THIRD DIVISION MOTOR VEHICLES

Chronicle (Levin), 4 October 1946, Page 7

THIRD DIVISION MOTOR VEHICLES

—Press AssiDciation

— ^ Lively Discussion Provoked In Parliament

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. A unaiiimous iinding that while some unsuitabie vehicles were sent to the Third Bivision in the Pacilic in January and EeUruary, 1943, the lives of tlie nien in the JDivision were not endangered, was reported to the House of lfepresentatives today by the Defence Oomnuttee which recently heard the petition of George Laing, praving for a pi^ilic inquiry into the circumstances surrountling the supply of vehicles to the Bivision. The eoininittee also reported that aithough not unanimously, it had no reconimendation to make upon the prayer of the petition. Mr. It. M. Macfarlane (Christchurch South) in presenting the report said the conimittee found that petitioner had not substantiated liis charges conceming the aliegedly obsolete venicles supplied to the Tlurd Bivision. In considering tlie conimittee 's reconimendation it was necessary to recali the major prayer of tlie lengthy petition whicli asked for a public enquiry into the nnitter and also asked that thuse responsibie for furnislung the Bivision witli ''worn out and obsolete vehicles,' ' sliould be dealt with according to the degree of their incompetence or guilt estabiislied by a competent tribunal. Wliiie the Committee unaniinously agreed that the men's lives were not jeopardised, Opposition members of the Conimittee had not concurred that the Conimittee sliould make no recom mendation as to a pubilc inquiry. Burmg tlie liearing of a large volume of evidence, matters not strictly relevant to tlie su]>ply of Third Bivision vehicles were introduced by petitioner and, said ALr. JMacfarlane, he understood that Opposition members of Committee beiieved jJr, Luing's poLition sliould be granted to the extent that a publie inquiry sliould be held into the charges made by ALr. Laing against Army oiliccrs. Opposition lnembers beiieved that sucli publie inquiry, with the evidence takou upon oatli, would enabie the matters raised by Mr. Laing to be fairly dealt with. Mr. Macfarlane reviewed the evidence given to the Committee which he said, shovved that aithough some vehicles which were uot of the four wheel type, weie sent to Now Caledonia. They were repiaced before the Bivision entered the combat /oue aiul, at the time they were sent, tlie Army knew they would be used for training only, The Committee found tliat Mr. Laing made no mechanical exaininutioii oi' the vehicles he ciaimed were unserviceabie nor did he look at inore thaii a small propurtion of them. Brigadier Avery, tlien qiuartermaster General, had done liis utmost in a ditiicult situation. fvlr. Macfailaue said Mr. Laing produced no evidence to dispute that when the Bivision moved forward to the combal zone, it had more than sullicient modern transport. With regard to the question of a pub•lic inquiry into> ■other a matters . than those relevant to the petition, it was open to petitioner io make liis stateliienls openly in such a way that any person against wlioni lie made the accusations could bring legal action. ALr. W. !3. Goosuian: Wliat rot. Mr. J. T. Walts: He would have to make a libellous statement. Ali*. Goosnian: Wliy doesn't the Government give him the sack anyway1' JHr. JMacfarlane said the evidence produced by Mr. Laing to the Coniniit-u-e was not only lirst liand but also 111-clude-.i sec ond, third and i'ourth liand evidence as to the condition of the vehicles. Mr. T. L. MacBonald (Mataura) said tlie point about the petition which had a somewhat lengthy history, was that it was a glaring exauiple of Government procrastination which sliould have been cleared up 3i years ago. Mr. Eraser: That was done. Mr. Maedonald: It could not liave been done otherwise tliere would have ueen 110 petition. Mr. Aiacdonald went on to rei'er to oue meniorandum submitted by petitioner to the I'erry inquiry daled April 1, 1943, in which grave charges were allegod against higli Arniv olhcers, an allegation of a secret commission being paiu, aiul the improper influence of a niotor conipany. Tliere had been mucli tittle tattle about the case and the Opposition view was that those whose iiaines wero connected with the talk sliould be given the chance lo be heard in a publie inquiry before a niagistrate. Mr. Maedonald, quoling froni evidence given by Mr. laung in the liearing oi' the recent petition, when petitioner said the Prime Minister had told him that soiuething would have to be done to petitioner if the charges were not sub st'antiated, drew from Mr. Eraser the replies of "that is not true" and "that is a deliberate falsehood. " Alr. Maedonald said the iindings of the 1'erry inquiry were not made known to petitioner until the recent liearing before the Befenee Committee. Mr. W. J. liroadfoot: Pretty good siuother up. Mr. Maedonald said no real inquiry had yet been held despite tlie l'act thai Ihe Prime Minister had received such u request from the Army authorities. When Mr. Laing lodged his iirst petition in 1913 tlie Prime Minister was reported to have said to petitioner: "You can't remain an employee oi' the Government and have a petition like that before the House." Wliy was petitioner still employed by the Government even thougli, on his own evidence, he was employed only two days a niontli? Mr. Maedonald read to the House Lho following resolutiou which was nioved by Opposition members but defeated by the Befenee Committee which lieard Mr Ijaing's petition: '"The Committee finds that while some unsuilablo vehicles were sent from New Zealand to Jlie t'orces in New Caledonia in Januarv aiul' Eebruary, 1913, it also linds that men's lives wero not jeopardised because of that aiul that peLtioner had failed to substantiate the extent to which unsuitabie vehicles were sent. In view, however,' of lho serious allega-

