FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD

Chronicle (Levin), 27 September 1946, Page 8

FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD

—Press As&iciation

: W > INQUIRY INTO THIRD DIVISLON VEHICLES

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Bept. 26. The Defence Committee of the flouse of Representatives,- at today's hearing of the petition by Georg-e Laing, inspector of Government motor vehieles, for an inquiry into the condition of vehieles sent to the Third Division in the Paeihc, decided that the report of the Perry inquiry in July, 1943, be tabled for use at the present inquiry. Mr. E. V. Marriott, a former captain in the Third Divisiou Transport See tion, said he met Mr. Laing before leaving for the Paeific and had mentioned the obsoleseence of some of the vehieles to be sent to that area. He did not feei very happy with the unsuitable types but when he reached, New Caledonia it was early apparent that the- whole Division would be fully equipped with new vehieles by the timo the training period was eompleted. He was surprised some'nionths later to learn that the vehieles were the sub ject of a petition to the House of Kepresentatives. Mr. Marriott, eross-examined by Mr. LaiiiP'. said tlie nnrnnsp. nf tSp i-iuU tn

Mr. Laing 's offiee was to complain about the unsuitability of some of the vehieles to be shi^ped. At that time he had been disturbed about the condition of the vehieles and had regarded Mr. Laing as the highest authority on Government vehieles. A lieut.-colonei had told witness that the Division eould not get better vehieles at that time. Mr. Marriott said he had no recollection of having ieft a message with Mr. Laing 's typiste on the eve of his departure, to the -- effeet that the vehieles were being shipped, nor did he reeolleet having said the vehieles were being taken over to be written ofC overseas. To Mr. A. G. Osborne, Mr. Marriott said he had never been diseiplined for his elt'orts to .obtain better vehieles. He and other oflSeers coneerned in the early complaints had all been prornoted while overseas. He never told Mr. Laing that Lieutenant Iveenan had said Brigadier Avery had stated it was Parliament 's deeision to write off the vehieles overseas. Mr. a. G. Stephenson, who is appearing with Mr. T. P. Cleary, summing up for the Army Department, submitted that the whole of Mr. Laing 's evidenee had l)een hearsav as he had inspected only seven or eight of the vehieles and those only eursorily. It had been shown that Mr. Laing 's eharges had been gross exaggeratiou unsupported by evidenee, wkiJe on the other hand evidenee had been brought to show that no stone had been ieft unturned to equip the division adequately. Mr. Laing submitted that the vehieles should . not have gone overseas when belfer vehieles were available with smaller miieages. He had not had the beneiit of aeeess to Arniy reeords or the findings of the Perry inquiry. He eouid only eonelude that it was never intended to see the light of day. Would the Committee aeeept the Army's justiiieation for sending old and wornout vehieles on the ground that they were ■not to see active service? "I am not a defendant in this hear ing, " said Mr. Laing. "I am a pubiic servant who has tried to do what 1 eonsider my duty. " The authority on which he had proceeded in the question of the Third Division vehieles in the lirst plaee, was adequate, Mr. Laing submitted, and he had been curbed only some time Jater when he had ineurred Ministerial dis pleasure over another report. He elaimed all the witnesses called at the 1943 inquiry should have appeared at the present hearing. Tliere should be a searching judicial inquiry into the whole question. The earlier inquiry was valueless and was a series of .sur reptitious whisperirigs. It was due to the country, to Brigadier Avery, and to himself that the tryth should be established. If the eharges were considered frivolous or the result of a veudetta. he should have been saeked out of hand. The Committee reserved its deeision.