MR HUGH DALTON A WITNESS AT BOARD OF TRADE TRIBUNAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26956, 16 December 1948, Page 7

MR HUGH DALTON A WITNESS AT BOARD OF TRADE TRIBUNAL

NZPA—Copyright , LONDON, Dec. 14. \ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, William George Glenvil Hall, told the Board of Trade tribunal that at a meeting of Ministers at No. 10 Downing Street on September 13 he had had a personal talk with John Belcher (parliamentary secretary to the Board of Trade) and said he understood that Belcher knew Sidney Stanley (the central figure in the inquiry). “I said that Belcher should be on his guard,” said Hall, “and Belcher said, ‘ Oh yes, I know a good deal about Stanley. I have known him for some time now and you need not warn me,’ or words to the effect." Hall added: “So far as I knew then there was nothing very criminal in what Stanley had tried to do. It was more an attempt to bounce the Treasury and get something through than anything else, but it startled me considerably.”

Meetings With Stanley Mr Hugh Dalton, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, was the fiftyfourth witness.

He said he first met Stanley at a dinner on March 23 to mark the appointment of George Gibson - (director of the Bank of England) as chairman of the North-west Electricity -Board. When leaving dinner he was followed into the street by Stanley, who said he had great admiration for Gibson, and represented himself to be-an active supporter of the Labour Party. Dalton said that in all he had met Stanley only four times. On one occasion Stanley had said to him: “ We would like you to join us in the Gus now that you are no longer a member of the Government.” Mr Dalton said he did not know what the Gus was (Gus stands for the Great Universal Stores, of which Isaac Wolfson is head).

When the Attorney-general, Sir Hartley Shawcross, asked if Stanley had told him anything about assisting in the recent by-election, Mr Dalton replied: “This was one of the points that I counted most in his favour at this time. . He said he had sent a large number of cars to the Gravesend by-election. He also sent a similar number to the North Croydon by-elec-tion. This predisposed him in my favour.” Mr Dalton said he understood that Stanley was either a director of the Great Universal Stores or some prominent person in an executive position. Mr Dalton added that he could not remember any directors’ fee being mentioned, but he told Stanley that such an arrangement was not desirable from his point of view, and brushed it aside. “I said that this was not. in my line and was thoroughly discouraging throughout the interview. I further said that in any case I was too busy to take on any further commitments that would take my time.”

View of Stanley

Mr Dalton said he saw Isaac Wolfson on April 16. Nothing was said about the possibility of his joining the board of the Great Universal Stores. Mr Dalton said that at Wolfson’s office Stanley was “ treated with slight regard.” “I formed the view that Stanley was in fact a contact man of low repute, and I had no wish to have anything more to do with him,” he said.

In answer to Mr E. S. Montagu, K.C« (for Wolfson),-.Mr Dalton said “ I well believe that both Wolfson and I were temporarily deceived -by Stanley.” Mr Dalton saidythe reason he agreed with Stanley’s suggestion and saw Wolfson’was that Stanley emphasised that the Gus had. built factories in, development areas. He had always been interested in development areas, and this had finally turned the scale and decided him to se.e Wolfson. Mr Dalton was asked by Mr Justice Lynskey: “Has anyone, either, Stanley or anybody else, ever approached you in relation to misusing your„powers either as an M.P. or as-a member of the Government?” ' Mr Dalton: No. I can think of no such occasion.

Director’s Evidence

Isaac Wolfson/ the next witness, said he was chairman and managing director of the Great Universal Stores. He first met Stanley at dinner in June, 1947. Stanley came to him with “all sorts of propositions,” but they had nothing to do with Ministers of the Crown. Nothing ever came of the propositions Stanley put dp. Wolfson said Stanley was not'a contact man for his organisation. Wolfson denied that he had asked Stanley to bring Gibson, Charles Key (Minister of Works), or Belcher to his office. Wolfson denied fliat £ 1000 he had paid Stanley for expenses included recompense for Stanley’s introduction to Key, Belcher, Gibson, and Mr Dalton. ’• Wolfson agreed that he had told Belcher that he was the type, of man who would fit into his organisation. “I had a very high regard for Belcher as a very capable person," Wolfson added. . : Wolfson said that Sir Stafford Cripps had asked him to contact him about matters of major importance. Mr Montagu (for Wolfson) So you don’t need the Stanleys and the Gibsons of this world? Wolfson: No,

Wolfson said in reply to Mr Justice Lynskey that he had no objection to the tribunal inspecting the books of his companies. Mr Justice Lynskey added that he would like a Treasury solicitor to have an opportunity of seeing the books and trying to trace the identity of a person whose initials “R. H. S. appeared on one of three receipts covering the payment of £ 1000 to Stanley for his services. Wolfson stated that had a certain store purchase deal gone through he would Have been prepared to have paid Stanley £35.000.