Exhibition Enquiry.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1922, Page 4

Exhibition Enquiry.

MIXISTEPJAL STATEMENT. \ U Sill A MAN AND N.Z. CABI.E ASSOCIATION. LONDON, December 15. Sir William Joynson Hicks, Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Trade, addressed dominion journalists, outlining .the course he proposed to pursue daring the inquiry into matters affecting the Empire Exhibition. He said if the charges were substantiated, a eelv serious situation would arise, and lie would not hesitate to make recommendations in a certain direction. He desired to conduct the investigation so as not to endanger the success of the Exhibition. Therefore, it would not be public. For the same reason, the Government considered it wiser not to entrust. the inquiry to a committee. The inquiry would open on Monday. The first witnesses would he Messrs T . F. I Wintour, F. -I. Southborough and P. . A. McMahon, followed liy the person | making the charges in reference to oni tortainments, timber, catering contracts and publicity arrangements. If lie was satisfied that a prinia facie case hd been established that the dominions were improperly treated in reference to contracts, or there was gross mismanagement, he would bring the contending parties together and try to arrive at the truth. TTo hop’d to sub. in it, bis report to the Government by tlie end of January. Mo expected that it would be published. He trusted that the result of the inquiry would ensure that the Exhibition would be an Emi pire one and not an exhibition n foreign curds. Tie would take such steps as lie hoped would make it perfectly clear that this end would lie attained. Replying to questions. Sir 4\ illuim promised to consider tlie possibility o' giving the Agents-Oenera! lepresentntion on the Executive Council, also the inclusion of direct dominion representatives on the administrative st’lT, and the giving of dominions producers an opportunity cf directly answering objections to the use of dominion products. Asked whether he would consider the advisability of abrogating the existin': eon tracts in order to provide for thn use of dominions products, lie said hrwould examine the contracts legally from that viewpoint.