HOT PASSAGE OF ARMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1872, 4 October 1913, Page 5

HOT PASSAGE OF ARMS.

1 IN NEW SOUTH WALES ASSEMBLY. MR WADE AND MR. HOLMAN, By Telcjmpli—Press Association—Oopyriffht Bydnoy, October 8. Following upon the abortive session • of tho Royal Commission set up to inquire into Mr. 'Wade's chargos against Mr. Griffiths (Minister of Public Works), tho former, speaking in the Assembly, ; called tho Premier's attention to his attitudo with regard to tho Royal Commission, and asked if he would reopon the matter, so as to include the Modlow charge. There wore hot passages of arms, followed by uproar. In the end Mr. Holman doinanded notice of Mr. Wado's question. Interviewed, Mr. Holman declared that he had no intention of lotting Mr. Wrido escape from the situation of calumny into which ho had plunged by his horoics and mock martyrdom. BIC RAILWAY SCHEME REJECTED. ' NORTON-GRIFFITHS CONTRACT. Sydney, October 3. . The Stato Legislative Assembly sat throughout tho night, and continued today, disc\issiug the Norton-Griffiths railway loan schemo, which met with strong opposition. Mr. Holman, the Premier, in a lukewarm speech, declared that he was not going to ask the House to approve it, but if it were approved the Government intendod to get a special side of tho scheme settled before tho House accepted it early noxt session. _ Tho Assembly, on the voices, negatived the Norton-Griffiths contract. In June last tho Now South, Wales Government concluded (subject to the approval of Parliament, an agreement with Griffiths, Australia, Ltd., a branch of the Norton Griffiths Company, London, for tho expenditure of £3,000,000 on tho construction of railways. The company undertook to secure tho i! 3,000,000 at current rates oi interest, as required, and to provida a staff of engineers to superviso the work, receiving remunerations at tho rate of 5 per oent. on tho cost of tho work. Tho Government at tho outset made it clear that it would not put the matter forward as a party question.