BREACH OF LAW

Southland Times, Issue 21855, 4 November 1932, Page 7

BREACH OF LAW

TIN HARE SCANDAL ROYAL COMMISSION’S REPORT CORRUPT PRACTICES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Sydney, November 3. In his report the Royal Commissioner, Mr Justice Haise Rogers, who inquired into greyhound -racing and fruit machines, said that on reconsideration of the whole of the evidence it would be invidious to select cases for prosecution. It was apparent that there was a connection between tin hares and fruit machines. Many witnesses had something they wished to conceal and were willing to go to any length in the witness box to achieve that purpose. But for the existence of contemporary documents the commissioner’s quest for the truth would have 'been almost hopeless. He found that the late Government had sanctioned a scheme for breaches of the law, in connection with fruit machines, but the evidence did not disclose corrupt dealing by Mr Love, chairman of the Hospitals Commission, though his administration was unbusinesslike. In connection with tin hares, the judge draws attention to the extraordinary series of company transactions, some stories concerning which were stranger than fiction and devices were employed often fantastic and nearly always clumsy. The most astonishing case was that of a chartered accountant who admitted opening a company’s ledger with false entries and with juggling the figures to make the account correspond with a false entry in the minutes. “It appears that a feeling has gained ground that the Governments are not bound to observe strictly the terms of the acts which they administer and Mr Gosling, late Chief Secretary, when asked whence a certain power was derived. said Cabinet had arrogated it to itself,” says the report. The commissioner points out that the Act gave no authority for mechanical coursing on licensed grounds, but the Minister, instead of licensing the grounds, had issued permits to conduct racing which he had no authority to do. Referring to Redmond Barry’s alleged suggestion that he should use influence to get the necessary legislation passed for which he would receive 5000 shares in each company, the commissioner says that Barry was a discredited witness whose evidence he refused to accept except where it was borne out by documents as in the case of the Greyhound Coursing Association and the Australian Coursing Club, each of which informed Barry that 5000 shares were being held for him. The Royal Commissioner says: “I do not believe that the representatives of these companies promised such payment for a social campaign in favour of betting. From what happened later it appears that the directors involved would not hesitate to make themselves parties to a scheme of bribery if, • as a result, they could again carry on racing as a legalized sport. The promise to allocate shares to Barry stands on a par with the transactions subsequently available to Swindell. I am bound to find that the persons mentioned entered into a scheme to procure legislation by corrupt means.” GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE

COURSE BEING DECIDED LATER. (Rec. 10.5 p.m.) Sydney, November 3. The course the Government will follow in view of the Royal Commissioner’s report on tin hares and its policy towards dog racing is not likely to be decided for some days. The Premier, Mr Stevens, stated that the report had been submitted to the Attorney-Gen-eral who would advise Cabinet later. A message from Canberra states that the Attorney-General, Mr J. G. Latham, in the House of Representatives said he would consider a suggestion that the Commonwealth should take action to deport Swindell. CONTROL OF COURSING APPOINTMENT OF BOARD. Sydney, November 3. The mechanical coursing clubs have appointed a board of seven members to control the sport on lines similar to the Australian Jockey Club in racing matters. Members are permanently elected, the vacancies being filled by the remaining members. Thus the clubs have no control over the board, which comprises Messrs William Brooks (Legislative Councillor), E. Lloyd Jones, Robert Walder, Joseph M. Seeley, Sidney Longworth and Thomas Hogan.