MORE CHARGES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19434, 21 October 1925, Page 7

MORE CHARGES

FROM MR CORRIGAN ' " - - THE USUAL REFUTATION 1 COMPLETE AND EMPHATIC (Per Press Association.! CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 20. Recently in a campaign speech in Taranaki, Mr J. R. Corrigan said that after the last election the Prime Minister (at that time) had to scout around for three supporters, and he found them in Mr L. M. Isitt, Mr Allen Bell and Mr George Witty. In 1916, during tho war, there was a company formed to start an airdrome at Sockburn. It did good business until tho war finished. In 1922 it was offered to tho Government, which refused it. After the election it was gazetted that the Government had acquired it. Two members of Parliament were directors of the company. Before the Government took it over it was thought that it would not pay Is in the £ on the investment, but it paid 17s in the £ after the Government had taken it over. Mr George Witty gives these charges an emphatic denial. He says the airdrome was started by tho Hon. H. F< Wigram, a gentleman whom everybody respects and whose memory will live in the hearts of the people after Mr Corrigan is forgotten. Mr Wigram, with others who could not go to tho war, felt that ho should do something to help the country, and he did so, and had these gentlemen received only Is in the £1 not one would have grumbled. When the Government bought the airdrome it was on the valuation of public experts, and after the Government had made the purchase Mr Wigram gavo back to the Government £lO,OOO of tho purchase money as a free gift to tho. country. He had lost £15,000 in helping the Empire, and Mr Corrigan knew? it. Mr Isitt, like many others who took up shares in the company with the object of doing their little bit in winning the war, was the holder of 10 £1 shares, but ho was never a director of the company. Mr Witty, who held 1000 shares on trust, was tho only member of tha i House of Representatives on the directorate, and he merely joined, liko many* others, with the sole object of assisting the defence of the country. No shareholder received a single penny as dividend, nor has any director received any fee or remuneration whatsoever for their years of service, but they gave their assistance freely and without any reward whatever.