartially, and the same state of affairs existed when Mr Norworthy became Minister ot Agriculture. Air Lysnar had denounced Vestey’s in strong language, calling them a vicious trust and a concern that was eating the vitals out of the country, but what were they to say to Ml Lysnar’s own efforts to sell to. Vestey s. It was all a question of money, not a question of principles at all. The inquiry placed Mr Lysnar in an unenviable position. They had the picture of a mendicant who, having advertised Vestey’s as a devil, was prepared to sup with that devil provided tho dish was rich enough to satisfy his appetite. Mr Skerrott, addressing the commission on behalf of the Meat Board, said the only charge wc ‘thy of investigation was that relating to the sale to Vestey’s. In tho present inquiry' it was fair to say that Mr Lysnar bad not hesitated, without tho slightest justification, to impute improper methods to Iho Minister of Agriculture, Mr Jones (chairman of the Meat Board), and Air Jolly (of the National Bank), and in fact, every person who had crowed his path in connection with tho inquiry. In Parliament, Mr Lysnar had suggested that there must have been some improper, some corrupt, some sinister influence which had actuated the Minister of Agriculture ami the Meat Board. The Government had decided that the matter should be fully investigated in order that any suspicion should bo dispelled. Air Skerrett described Mr Lysnar’s allegations as "a personal vendetta against Air Jones, Air Lysnar had no desire to serve the public interest. Tho main purpose, he submitted, was to save the works from being sold up and tho mismanagement of the works being brought home dramatically and tragically to the .shareholders who had invested their money. Ho asked the members of the commission to sift the evidence, and to ask their consciences whether they were not satisfied that Mr Lysnar had no regard for the public interest, but was anxious to hide up the consequences of the most extravagant management of freezing works that had over happened in tho history of any country.