tions by petitioner of waste and ineffipiency in respeet of Army ti'ansport in New Zealand, of the reeeipt of a secret commission by an individual in connee tion with saies of motor vehicles to the Government, and of improper influence on the part of a leading motor com, pany, alleged to have paid. a secret com missxon, the committee recommends that a Magisteriai publie enquiry be heid to investigate all the charges made by petitioner so that all parties whose reputations may have been called into question, may have the opportunity oi refuting the charges made against them. ' ' Mr. Eraser said the Member foi Mataura was trying to create a scandal. Mr. Thorne: Just muck raking. Mr. Eraser said that despite all that Mr. Maedonald had said, surely there could have been a single word of praise for Brigadier Avery who was oue oi the ablest Quartermuster Generals evei in the New Zealand Army. Opposition Member: A red herring. Mr. Eraser said he had nothing against petitioner personaliy but an^ report given to the Befenee Committee describing the alleged conversations Mr. Laing had had with him, he would say were fantastic. Ile understood Mr. Laing was goiug to stand for Parlia ment. ' ' too f ar as 1 am concerned Mr. Laing can publisli vvhat he vvants to if he can get an audience to listen," said Mr. Eraser. The Prime Minister said Mr. Laing had served the Government well but he unfoitunately eaiue inLo conflict with other departiuents. Mr. Laing was an able techniciun. Mr. Bowden: Is he still on the stalf? Mr. Eraser: Yes, lie's still there. Mr. Bowden: is he employed? Mr. Eraser, rel'erring to the findings of the Porry . inquiry, said that all he was -concerned about at tliat time, which was in time of war, was. that the Army sliould uot -be harassed. Tlie eharge which Mr. Laing laid against the t^uartermaster General amouuted to treason. Mr. Boidge: Tlu: Prime Minister is pulting iqi a sinokesereen against an afomic. boinb. J)\lr. Eraser, replying to the point raised concerning the docuiuents of the Perrv inquiry not being made available to A1 r. Laing, said tliat- all he was con eirneil aiioul were the vehicles and whellier the lives of nien were endsyi gered. He was uot concerned about Mr Laing. If ALr. Laing wauted his charges tcsted he could make them opeuly. The Pem inquiry was to satisfy War Cab im.t/aml not to satisfy Mr. Laing and he (iid no1 give copies of the rejiort to Mr. Laing because at that time it was desirablc not to have a controversy •\nen tliere was a war ou and which v ouic' raise the feafs of piarents foi their bo'ys. He wanted the matter to i.o JiniMied once it was estabiislied that the men's lives were not in danger, and .lh.o maiu point in Ihe petition was were the men's lives in danger? The iinding was tuai they wero not. He was perfectlv satisJied that the men were in no danger and he did not consider it necessary to take the matter any further. itu would take t'ull responsibiiity lior tliat decision. JMr. Watls: Wliat are you going to do with this mau? Mr. Eraser said if tlie men's lives •were not eiidangered by the vehicles sent to New Caledonia, theu the petition i'ell to the ground. JMr. Eraser, referring to.tlie allega tion concerning a "secret commis siou" being paid, denied that this was done. There ivas some arrangement with the Eord Motor Company, he said, and as soon as Cabinet knew about it, it was cut out straight away. It was, 'in liis opinion, au unnecessary commission Avliich he took a great deal oi pleasure in stopping. He felt grateful to JMr. Laing for bringing that matter to liis notice. Mr. Laing had been up against nearly everybody lie worked with, Mr. Eraser said. He strongly disapproved any suggestion that the Quartermaster General could have been a party to keeping the best vehicles behind in New Zealand and disposing of thoni for personal gain. ISucli a charge was without any fouudation whatever. I J\lr. C. G. Ilarker (AYaijiawa) said the Prime Minister had failed in liis duty by not showing the Perry inquiry reimrt to JMr. Laing. He said he had j never heard of any more serious charges j than those made by Mr. Laing against j higli Army ollicers. A full inquiry should be lield. J JMr. P. G. Connolly (Bunedin West) ! said the whole case ivas ''a mare's nest" which petitioner had stumbled i across. He said he realised the Oppositiun had to go further in the matter ; than the Government because in re- , ceat weeks the qase had been featured 1 iu cerlain weekly newspapers. So far I as Brigadier Avery was concerned, he : was completely exonerated and thougli j petitioner liad -made many charges, he had uot produced oue witness to sub stautiate them. Opposition voice: You can't compet theni. JMr. Connolly: He could request them. JMr. Connolly said not oue charge against Army oilicers had been proved. Ojiposition voices: Hear, hear. Mr. Watls: Wliat are jmu going to do witli petitioner? JMr. Goosnian said wliat the Opposi tion wanted to ensure was that if there was soniething tlie matter it should be brought to the liglit of day. If there was liolliiug the matter the man bringing iqi the charges should bear the brunl. The Opposition wranted a propei j inquiry so lliat. the people concerned iu the charges could exonerate themselves. The debate was oontinued until 5.30 when the report was talked out.