LAND OFFICE SCANDALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 58

LAND OFFICE SCANDALS.

SYDNEY, October 31.

A. N. Willis, who is one of the principals connected with the Land Office scandal, has been remanded from Durban to Sydney on a charge of false pretences.

The hearing of the charge against W; P. Crick was resumed at the Water Police Court.

Peter Close was the first witness. Crick, conducting his own case, severely crossexamined him with reference to his evidence before the Lands Commission with a view to showing that Close was aware Parliament would pass a bill to indemnify him before he agreed to answer certain questions.

The Magistrate several times admonished Crick as to his manner of conducting the examination.

Crick declared that he could conduct it his own way. He meant to have the Commission before the court. Nothing fresh was elicited, and the hearing adjourned tail Thursday. - •

November 1.

Willis, who was arrested at Durban (Natal) in connection with the New South Wales Land Office scandals, has been remanded to Sydney on two more charges.

November 2.

The * hearing of the case against W. P. Crick, ex-Minister of Lands, wjho is charged with having unlawfully, while Secretary for Lands, accepted from Peter Collinson Close a reward of £250 beyond his - proper pay and emolument for the performance of his duty as Secretary for Lands, was continued in .the Water Police Court to-day. Crick occupied the greater part of the day in an exhaustive crossexamination of Peter Close with reference to the laud transactions over which, it is alleged, a division of commission took place, and with regard to Crick's borrowing transactions with Close's firm. Crick indicated- that his object was to show that his treatment of land exchanges was departmentally correct and in the interests of the public. Close admitted that that was so. Mr Pilcher, who appeared for the Crown, pointed out that the gravamen of the charge was not whether Crick administered his department properly or improperly but that as a Minister he received a gratuity.