CHARGES AND DENIALS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 2993, 17 September 1908, Page 5

CHARGES AND DENIALS.

CENSURE MOTION IN VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT. Received September 16, 10 a.m. 1 MELBOURNE, September 16. In the State Assembly, Mr Elmslie, , in moving his censure motion, charged ] Mr Swinburne, Minister for Water , Supply, with having, when he tabled \ in the House papers connected with the tenders, suppressed some and substituted others. He also com- , plained that a particular firm had J been specially favouied over all other contractors. Mr Swinburne defended the Government, and absolutely denied the charges. The Government is assured by a substantial majority. STRONG LANGUAGE BY LABOUR MEMBER. A MINISTER'S INTERJECTION. CENSURE MOTION REJECTED. Received September 16, 11.5 p.m. MELBOURNE, September 16. During the debate on the censure motion, Mr Austey", a prominent Labour member, said that to-day in Victoria they could not buy anything from any part of the world without every penny of the expenditure of the Statepassing through the hands of the Minister for Water Supply, or his relations, or men who had been his em' ployers or associates. They constituted in this State an industrial and financial ring, and had the expenditure of public money eompeletely un- , dsr their control. "Of all the ' ters of the Crown, the Minister for , Water Supply is the most untruthful and the most unreliable," said Mr Austey. "He is regarded as a tainted person even by his own associates in the business world, and as an unfair competitor." Mr Swinburne (interrupting) : "Your a cad. You're a liar." The Speaker ordered the Minister to withdraw the remark, which he J did. The censure motion was rejected ; by 22 votes. The division was purely \ on party lines, the motion being sup* ported by the Labour members solely.