N.S.W. PETROL SCANDAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 4, 7 April 1916, Page 7

N.S.W. PETROL SCANDAL.

ASYONISHINC DISCLOSURES. [ United Pkess Association. \ Sydney, April 6. At the Petrol Commission inquiry. Wagstaffe, manager of the British Imperial Oil Company, was examined. He detailed the overtures with Morgan to take over the company's interests and the proposals Morgan made regarding payment.

I The letter produced yesterday was written by Wagstaffe to bis Lonkm Board, placing the .scheme before them wherein he said; "We are given to understand that there are some members of the Government of -New South Wales who are out for spoil. In the event of -the Government taking' up the matter seriously there will lie various sundry parties who expect remuneration." In the second letter Wagstaffe' wrote; "The whole business seems to be a fair sample o'f Tammany practice. I regret having had to place before you such a proposition emanating from a responsible Government. However, we may mention that the same Government concluded a ten million pounds contract with the Norton Griffiths Company, and it is openly mentioned that Government Ministers and officials got about sixty-hve thousand pounds as their shares of the spoil. We are convinced that the present petrol proposal is not propounded for the benefit of the State, but more for the purpose of securing a very nice income for some of them for years to come, whether in power or not." Mr Griffith's- letter . to Wagstaffe, authorising .Morgan to act in the negotiations on his behalf, was also read.