POLITICS IN N.S.W

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10612, 10 June 1920, Page 6

POLITICS IN N.S.W

“DAVY HALL SACKED" ABOLISHING STATE MOTOR-CARS. Speaking at tho Clyde Engineering Company’s annual picnic at Clifton Gardens, Sydney, on the cancellation of the appointment of tho Agent-Gen-eral, Mr Lang, the New South Wales State Treasurer, said; — “Yesterday afternoon someone said to me; ‘The Labour party lost its dignity When it sacked David Hall.’ Well, let mo tell you that though we' may have lost our dignity, and though people talk about us repudiating contracts, most captains of industry are said to have some ability lor filling their positions. What ability did Dnv id Hall have ? “He is a deadly enemy to my party, so how could we stand him? They say we should not repudiate a contract. They say if we do so wo will start repudiating everything. “Well, David Hall didn’t only get £18(50 a year, but £SOO on top of that for expenses, and there was a clause in the agreement by which ho was to get another sum of money, absolutely, unlimited. whatever the Government, liked to give him, in fact. His family had free passes to England, with expenses, and a return ticket. “There is a letter of credit in the Treasury that gives him the power when ho gets to London to spend £IBSO out of tho people’s pockets on anything he likes. If I had only been m the Treasury a day earlier, he would never have got it.’’ Referring to State motor-cars, Mr Lang said that, as things were, any member of Parliament could go for a joy-ride whenever he felt inclined, and no questions would be asked. Ho was in favour of selling up the whole State garage, so that there would he no cars at all. Then, when a member required a motor for an official purpose, he could hire one, and, at the end of the year, send an account in, to be paid out of the petty cash. In this way a tab could be kept on the number and nature of the occasions upon which cars were requisitioned at tho country’s expense. “Next time you have a picnic,” tho Minister concluded, “I would like to seo all of you at the official luncheon —not only bosses and foremen, but all the workers down to the smallest shopboys. It’s no good preaching conciliation when you split yourselves up like this.”