MR. "E. A SMITH."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 6

MR. "E. A SMITH."

,' : ' : :'■':': y— -^γ— —~ ; 'V ; , "■■ '-. HIS IDENTITY DISCLOSED, > STATEMENT BT THE PBllffl \ - :;--' ■/;.. -minister; ■} : ■■■'•.,- '. ■■'' GOVEENMBNT COMMISSION-"^-' '■. -> x? . v /;: ■-;';' -^ ; Mr. A; Smia" was th« subject of .an explanation ■": which '.'., wasgiven to a Dominion 'representative .by the Prime,.' Minister ■' (Sir ; Joseph : WaroV' last evening, when 1 making : a. statement with' regard .'to ; the ! snipping ;;businffi»:. formerly conducted by a private firm: in , offices situated-in. the. same building -o» ■ were those":occupied .by\.tlieJ.High.' Com- . missioner for New Zealand, and now oooducted as a branch of tie High Commissioner's Department -' .'-::\ : '-.' ■■■■:.* .'■■'■' Introducing the'matter,', the , Prime'lEnister said that, so far as the"Government was concerned, there-was?no reason :or desire to conceal anything from the pub- . lie.. The implied- suggestion. that -the Go-V vernment was paying, commissions to i (Mβ'' particnlar. firm for - work' done-in':Bne-land was without': foundation. > ; 'No;- oommissions,or any : 'kiiid' had been- made by the High Commissioner ! «; Office to eitherE;A. Smithor anyotier firm with regard to'the shipping; of-goodev, or passengers by : the shipping oompamea■•' to New' Zealand.' So'; far as. he: knevr nothing "unusual; had been 'done by the High Commissioner's Omce-in' England ; withTegard to.'the-matter, ; nor'-had-it-'; beenithe. custom rat;any -time, for work of ■ the .kind, referred: . to-; ;, to ■' be - etx- ■'■ ried. , .out by 'thev.etaff'. of ■ that 'bffi6e,' ; .«e-' had been' suggested; ::;:>iV ' ■'• ;?■:" ': ; -.^ :

