CIVIC INQUIRY

Southland Times, Issue 20499, 30 May 1928, Page 7

CIVIC INQUIRY

CONDUCT OF OFFICIAL SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL’S AFFAIRS DETAILS OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTION (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 8.50 p.m.) Sydney May'29. At the Royal Commission inquiry into civic affairs, in reply to a question put by counsel for Albert, Maling said that it was only after his return from New Zealand that he fixed the amount of money he left with Albert at £l,lOO. Before that while in New Zealand he had told Inspector Mackay that Albert had £2,600 of the £10.600. In reply to further questions he said he did not tell Mackay the real facts in New Zealand as he was trying to protect himself pending seeing his solicitor, and he also had in mind that he might make public the facts of the tender transaction. Mrs Pittock, in reply to Mr. Shand, said that after her return from New Zealand she interviewed ex-Alderman Green and told him that the money transaction between himself and Maling had somehow become known and that there was trouble about it. Green appeared greatly alarmed and said he would make inquiries and see if he could find out anything. Green later suggested that the best thing Maling could do was to deny the whole matter. Mrs Pittock said that while in Wellington Maling received a letter from Albert in which he said that Maling. had used him and that the writer had been an old fool. Witness then told of an interview she had with Arnot in Sydney. When she asked .Arnot to pay income tax on £10,600 for Which Maling received an assessment Arnot said: “It strikes me Maling is in the soup.” Witness replied: “Yes and you are in the soup too, Arnot.” Arnot then said: “I wish I had handled the transaction myself. It would have been cheaper. I gave Maling a substantial sum to handle the transaction and now he has gone and mucked the whole thing up. Why does not Maling pay the money?” Witness replied that Maling was not going to pay the money and Arnot replied that he had nothing to fear as he had handed the matter over to his directors to deal with. In reply to a question by Mr. Shand if attempts had been made to book passages for herself and Maling to America or England from New Zealand witness said Maling had made inquiries, but could not get berths on board the Tahiti. This was six weeks before he left New Zealand.—Australian Press Association.