MILITARY SUPPLIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13717, 22 June 1915, Page 7

MILITARY SUPPLIES.

AUSTRALIAN CONTRACT SCAXDALS. (Press Assn.— By Telegraph— -Copy fight.) SYDNEY, June 21. Before the High Court to-day Arthur Kidman (contractor), Major F. 'YV. Page (Quartermaster-General of the Military Forces of New South Wales), Major A. G. O'Donnell (Assistant Director of Supply and Transport), and Sergeant 1.. Leslie (Principal Clerk, acting under Major O'Donnell), were charged with conspiring between themselves and others, between October 29 and May 8 last, to defraud the Commonwealth of large sums of money by charging excessively for goods for use of the armed • forcis of Australia. The point was raised that the Act undev which the charges were laid only came into operation on May 7, and the prosecution depended on the Act being letrofcpectivG. Major Page pleaded not guilty, and counsel for the other accused a-skod that, the indictments be quashed. • Tho Chief Justice stated that the Full Bench of the High Court had been summoned for August 2 to deal with the question of the retrospective powers of the Act, and all the points raised would be reserved till after that fitting. The trial was adjournod^to August 9. Kidman was also charged with iorging a tender m the name of C. Brown te suppiy goods to the military, with the intention of having the document .accepted as a. genuine application. An. application to quash the indictment on the ground that the Common\vealj.h had no power to c\eal with retrospective cases was refused m this instance, and the . hearing was fixed fur to-morrow. SYDNEY, June 21. Under the Pure Foods AcC, Francis Boylsoii Avas to-day fined £10 for supplying adultorated "colfee, allegedly containing 64 per cunt. 'of > chicory, for us<? of troops, a.nd £2 f.ur giving a false, certificate therewith. Boylson, m pleading guilty, said he simply gave the order to another firm The coffee was packed m bond under Government supervision.