COMMONWEALTH CABLES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 57, 10 March 1915, Page 8

COMMONWEALTH CABLES.

DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRES IN N.S.W. United Press Association. Sydney, -March 9. Destructive bush tires occurred in the Bankstown, .Newcastle. and Pino Mountain districts, and numbers of houses were destroyed, and there have been considerable losses of crops and stocks.

THE WHEAT “GRAB.”

Svclnev March 9

The general tone of the evidence in the wheat case shows that witnesses understood the payments to the solicitor were purely for professional services. There was no suggestion of bribery or corruption. One stated that he had seen cheques signed for £3OO and £OO respectively, payable to the solicitor, and a receipt for them set out that the balance due was £2lO.

One Witness stated that rumors were current that money had been raised in connection with the passage of the Wheat Acquisition Bill and that it had gone to the Attorney-General, /nuther deposed that he had interview, ed Mr Hall and members of Parliament, but on no occasion was any suggestion of consideration made. Other evidence showed that one of the chief movers in the direction of getting the wheat contracts cancelled would have been involved to the extent of £15,000 by non-cancellation. That money was subscribed with a view of securing exclusive service of a solicitor who was supposedly in close touch with members of Parliament, to see the matter through. The agreement as first drawn up provided for paying the solicitor £2500, nut this was subsequently reduced to £IOOO.