CHARGES REFUTED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3152, 2 August 1917, Page 7

CHARGES REFUTED

MR, FERGUSON AND MR. WITTY. : A few days ago the member for Bicfcarton (Mr. G. Witty) made some state•menta in tho House of Representatives regarding Mr. W. Ferguson, ohairruan of the Efficiency Board, some time naiag'ing director of the Gas.Company. , In the House yesterday Sir James '(Allen said that Mt. Ferguson had written a letter to Mr. Witty and had 6ent Slim a Copy of it, which ho would read to. tho House. . Mr. Ferguson wrote that it was net correct that he had taken any action (regarding the gas strike. It was not true that he was tho largest shareholder in the Gas Company; in actual fact ho held less than a half per cent, of the stock in tho company. He had never been chairman of the Gas Company, but managing director. It was suggested that iho had been responsible for tho lighting of the. wharves by gas when he had been engineer to tho Harbour Board! In tho 24 years of his service with the board,, , Mr. Ferguson wrote; ho haid not held any ''shares in the Gas Company. Gas was. t'hon tho illnminant on the wharves, but on somo of the newer structures electricity had been installed on his recommendation. He had had nothing to. do with the building of the Miramar. Wharf, which had been constructed 'years after lie left the service of the Harbour Board. Mr. Witty, in the course of a personal explanation, admitted that ho had been misinformed regarding Miramar Wharf, but claimed that in other rtspects his former statement was correct. Sir James Allen said that lie regretted that the honourable member had not mado the amende honourable., He- repeated that Mr. Ferguson nothing 'to do witii the 'regulation declaring gas making an essential industry. . An hon. member: Didn't he recommend it. • , M>:. Alien:'N»,. he did not.