MALING WANTED JOB AT £6000 YEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18469, 22 May 1928, Page 10

MALING WANTED JOB AT £6OOO YEAR.

JUDGE DECLARES HE MUST INVESTIGATE OTHER TENDER

(United Prow Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) SYDNEY. May 21. Before the Royal Commission inquiring into civic affairs Silas Maling continued his evidence. He said that when the matter of a payment to aldermen was arranged with Arnot, manager for Babcock and Wilcox, the latter insisted on making witness a present of £2OOO for himself. Witness reluctantly agreed to accept it. The whole matter was being discussed with Arnot. Maling asked Arnot what amount he proposed to pay the aidermen, and Arnot said £7500, with £IOOO for Alderman Holdsworth. The -tender then went before the f council, which approved it, and the power house contract was given to Babcock and Wil-

Maling continued that he heard no more about the money business for some time. Then Arnot came to his office and said that he could not get the money out from England and he was afraid to get it out for fear that it should be detected. He asked Maling if he knew of any way out of the difficulty. Witness promised to think it over for a few days. Later he met Albert in the street accidentally and told him that Arnot could not get the money out from Albert then said that Buckle had a much bigger account than his and would be better able to handle the transaction. Later Albert told witness that Buckle was prepared to let the money go through his account and that he (Albert) wanted £IOO for his services in making the arrangements with Buckle. This was agreed to, and brought the total amount to £10,600.

The next thing Maling heard was when Albert went to his office and told him that the money had arrived. Maling then told how he received various amounts through Albert and Miss Gordon (Albert’s clerk) xvhich he handed over to Alderman Green.

Cross-examined, Maling said that he told Arnot not to give Holdsworth any monej’, as if he did others would not get thefr shares. He further stated that when he left Australia he would have returned had he received reasonable treatment from the Civic Commissioners. Before he left he had asked for leave to consult a Harley Street specialist, but this was refused, so he then went to New Zealand without leave, on the advice of his doctor.

At this stage Mr Justice Harvey said that he would have to investigate the allegations in connection with the International Combustion Company's tender, as it seemed to run right through the whole matter. Arnot was recalled and cross-examin-ed on a number of cablegrams which passed between him and the London office of Babcock and Wilcox since the Commission has been sitting. One from the London office stated that Sir James Kennall had instructed the payment of £IO,OOO in Sydney, but there ■was nothing in the London office to show to whom the payment was made. Arnot, jn reply to a question, said that he saw Maling just before the latter went to New Zealand, and Maling told him that he had decided to resign from his City Council position. lie asked witness to get him another position where he could earn not £3OOO but £6OOO a year. Witness added that he could not recollect Maling having told him on previous occasions that he desired to give up his position with the council.

The inquiry was adjourned till Monday next.—Australian Press Associ ation.