The Marine Inquiry. Wellington, Aug. 8.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 32, 10 August 1899, Page 3

The Marine Inquiry. Wellington, Aug. 8.

The report of the Marine Commission was laid on the table this afternoon. The Commissioners say they are of opinion that Mr Pirani entirely faiie<3 to prove any of the charges made by him against the Premier. The latter's connection with Jones' application concluded ; with the telegram he" sent from Auckland in Apri), 1897, and he had no further communication with the Marine Department on the subject till after Mr Hutcheson's speech in August, 1898. With regard to the charge that Mr Seddon ' boasted to Jones that he had procured him a certificate of competency, it' was obviously founded oa the statement in' Jones' affidavit. This was denied by the , Premier and three witnessts who were present at the time the words were alleged to have been used must have heai'd them if spoken* and did not. After briefly summing up the progress of events as disclosed by the evidence, the Commissioners say :— " Mr Allport states that -at the time the envelope with the words 'Jones duco permit exam master ' was handed to him he -Jilso received verbal instructions pur-

porting to be from the Minister through Captain Allman, directing that Jones be allowed to sit for examination as master, though he was not the holder of a mate's certificate. These insrtuctions with the envelope he carried to Mr Glasgow, Secretary to the Department, and we are of opinion that upon these comulunications and these alone Mr Glasgow and Mr Allport acted in this matter, and issued the official letter to the Collector of Customs directing Jones' examination." The Commissioners accepted Mr HallJones' denial of an interview with Mr Glasgow, when the instructions were supposed to be confirmed. They were unable to believe that an unsigned memorandum on an envelope was intended by the Minister as an instruction to the Department, or that he authorised the assurances given by Captiun Allman." Of the actual examination the Commissioners say that it was admitted both by Allman and Jones to have been a mere sham and pretence. Yon Schoen prepared the papers which Jones gave Allman, and he it was who induced Jones to apply for a certificate of service in tlie first instance : and Jones having obtained a certificate. Yon Schoen gave informatiqn to Mr Hutcheson against his own client, in order to have the examination properly conducted ; possibly, add the Commissioners, himself as examiner. With respect to Mr rirani's charges against Mr HallJones, the Commissioners find that the latter never " did order that Jonesshould be examined." The Commissioners are of opinion that the Minister was so far favourably disposed to the proposal made by Allman that Jones should be admitted to examiuation that he might easily have so expressed himself to Allman as to leave the latter to suppose that there would be httle difficulty in case Allman could anything in the regulations to meet Jones' case, but they saw no reason to doubt that Mr Hall- Jones did expect further information; from Allman before anything was done, although he may have beep j^ther tt toijf easily disposed to act upon the latter's recommendation without carefully ex^ amining its legality for himself. The rest of the charges the Commissioner's consider unfounded or not sufficiently supported to be proved. ' The Commissioners conclud* their report with s — " Taking into consideration the immense comments on the Jones case and the minuteness of the fact, we desire to express our respectful astonishment at the intolerable deal of sack poured over this pennyworth of bread."