"GROSS FAVOURITISM" IN LAND SALES CONTROL

Chronicle (Levin), 27 May 1947, Page 5

"GROSS FAVOURITISM" IN LAND SALES CONTROL

SENBATIONAL ALLEGATIONS IN ADSTRALxA. Received Monday, 8.50 p.m. . SYDNEY, May 26. Sensational counter - ailegations against the whole aiiministratioa ot land saies control are inade in a letter from the' delegate to the Treasurer (Mr. P. A. Lilsh) to the Prime Min- U Ister. Mr. Chifl'ey said in Parliament las't week that there had heen favouritism in some land "deais and announcedthat 4'a change had heen made in the head oi the Bydney Land Bales Uonmol Dflice'L • . Demahaihg a ftill public mquiry " to clear his naihe of dishonbur, ' ' Mr. Iatish. aneges th.it ctrcaia talings on property saies have been "perem.torily" counutrmanded from Canberra, resulvihg in "grass favouritism" to oertain persons who received t sale conseats that were at '' 4 grossiy excesjive\' prices. Mr. Lush, who said that he had 'received no ofiicial intimation that he was no longer the treasurer"' s delegate in New Souih Wales, charged that there were pimps in his oifice, that information had ieaked o.ut, and that his private telephone Jine was tapped. ■He daiined that since assuming control of the Sydney o ffice Of the Land Kaies Control Department he haa •been forced .to work under adverse conditions which were made more oaerous by the disloyalty oi some of ; ' the staS and lack oi' coyperation by some senior officers. "I would welcome public inquiry mto administratioii ,of the Sydnqj' office provided the terms of the inv ouiry were sufiiciehtly wide to cover an inCiUiry iato the Caiberra offi.ee also," he stated. "I have found that there has been a strong tendency on the part of some pei'soas to condemn me without hearing my side of the -case, In fact I have- had numero'us telephone cails from Canh.erra which indicated that people unable to influence me to make decisions in their favour had been believed in Canberra when they made accusations against me.