INTEREST LAPSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 10

INTEREST LAPSES

INVENTIONS OF VICTOR PENNY GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT TERMINATED (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 19. Official interest in the inventions of Victor Pennj - , of Takapunn, who figured largely in a series of sensational incidents last year, appears to have lapsed entirely. Penny was stated to have been the victim of a mysterious assault last year at the garage where he was employed, and later, after a period in the Auckland Hospital, lie was taken to Wellington, ostensibly to pursue certain experiments on Somes Island. For some time Penny’s movements and his work were kept almost as a sealed secret. It was known that Ihe Defence Department and highly placed police officials were interested in hie experiments. To-day. however, the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones) stated that Penny was no longer in the employ of the Government, which was not concerned with him financially or in any other way. Penny’s appointment and the circumstances leading up to it had been carefully investigated by himself and his colleagues since their assumption of office, and Penny’s engagement had been terminated from the end of last month. He was at present on a month’s holiday, but the Government had no further interest in his work. The Minister added that at present he preferred not to comment cn Penny’s work.