;. '■■■.-. ■';••: Mr. Smith's.Successor ■.]■';': ■ What had probably given' rise i.totii* •'■'. criticisms iwhich 1 ; had'appeared-in : the newspapers '-.was the circumsbance'".' , that '-. one. of Walter Kennaway's' Eons' had : in . recent ■ times. QSx: ■ Smith.: baing now ' deceased).,.been , principal,.of ; the .firm "> of ' E.. A.- Smith, .and had', : :r«nt¥d.omcee'in■ the same building as 'were'." situated .the ■■' offices'of the'High'Coinhiission*r».-''*T3ie " rental for,theseoffi6es was duly'paid,', m* I .ascertained 'when in London,..'said Sr: ■: Joseph. Wardi 'the firm hadinothinß: te do.with-.'the High ,Coinnus3ioner,>and-iie ■' offices-were'.quite aparti,from;'-any ,'jpoT- ■ tion'.of.the : building occupied:by l the Ney,Zealand Government. '■• I'ye'never :heard ; ' —until-'I .'saw, the 'matter .'mentioried. in'; tho ■ newspapers-Tof .any-; supposed ','mys--tery about the firm.' , . : Personally,'- !'• know: . nothing,.of ■ the 'firm .M/.ib,' origin. U- '" authonty. has;ever been:asked.'or■ obtaia ed -. from ■ the;:.Governnient;. by-.■', the'-; HigX .-. : Commissioners . office; 'for. .j the,-employ* ; ment. of this or any..' other-firm : to-carry ■ ; out ; work- of ■■ this kind in'London,'and \a no expenditure has been incufredrby.the :! High Commissioner on; behalf of' the New'. Zealand'; Government,' ; it..is--to \-be-pre-sumed. that:..no . direct".;authority '■, was:, required;, in any' case; -I-alnVstating-'the '.'/.' fact that no authonty;was asked.for_or-. : given. 1 1, am.eatisfiedV'that',no;- wrong ;,- ■thing has been 'dpneat. any;, time. , '.': v •','.:.;:.. ,' , - Government ; ■; ;V \ ; flf the-firm of ;8.-A.- Smithihad , nil-. done.; the vi work-- referred;, to; 'some J other':'; fiim. ; would7'and-whett'l : was in England '■■' on-the : previous.occasion; to my'last;visit,.-' I .'■ oame ■to the ponclusion, ■::• as- the result ■V ,- of certain investigations, made,:;that: it. ; Was necessary .?■'< that : all:' " work • should, be .'done by. the; High iiCom. ■: miisioner's'')office,'.'and--all, , '.commissions. : . payable by the. shipping: companies should '.' be paid'qirect/to.'ipheiioffice.J-'-.rils'.iiw'.',' volyed .additions;-, to.'the ■ High.; Comrnis- ? - eioner'e; staff;:, and V.the . reorganisation >of . tie '■ trade and immigrati6ii : .work, was one' of. the , principal ■■■ reasons -for- sending an '. experienced officer'■': (Mj. J T. E. to'.-' London.' '.It was.arrahged,i during'.my. stay in. London, that ifr.'.; Donne, -..witi Mr. Mason (of his office), and some trf • the members of. the staff of E.'i. Smith,':"; should take over" thc'.control - of.the : as soon as the High 1 ; Commissioner had:; satisfied,himself as to the, smallest num'ber; necessary;to ■■ perform the.work. '\ ;', have : since', jbeensadviseili;. by--, the/.High-: Decem--: '•' berjl;ithafe;the .shipping'.branch ofihiei-." dbpartment')!wasv;*organised [r on .November':-' i; : and ■ that ■ Mr.; Donne's staff comprises l ■:; twoclerks at; X2.155.-per week - ,each,:.6he.at"4!2 ,105.,-one av" cadet atlOs.-,- : in". three-..rooms V previously;:- occupied ..by \ '>'■ the firm', of, E. A.; Smith' at:a rental.of, ■ iSSO per, annum.:- \'■:•!■,-..,■/■<; '' ,/V ••■,' '. :.:- |; ■'■ "1 have been, further, advised-;; by. High Commissioner that all the shipping' companies were'-.'approached,. ;-.-and-; ' aU;.agreed to allow"the Bame commissions aai formerly, and that Mr. Donne,.the Trade' Commissioner,. has received authority, for* . tho, issue of tickets' booked through the; Department to New Zealand; A consider-; able: proportion of the assisted : passen- •'■'■ gers Save been- booked-through the De-r ?k ar^ t J b ?r- Ta ? ons -*»PNf.weatß; in! the United Kingdom, and upon these pas- - sages commissions will be required'to be 1 - paid.over,to■ the agents'-introduciiig tbem..

Ways and Means. Tho Prims Minister went on to ear that he had nor been correctly representnd' in the statement which had been made in ono 'newspaper that "one effect of tho reorganisation of the High Commissioner's' Office would be the saving of £2000 a year, previously paid to 'outsiders' by, way of commission." "What I said wa»' that tho additional cost entailed by thosalaries of Messrs. Donne and Hamer would, as the effect of the reorganisation of tho High Commissioner's Office, be reimbursed by the commissions paid by the shipping companies." As a matter at business, explained the Prime Minister, tho commissions hitherto paid should at least pay the whole of tho additional cost of the staff deputed to ■carry out the work. "1 may say here," said Sir Joseph Ward, in conclusion, that I, for one, did not know, nor did any other member of the Government kno\r, that Mr. Kennaway, jun., had been recently tho pridcipal of tho firm of E. A. , Smith. I na.v» never hoard of or received any lYwnmimi. cation from anyono upon the conduct of the business of this firm, nor was; tho work , called, into' question, brought before tho notice of the Government. I understand that' this method of conducting shipping business is similar to that carried out elsewhere. .Tho High Commissioner 'has advised mo that it is yet too early to say how the financial prospects of this blanch of his Department will turn out, Wo will be in a better position to determine that after a years operations. I have asked the High Commissioner tt>'furnish a full report of the whole matter ■ for tho information, of Parliament next session."