“GREAT BLUNDER”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1940, Page 7

“GREAT BLUNDER”

FEDERAL MINISTER LEASES RACEHORSE REBUKED BY MR MENZIES. MILD POLITICAL SENSATION. Ry Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. MELBOURNE, February 14. | The Federal Labour Leader, Mr Curtin. has created a mild political sensation by his disclosure that the Minister of Customs. Mr Lawson, had leased a racehorse from Mr W. J. Smith, general manager of Australian Consolidated Industries, Limited, with which negotions for the manufacture of complete motor cars in Australia were recently abruptly stopped by the Commonwealth Government. ■Mr Lawson yesterday admitted the truth of the assertion and expressed his intention of cancelling the lease of the racehorse. The Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, rebuked Mr Lawson, and told him he had made a "great blunder.” but he did not doubt Mr Lawson’s honesty. Mr Curtin today announced that he intended to demand access to all the files relating to the manufacture of motor cars in Australia by Consolidated Industries. Ltd. Mr Cameron, Leader of the Country Party, who arrived in Sydney today, said the only course open to Mr Lawson was to resign from the Ministry. Mr Cameron was quite sure that Parliament, when it discussed the motorcar agreement, would demand a full statement of the racehorse incident.

"It is no longer Mr Lawson's blunder; -it is Mr Menzie’s blunder for permitting the Minister to remain in the Ministry,” he said. Mr Menzies, who is also in Sydney, said: "I am not prepared to terminate the Ministerial career of a colleague simply because he committed an error of judgment not involving dishonesty.”

The Prime Minister added that he intended to ignore Mr Cameron's demand for the resignation of Mr Lawson. He was prepared to make available to Mr Curtin and Mr Cameron all the relevant files associated with the agreement between the Commonwealth Government and Australian Consolidated Industries for the manufacture of cars in Australia.