CENSURE FAILS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 5

CENSURE FAILS

LANG’S GROTESQUE MOVE

CORRUPT PRACTICE CHARGES SENSATION IN ASSEMBLY ALLEGATION BY PREMIER “£24,000 PAID AT ELECTION” By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 10 p.m. Sydney, Nov. 9. A censure motion against the Stevens Government was moved in the Assembly to-day by Mr. J. T. Lang, Leader of the Opposition, condemning. the Government for being associated with the payment of £2OOO to Redmond Barry, who undertook to procure secret testimony in regard to tin hare dealings, whereby former Ministers of the Crown were defamed and party advantages obtained. The motion, claimed that such a payment amounted to bribery. The motion was defeated by 48 votes to 19. The Premier (Mr. B. S. B. Stevens) gave Mr. Lang every -facility in moving the motion. Mr. Lang declared the Premier and others entered a conspiracy to procure by bribery false evidence on which to denounce former Ministers of the Crown. Mr. Lang reviewed at great length the negotiations with Barry and the diligent efforts on the part of Mr. Stevens to induce Barry to bring Mr. Lang prominently into the tin liar® scandals. The Premier in reply declared Mr. Lang had made a grotesque attempt to cloak proven corruption and fraud ’on the part of certain members of • the Lang administration in connection with tin hare racing and the re-introduction of fruit machines. Could anybody doubt, asked Mr. Stevens, that Mr. Lang, Mr. M. Gosling (then Chief Secretary) and Mr. W. ,T. Ely (then Assistant Labour Minister) were involved to the fullest extent in corruption. Mr. Stevens created a sensation when he stated that on the eve of the 1927 State election — the fate of tin hare racing was in the balance—Mr. Lang received £24,900 into his trust account, of which £12,000 was spent on the election, £4OOO transferred to Mr. Lang’s fixed deposit account, £256 to his private account, and £2OOO. paid to Mt. Gosling, who later became Chief j Secretary. )