AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

Southland Times, Issue 18974, 22 June 1923, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

STATE WOOLLEN MILLS. MEMBER’S SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) MELBOURNE, June 21. In the House of Representatives, when Mr Scullin (Labour) launched an attack on the Government, he made sensational statements that Melbourne warehouses were behind the Government and were responsible for the doom of the woollen mills. He imputed most sinister motives to Ministers and claimed that the facts brought forward during the debate revealed a state of affairs rivalling the so-called wireless scandal. After Mr Bruce (Federal Premier) had indignantly replied expressing resentment at the sinister motives imputed, the motion was defeated by 34 to 26, the voting being on strictly party lines. The burden of Mr Scullin’s attack was that the Government had been influenced by Flinders street interests in selling the woollen mills. He declared that the moneymasters hated the mill because it was taking their profits and because it exposed their profiteering. He said a concern worth £300,000 had been sold for £155,000, and alleged that the Returned Soldiers’ Association offered a security of £57,000, but this was turned down in favour of those offering much smaller security. He inferred that there had been sinister motives in connection with various phases of the transaction, and declared that if Labour was returned to power they would be justified in resuming control of the mill for the people on the same basis as it was sold. During a debate Labourites referred to a “hidden hands” conspiracy and the power of money operating behind the Ministry. Mr Bruce, replying, stated that the Government had twice called for world-wide tenders for the mill and accepted the best price offering. He declared that Mr Scullin’s estimates were made in boom years of the woollen trade, and would not stand now. In regard to the soldiers’ offer, the demand in that direction had greatly fallen off, and the mill’s usefulness in supplying the Government was ended. The real issue between the Ministry and the Opposition was that the Ministry was opposed to Government trading enterprises and the Opposition advocated them. Mr Bruce warmly declared that there was not a scintilla of truth in the charges against the good faith of the Ministry. They had done everything in the full light of the day. 'He concluded by stating that they had stood three attacks, the first by Mr Charlton, with big artillery, and the second by Mr Anstey with light artillery. But the worst had fallen to Mr Scullin, and he produced poison gas.