LANG MINISTRY

Southland Times, Issue 21716, 31 May 1932, Page 5

LANG MINISTRY

UNEMPLOYMENT FUND ALLEGED MISUSE OF MONEYS AMAZING REVELATIONS # (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 11.55 p.m.) Sydney, May 30. The Minister of Labour and Industry, Mr J. Dunningham, makes what lie describes as remarkable revelations in regard to the Lang Ministry s misuse of the unemployment funds derived from the wages tax of a shilling in the pound. He said he discovered that £40,000 had been diverted to the payment of the taxation staff s salaries; £40,000 to rent commitments of the Chief Secretary’s Department; £2OOO for charitable relief which, should come from another fund; £lOO “hush money went to the Newcastle Watersiders Union to prevent a strike which was likely to embarrass the Lang Government; and £5OOO was advanced to the Furniture Trades Union ostensibly to meet the needs of the unemployed -of that organization, whereas it was discovered that no condition whatever attached to the advance. Mr Dunningham added that several avowed Lang Plan advocates also received first class inter-State railway passes to enable them to pursue their activities in other States. There had also been a vast amount of joy-riding in Government cars during the Lang regime. It was quite obvious that the unemployment funds were illegally used because of the Government’s rmpecuniosity in latter months.