THE SYDNEY SCANDAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20181, 25 June 1928, Page 7

THE SYDNEY SCANDAL

CHARGE OF GRAFT

Commissioner Holds Citizens’ Interests Unharmed MALING'S TRANSACTIONS. L By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright 1 [ Australian Press Assn. ] SYDNEY, June 22. , The report of Mr Justice Harvey, j the Royal Commissioner who investi- ' gated the allegations of graft in con'nection with certain city contracts for the supply of plant for electrical works, finds that Arnot, the Sydney representative of Babcock and Wilcox, had as the result of interview’s with Maling, then deputy-manager of the electricity department, committed his company to make a payment for distribution between Maling and certain unnamed labour aidermen as the price of securing the Sydney City Council acceptance of the Babcock-Wilcox tender. The Commissioner finds difficulty in tracing the moneys after they reached Maling’s hands, but the evidence leads to the belief that the money was paid to ex-Alderman Green, as Maling suggests. The judge prefers to rely on the witness Albert’s account of the financial dealings in connection with the receipt of moneys from England than on that of Maling, who proved an untrustworthy witness. Regarding ex-Alderman Holdsworth, the Judge says that he believes that Holdsworth did approach Arnot with a request for money payment to secure his support for the firm’s tender. There was no .evidence to support the suggestion that the International Combustion Company was privy to its Sydney manager’s (Hutchison) action in asking the company to cable £15,000 for “preliminary expenses.”

The Commissioner considers that the citizens’ interests were not harmed by the corrupt bargain between Arnot and Maling and the Babcox-Wilcox tender would probably have been accepted if no bargaining or promise of money had been made.