GROSS IMPROPRIETY

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 5 July 1930, Page 5

GROSS IMPROPRIETY

FORMES PREMIERS, MU AGAIN’A INQUIRY. FINDINGS OF COMMISSION. BRISBANE, July 4. The Royal Commissioner’s findtagM on the purchase by the former Queensland Government of the Mungana mine leases and the Chillagoe smelters were made available today. The commissioner? declares that the management of the State smelters by and tire conduct of Peter Godidart were generally censurable. There had been recklessness in expenditure, unscrupuluousness in administration, and dishonesty in advice, which conduct had been actuated by pecuniary and other personal advantage. The enterprise

■was disastrous to' the State, and the results aggrevated by faulty) management* for which the Government of the day was responsible. There was deplorable laxity by the Treasury over the expenditure at the smeltery and the associated) mines. This was the outcome of improper business relations between Mr Theodore, Mr McCormack, arid Mr Frederick whom the commissioner believed to have been guilty of fraud and dishonesty for procuring to the State the purchase of Mungana mine for £40,000, also that ‘the money shared between them was IraduJently obtained. The commissioner added that Mr Theodore also was guilty of the grossest impropriety in becoming associated with Goddard iri the Flour Spur Mining Company and the Argentum Mining Company while Goddard was manager of the State smelters, and therefore debarred by statute from being associated with private ventures. Messrs McCormack and Theodore were former Premiers of Queenislarid.