LAND SCANDALS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 98, 18 January 1918, Page 6

LAND SCANDALS

A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SENSATION EX-MINISTER AND CIVIL SERVANT. NAMED Adelaide, January 5. It is a long time since the report of any Commission appointed by a- Government lias caused such excitement as has the one submitted by Mi'- ftoel. Webb, S.M., upon the question of land purchases made by the aughanGovernment. Mr. Webb, in extensivo comments covering several pages, • has particularly singled out the Hon. A. W. Styles' and the Government Valuator, Mr. E. Britten Jones, for censure, while his caustic pen has not entirely missed many others _ whoso names cropped up at the inquiry, which, by tlie way, extended over several weeks. Mr.. Styles was Chief Secretary in the Vaughan Ministry, and in the present coalition Government holds the portfolio of Minister of' Education. Mr. Webb declared that Mr. Styles has "betrayed "his trust," _ and gavo "untrue and misleading evidence." "Discrepancies Too Vast." Concerning the valuations made by Jones, the Commissioner in his report states: "I am unable to ascribe Mr. Jones's valuations as an error of judgment. The discrepancies are too vast to admit such an explanation. The whole valuation is so exaggerated as to admit only of the explanation that Mr. Jones wilfully departed from his duty as Government Valuator, and put untrue values on tlw land. Tho irresistible conclusion which is to be arrived at by tliß mere fncfc th&fc sucii valuations were made is that they were made dishonestly." Mr. "Webb's report shows that the Government paid £13,680 for land which is now estimated as being worth, only £6515. In case of other land, the report states that Mr. W. A. A. West -made a clear profit of £4000 without the slightest risk, while southeastern properties offered by H. A. Morris, for which the Government officers advised the Government to pay £292,000, were at the extreme valuation worth £157,361. Mr. Styles Replies, Such disclosures have naturally been the subject of general comment in political and business circles. Mr. Styles, by way of reply, states: "I was astonished to find that Mr. \\ebb summed up in the manner recorded in the report. I never uttered one _ word of complaint while the Commission, was sitting; but from its establishment was satisfied that it was hardly likely that justice could be secured at the hands of a gentleman who was known to be a Liberal supporter, a one-time candidate for political honours on behalf of a party aided and. abetted by Mr. Lathlean, who is the best muck-rakers of the city. The action of the last-named gentleman in approaching me when Chief Secretary, and asking that I should uso my influence with the Government to get him some remunerative position, as he had always been overlooked by previous Governments, in itself shows the class of individual I iiad to deal with.

Attack on Mr. Webb. "Regarding Sir. Webb, he probably remembers how he jjaced my office on more thai'. one occasion beseeching that I would secure for him an appointment under the Vaughan Government. 'Do not send me, 1 he said, 'to Port Piriebut appoint me Deputy President of the Industrial Court and increase my salary, which is the least I expect at your hands. 1 Surely any improper conduct which Mr. Webb thinks I have been guilty of falls into insignificance alongside the impropriety of, a Commissioner, who, while the hearing of a case is proceeding, applies to the Cabinet, half of which is composed of men who are being judged by him, for a rise in salary. His report bristles with hostile phraseology, without any evidence at all to justify one solitary finding against me.. Although Mr. Webb condemns me, the whole of his statements are without a shred of evidence to support them, and it seems to me a pity, that therfc is no appeal from this political tribunal to a higher body. In fact, I now invite the Premier to ask a Judge of the Supreme Court to examine the evidence." Must be Strict Inquiry. Mr. Jones is out of Adelaide on holiday, and returns on Monday. Tho' Adelaide "Register," in editorial comments, states: "Exactly what ought to be done is not qilite clear, but certainly 110 Ministry dare sit still under the definite charge that one of its; own members has 'betrayed his trust'' aud given 'untrue and misleading evi-: dence'; and the public may naturally, assume that at the earliest opport-an-' ity Mr. Styles will hand to the Premier the resignation of his Ministerial office, at any rate, pending the strictest examination of charges made against his honour and his official fidelity. Similarly, Mr. Jones ought immediately to resign, or be suspended, subject to an application for a further thorough inquiry into his administrative acts. At all costs, the Government must do its duty."