"MATTER OF GRAFT"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 291, 3 August 1932, Page 5

"MATTER OF GRAFT"

(Press. Assn

greYhound clubs WITNESS SAYS BRIBERY WAS DEFINITELY INTENDED. PREPARED TO TAKE RISK.

. — By Telegraph — Copyright).

Ree. August 2, 7.55 p.m. SYDNEY, Tuesday. At the meehanical hare inquiry, Gerald Baxry, a former hotel keeper of Goulburn, explained his efforts on • behalf of gx-eyhound clubs to have night betting restored. He had several interviews with Mr. J. Tully, Minister of Lands in the Lang Government, also he had a conversation with Jack Munro, who remarked that night betting would have to be a matter of graft, otherwise legislation would not go thro'ugh, adding tliat he must see Mr. Gosling, the then Chief Secretary. When he told Mr. Tully he could have 2000 skares in the greyhound coursing association Trrlly replied that that would give him a chance to square Mr. Gosiir.g, and to nxake the shaxcs out in the name of his nominee. Mr. Barry added that he ; personally was to be paid £2000, but he only got £1800 and signed a receipt. Counsel: You mean it has been necessary to bx-ibe certa'n members of Parliament? Bai'ry: Yes, and I was personally prepared to do the fcribi ng and take the risk. It was perfectly plain to those I met, that graft was going on. Made Disclosures Barry explained that arrangements to pay him £2000 came from Mr. Delbridge of the Premier's offica last Mach, after the tin hare scandals were mentioned in Parliament by the then leader of the Opposition, Mr. B. S. Stevsns. He had been treated badly by those whom he sought to assist, and had undertaken to exp-ose the whole outfit by making a statxxtory declaration and to provide documents of what was happening. Ha told Mr. Tully of his intentions, and Mr. Tully asked to be kept out of the disclosures. He duly made the declaration and reeeived £1800 from Mr. Delbridge for information supplied. The Premier, Mr. St'avens, thus becaxne possessed of knowledge of what was going on. He saw Mr. Keigh'ery who was also trying to get dog racing batting restored. Keighary on this occasion told witness that he had seen Mr. Lang, the ex-Prenxiei-, who informed him that the matter should not have been left in the hands of an outsider, and that lagislation would not go through until left in his (Mr. Lang's) hands. The hearing was adjoux-ned.