IS IT CONTEMPT? THE COAL VEND CASE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 22 April 1911, Page 5

IS IT CONTEMPT? THE COAL VEND CASE.

REMARKS BY FEDERAL ATTORNEYGENERAL. .NOTICE TO BE GIVEN TO APPEAR | IN COURT. -By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. SYDNEY, 21st April. Mr. W. M. Hughes, Federal Attor-ney-General and Acting-Prime Minister, I speaking on the referenda at Adelaide, ', is reported to have said that the Coal Vend was being prosecuted not before it was time, because it had been exploiting the people. It had a special '•-affection for South Australia, for when ■ South Australia proposed to have its own mine it seemed in tho eyes of the Vend that the proposal emanated from Satan. The Vend had stopped it, and was now supplying coal at the old profits, in the old way. He believed the day of competition was gone, and that the day of co-operation was here. He reiterated the statement that combines and trusts were financing the opposition to the referenda. Counsel for defendants in the Vend case, now before the Federal High Court, to-day drew the attention of Mr. Justice Isaacs to the report, and made an application to call upon the AttorneyGeneral to show whether he had made the statement, 'which he (coun&el) contended was contempt of Court, the case being sab judice. Counsel sought an exparte interim injunction restraining Mr. Hughes from making a similar statement or any comment until the proceedings had terminated. Mr. Justice Isaacs refused to express an opinion, because, in the first place, Mr. Hughes was not present, and, secondly, because great and important issues of a political nature were connected with the observation. He would therefore do nothing to prejudice the other issues elsewhere. He would require the appearance of Mr. Hughes t<s be made upon notice, so that a full and fair opportunity be given to hear what he had to offer in defence. To-day's evidence in the case was> formal.