TRAWLING ENTERPRISE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1922, Page 5

TRAWLING ENTERPRISE.

NEW SOUTH WALES OPERATIONS. A SEVERE REPORT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Aug. 30, 11.35 p.m. Sydney, August 30. The report of the commissioner who inquired into the State trawling industry states that Mr. Summer-Greene, manager of the industry, in entering into an agreement for the supply of coal for a period of five years, was guilty of such gross negligence as to raise"suspicion whether it was only due ' to negligence that the agreement was executed in' its present form. The report proceeds: “However, there is no evidence to show that the agreement was fraudulent. At the time of the agreement coal of a similar or better quality could he ‘obtained for six shillings a ton cheaper than was provided for, which would have amounted to about £lB.OOO less cost to the Government.” The report states Mr. SummerGreene had no written authority to incur any expenditure no behalf of the Government until nearly nine months after he signed the coal agreement, when he received authority to incur an expenditure of £lOO..

The Public Service Board considered the report and recommended Mr. Sum-mer-Greene’s dismissal Mr. Oakes states the Government has decided to dismiss him at the end of August, and has arranged for a full inquiry into the various aspects of the industry.