FEDERAL POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1930, Page 6

FEDERAL POLITICS

.MR THEODORE’S 1 CHALLENGE

(Australian Press Association.)

CANBERRA, July 8

Mr bV.Q..Theodore, to-day made a statement in th© Federal House of Repr©Ben.tat-iv.es on the. subject of the Queenslandi,mining inquiry. Contrary to expesyb,',thins, Air Theodore made no attempt to,-day to answer the charges of fraud and dishonesty levelled against hiii) by Mr Justice Campbell. His statement in the House of Representatives was awaited throughout the Commonwealth with the greatest interest.

~ Mr Theodore concluded his speech with the hope that tlie Queensland Government would give him the opportunity of answering these charges seriatim, by presenting an indictment against him. Mr Theodore said: “I do not,-want a further Royal Commission ! I ask for a fair trial by the formulating of ail iiltlictm-enf- against: life covering' everyone-of-the. charges.” ' ' Beforeq Mr Theodor© began, eve! y' inc-lr of -’spate in the House was occupied. o r Mi:: . • ' •' The Prime-'Minister; Mr J. H. Scullin, briefly‘'explaiti©d the events which had : led ‘ to Mr Theodore’s resignation of the Treasurersbip. Mr Scullin paid a tribute, to the manner in which Air Theodore' had carried out his work. He Said: f ‘Mr Theodore has brought to Hear- immense industry and intellectual 'capacity in dealing with the complicated and the most difficult financial situation,.one that has been unprecedented in the annals of the Commonwealth.

Mr Theodore, in the course of a long statement said that he did not want anyone to infer that his. retirement from Ministerial office was in any sense an admission that the report of the Royal Commission was justified. He merely desired to. correct wrong impressions on a couple of matters which were agitating the public mind. Of these one -was the' impression . that he had only: himself to blame; for; not appearing - before the Commission and giving .evidence;.. The terms of reference. of Mr : ;.Justice Campbell'S Coni-mission-however, in .no way impugned his ' honour.;.; He , (Mr Theodore) had tried to appear before the Commission at- the -end hut the dates that he had siigge-sted for this had not been acceptable to the Commission. He had next received nil- invitation :to give evidence before the Commission on Tiilv 7th, but this had not been acceptablp. to . him, owing to liis being engaged in'.tlie preparation of the Federal Budget. He then, wrote; suggesting ' another date after his delivery of' the Budget, but lie received an answer from the Commission saying liis letter -h«ad, —fae.QU.vague and., unsabisf aetory. . *Mr""Theociore said that lie thought that lie should have been, hoard, ticutarlv ns" his banking aff m s had •been raked- up bv ilie, Camniission-.: Itwas, said Mr 'Theodore, a recognised principle o r . British jusHce- ~Jbo grant an .adjournment of the Commission in such circumstances so as to .enable him toi give evidence. " - V ; v “Is it any wonder that- I have come tortile cpneljision that T am the victimtoljbhired assassin?” Mr Theodore then went on to repeat .tlie. and lie said: “I am not going to answer these now! T am looking for a better opoortunity! All of these charges are false—damnably false.” Mr Theodore read a letter which he had day from liis soli-. .:cit^;s : 'ahdicounsel before the Mungana; Commission, . The letter stated': Wy Commissionerbs finding, is absoliitelr unjust and biased; ((There was no ofaj evidence to convict, Mr Theodore b,in v anv way w ith the. charge. We regard it ns ” a scandalous decision, based merely on asstimptiori and inference.”

&MR McCORMACK’S COMMENT *4O t ' .;

SYDNEY, July 8

Air William McCormack,, the former Premier of Queensland, was inter-

viewed-at .Darlinghurst. He said that the ;Mungana report reeked with political malice, : It was . based entirely on lieresay. and on inference. He demanded a ;fuH investigation of the charges in, a court of justice, Mr McCormack, pointed out that Mr Justice Camnheli was in error in associating. him (Mr McCormack) with Goddard’s appointment as General Manager of the Chill agoe Smelters. The fact, was: “I was not a, member ,o f , the Government until several months later. The report also, condemns the Treasury officials for laxity at, the time of. purchase of the Mungana leases. Tlie fact was that this purchase was made upon the , report. of. an. independent engineer, Mr Poole ■Of, Sydnbyf'V There is an additional factor. It is . thait three hundred thousand 4 Sterling's woi;th of, metal was. dljffeiped after the .purchase of these mines. , This fact is given np consideration whatever by the Commissioner. I believe, that if The high grade ore only had been mined, this venture,WQffld have proved a, profitable Offpirapli wa&hhable to .attend the Royal: Cbnmiission'bwing to my complete nervous breakdown; while, in. addition, I knew that mil of,the. records of Montana were available for anybody desirous of probing the history of the transactions