BIASED PRESENTATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26780, 25 May 1948, Page 5

BIASED PRESENTATION

ACCOUNT OF GARDEN TRIAL MINISTER’S CLAIM AGAINST PRESS Sydney, May 24. The Minister of External Territories (Mr E. J. Ward) told a crowd of 2000 at a referendum meeting that he‘had nothing to hide, and that when he had examined the facts of “ recent incidents ” he would not be. afraid to let the public pass judgment. “ Unfortunately, at the moment I am unable to say a great deal,” he added. “There are still cases pending. I can assure the electors that before these cases are concluded, and after they are concluded, I intend to have a great deal to say.” He charged the anti-Labour press with presenting a biased and prejudiced account of the Garden trial. “ One of the things that ought to be done is to examine the waste of manpower on the anti-Labour newspapers of this country," he declared. The Federal Opposition is expected to press for an inquiry into the administration of the Department of External Territories during the parliamentary session which begins next week. Mr Chifiey is understood to have called for a copy of the summingup in the Garden case. John Smith Garden was sentenced in Sydney on Friday to three years' imprisonment with hard labour for forging the name of H. G. Forshaw, logging manager of Hancock and Gore, timber merchants, in a letter to the Minister of External Territories. " The gigantic fraud of the New Guinea timber deal shows the danger of Ministers dealing with official matters through people outside their departments,” said Mr Justice Stacy, summing up. “Is not the only conclusion you can draw that in making this false document the accused knew it would be used as genuine and would have some effect on some person? ” Garden, in evidence, stated earlier in the hearing that Mr Ward was a fhember of the syndicate which purported to sell a New Guinea timber lease to a Brisbane firm.