INQUIRY REFUSED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 190, 12 August 1931, Page 1

INQUIRY REFUSED.

Government Contract for Supply of Bread. SYDNEY RELIEF SYSTEM. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, August 11. In the Legislative Assembly to-day, Mr T. R. Bavin, leader of the Opposition, moved a resolution for the appointment of a 'Royal Commission to inquire into the circumstances under which Shalders, Ltd., were the Government dole bread contract. The motion evoked a great uproar. Mr Bavin declared that the arrange ment with Shadlers, Limited, and its sudden unexplained abandonment had created suspicion in the mind of the community. He urged the Chief Secretary, Mr 11. Gosling, for the sake of his own reputation, to agree to the in quiry, as Shadlers’ consisted of men of straw. The Chief Secretary, in reply, explain ed that the Government had embarked on the contract because the master bankers were charging too big a price for relief bread. The Crown Solicitor had drawn up the agreement, but no pena] clause was inserted because the Government had the right to terminate the contract the moment the supply of bread broke down, as had actually occurred. It was quite untrue to say that Caucus had instructed him to cancel the contract. Mr Bavin’s motion was defeated on a strictly party division by 45 votes to 33. Mr Gosling refrained from voting Shadlers, Limited, were granted a contract by the Government to distribute 500,000 loaves of bread a day to people receiving relief, in exchange for dole coupons. It was arranged that Shadlers should pay the master bakers 3s 8d a dozen for small loaves and receive 3s lid. The bakers said that they could not produce bread at that price and demanded 4s 3d a dozen, in the meantime cutting off supplies. The result was that the unfortunate people on relief rations could not obtain bread unless they were prepared to purchase it in the ordinary manner. The bakers insisted upon their price and the Government gave way to them.