The Marine Scandal Commission.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11571, 12 July 1899, Page 3

The Marine Scandal Commission.

THE PREMIER'S EVIDENCE. MR'PIRANI FORMULATES CHARGES. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATtON.3 Welliso on, July 11. —At the Marine Commission t*us afternoon, Mi Seddon read voluminous departmental correspondence dealing with the whole matter. Included in this correspondence was a report from Captain Allman upon Mr Hutcheson's charges in the Houso. In it Captain Allman mentioned that on one occasion Captain Von Schoen urged him to let his (Von Schoen's) candidates pass the marine examinations in preferauce to a rival teachers pupils, and mado some allusion to making it worth his while to pass bis (You Schoen's men), but Allman -would not lis.iii to the suggestion. Allmm proceeded : " Until Von Schoen tried to bike me I ' ad no idea of his real motives." Aliman added that he had not tendered this full explanation with the view of justifying his conduct. lie knew he did wrong on the impulse of the moment. Mr W. T. Glatgow, Secretary of the Marine Department, recommended Captain AIN man's suspension and a fnll enquiry, and Mr Seddon endorsed this. At an interview in the Cabinet roorif, Allmar. admitted that he had given way in a weak moment, and he (Mr fc'eddoo") believed this. Replying to a communication from the Marine Department, asking him- to cay whether he admitted or denied the formal charges mide agaiust him, Captain Allman wrote that he was plainly led to understand that it was the desire of the Premier and Mr HalKJonos that Captain Jones should get hi a certificate. Mr Seddon repeated his assertion that nothing had transpired between witness and Allman in regard to Jones going up for his examination, and emphatically denied that he bad given Captain Jones to nnderstand that "it would be alright in regard to bis certificate." Mr Seddon eaid that the action of Captain Allport in withholding from the heads of* the Department for some time certain information given to him by Captain . Von Kchoenwas repiehecsiblp, and required explanation. A point which Mr fceddon wanted clearing up was why Cautain Allport had kept that information from the heads of the Department to long after ' he had intimated to Von Sihoen that he mast be relfa^ed from Lis promise to treat it as cot fi-iential. Mr Pirani has formulated cl a-ges, before the Marine Commission, against the Premier, of endeavouring to procure the issue of a service certificate to Captain JoneF. and, of boasting to Jones about knowing that he wa3 not entitled to it ; that he had procured him a certificate of competency ; of denying in Parliament that any irregularity bad taken place, though he knew Jones bad received a certificate in contravention of tho law ; of stating tta* he had not written or talked to the Minister for Marine on the snbjacr, though he had nrged him by telegram to grant 'a service certificate ; that certificates had been improperly issued to certain persons named in a tele- ' gram, and that the Premier had taken no steps to cancel them. Mr Piraoi aiso charges Mr Hall Jones with wrongfully ming his power to order Captain Jones to be examined, with allowing him for 8 long time to retain the certificate after he knew it was improperly obtained, withont taking steps to cancel it, with inducing Captain Allman to make an incorrect report, and causing it to be published, and with sending a telegram to the Premier statitg that the latter had no * conversation with him on the matter, and thereby suppressing mention of the Premier's telegram to him from Auckland . Wellington, July 12. — The Commis siou resumed this morning Judga Ward ruled that several of Mr Pirani's charges against Mr Seddon and Mr Hall- Jones were out of order. He said that no action at law could lie in regard to conversation which was alleged to have taken plsce between Mr Seddcn atiri Captain Jone?, and thßCoromis'n n had, therefore, decided to strike out the second of Mr Pitani's charges, which referred to Mr Seddon having boasted to Captain Jones that he had procured him a certificate of competency .under the Shipping and Seamen's Act. The Commission also held that no act jol at law could lie for words spoken in dtbate in the Houae Obvionsly no such charge as that which bad been made upon the statements in the House could be ci quired into by a tribunal like

b Eoyal d-mojission. Ihe Cimtnijsion,

therefore, stiuck out from Mr Pirani's charges all the allegations aguinst the Premitrand Mr Hall Jones, which were founded upon stattmtnts made in debate in tbe Bouse. Mr b'edduii, uiulir examination by Mr Han lon, couni.ued to Had the voluminous correspondence relating to tbe Marine Dspartmtnt effairp, He rtad a juint letter, signed by three candidates, complainiDg of the unfair method of conducting marine exami' ations, but Captain Allman's reply to these charges was that they were a tUfcue of lies. The departmental replitH being satisfactory, the Governor ent took uo action in the

matter. Air Fiddcn wished to fay that " ntither dijic-tl), nor indirectly, b-id he interfered with o> iffluented tbe officers of tbe Ma>ine Depattmtnt. The reepon&ibi ily was theirs from beginning to end- In cons< qu«nre of a question asked in the House, ibe Government made full enquiry into ibn regnlationa governing the a' ju^lmpnt of ship's ci mpa'sea. As - b result it was fouDd t' at Captain Yon Scboen vrj practically the only person in Wellington «ho wa-i tntitled under these regulatinr.fi to adjust compa<-Bc-s. Cjo a e\amiued by Dr. Findley, who af peaud for Captain Allman, Mr Seddon Eaid ('apt io Von Scboen had held the positioi s of .Nautical for lha Govtrcmtiit and Ar'jastor of Ccmpatsep, and he bad pretty weil the run of the Marine Department Office. Ho had two fcrievanc 1 -, one in regard to

Cjptain Alini •!,'» 111 1 mion, atd tho other becaut-c ot ibn li^x of nautical asßesPor's work in 1897. lie did not kr.ow bow Vcn Hcboin had become acquainted with certain official information. Cross-examined by Sir Gray, who appfafed for Captain Jones, lir seciduu taid. the Derailment reported against a sunk'; Cf.t ficatu btii*g )?mictl to Joiils, but witr 1 1- 1 - hi,uj.bt it Jos es could prove the Dc uf.uwtit vra.s wro-fg aud he (Jonii-) ' js "gbt, be tlioulcl git his certificate. \"> >tue>s' opinion was tbut Jones iv,h a i:;ut)> safer tnau for coastal woik than tci ii.-. of others who held the class of cerlifiiai- he wa< applying for. As to Joiieb' i ffidavif, he did not know when Lo met Lim on tbe Duchees that he had

obtained anj certificate. Witness was „ positive i.o reference was made to a service certificate on that trip. Cross examined by Mr Travers, who appeal id fur C'uptoins Allport and Edwin, ho said be bad thorough confident- in bis <flicers, and believed fi ill lheie wa* no (ollusion betweo .Uiman and Jon«a. Nor did Allmati k> ow what was going on be.wttn Jonth ;.i >: Von Schoen. it would have saved AH, >>ri agieat dual of anxiety if he bad (uI-pi. Ui ■ head Department into his confidence m irgardto what Yon Pchoen bad im, art^ti i» him, even if bo had mentioned the matter to him without giving names.