TELEGRAMS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14611, 29 August 1913, Page 5

TELEGRAMS.

—<♦ ROYD GARLIGK INQUIRY, ! ;

— ♦ — MR LAUREN SON'S CHANGES. A •FKJKNDLY" APPOINTMENT. REFUTATIONS' AND DENIALS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON' August' 29. The Royd Garliefc Committee resumed this afternoon to investigate the charge iby Mr Laurenson that Hon Mr Allen had appointed a personal friend to the position of director of cail training. Mr Laurenson said he was justified in his statement because it. vra.s current talk that Mr Gariick was friendly with the Minister. The Lyttelton Times-published an interview with the Minister in which Mr A'kn said he knew Mr Garlick and the same paper published a. leading articles stating that, it was current talk that. Mr Garliek was on terms of friendship with several members of the Cabinet. Those statements had not been denied and he thought it a fair infercMieo that as the appointment w;> snot made ivi the ordinary way by callintr applications it must have been because of friendship with the Minister To Mr Herdman: He denied that he had ever said Mr Garlick was. incompetent, but! did not think him more competent than others in the Dominion'whose sen ices were available. Hy knew of no appointments of importance made by the Liberal Government, v.it'iout advertisement., and I tho'Ki-bt. £fiOO was too high a salary for M 1 Orliok, when the headmasters of bi</ <"h<iols could not get more ; than .£-100. To Mr Gutlirie: If Mir Allen assured him that Mr Garlick. was not a. personal friend he would accept it, I but without that, assurance he would I make the same statement again. In view of «;11 tihe circumstances surrounding the appointment the statement was not as unfair a.s many made by Hon. Mr Allen and his friends against, the Literal Government. The Committee then proceeded to consider the statements made by Mr Forbes. "It had been freely stated the appointment was made for political purposes." Mr Forbes in his evidence said he had repeatedly seen it stated in the pressl and had heard it in the street that the appointment was a political one. Ho had said in the House that he personally did"-not so regard It, and .spoke a.s he did to give the Minister an opportunity of clearing up suspicions which he considered would do trimentally affect the Education Department. The public were justified in thinking the appointment a political one because of others made by the Massey I Government such as the Canterbury Land Board and West-port Harbour Board. To Mr Guthrie: He thought his speech a fair statement of the position and was rather proud of it. There was nothing of inference in it ! and he would not admit that inference could be drawn from it that the appointment was a political one. Ml* Allen asked leave to make a statement in refutation of Mr Lauren- 1 son's charge. He had noil seen Mr Garlick prior to 14th September, when on the recommendation, of Drs. Hard-wien-Smith and MfeGill lie asked him on the committee of advice in connection with the scheme of physical training for schools. Since then he had not £een him except officially. He had never been in Mr Garlick's House and Mr Garliok had never been in hi« house. He denied absolutely that he appointed Mir Garlick! for reasons of , friendship. Mr G-arlick!. when called, corroborated Hon. Mr Allen's statements as to their meeting. He had never seen or commui-.ica.ted. with Ml* Allen prior toi tihe Hth September. The Committee adjourned till 4 p.m. to-morrow.