VERY POOR PRICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1940, Page 5

VERY POOR PRICE

SALE OF SOUND CAMERA TO GOVERNMENT.

MR COATES INDEMNIFIED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. An explanation of the sale by him of a sound camera and equipment to the Government film studios was given by Mr Coates. A clause in the Finance Bill No 2 provided that the disqualification provisions of • the Electoral Act should not apply to the payment of public money to Mr Coates for the machine. Mr Coates said the camera had teen leased to the Government and the -"/Sinister of Finance had pointed out to ■'•■him that if he went on receiving a rent of £2 a week he would soon be cut of Parliament. The Minister was concerned that he (Mr Coates) might gt> out through overlooking a rather rigid Act. There was a legal argument as to whether he could be classified as the owner of the machine. That, of course, ended the lease and the machine was packed up. Later, officers of the film studios pressed for the machine as they were short of equipment. A price was arranged and it was then discovered that as he was a member of Parliament he could not sell the machine to the Government. For - two years the Government had had the use of the plant and he had not received a penny. Not so many men were as philanthropic as that. Then a price, which he considered a very poor one, was arranged for a sale. The machine cost more than £4OOO and the Government was getting it for something like £7OO. Mh Coates said he was concerned with the reaction to the clause. Mr Lee (Democratic, Grey Lynn): “There is no reaction.”