107
H.—3o
Page 734. May the Commission take it that your cable gives the precise effect of your conversation ? —The precise eflect. It may not be the actual words, but the precise eflect. There are two or three words in the cable that I want to put to you. "If liners buy, Lysnar undertakes not to press for legislation for a producers' line, but if pressed by others he would have to appear to support." Those words " have to appear to support," were they words of Mr. Lysnar's ? —I believe they were Mr. Lysnar's. To the best of my recollection they were Mr. Lysnar's words, and not words used by me. CONTINUATION OF EXTRACTS FROM NOTES RE THE FINDLAY EPISODE. Mr. Lysnar was recalled as appears at page 737, where the following appears : — William Douglas Lysnar further examined on former oath. Mr. Johnston.] We want to confine your evidence entirely to the interview with Mr. FindlayMr. Findlay has told, us that you made it a point of that interview that it should be confidentialWhat do you say to that ?- There was no suggestion of its being confidential, any more than the first occasion when the question was discussed of the sale of the " Admiral Codrington." How long did that interview last ?—I may have been there five or ten minutes. My recollection is that I had seen Mr. Findlay on other matters in connection with shipping, and the question of the " Admiral Codrington " came up. I told him she was for sale, and if they liked to take her they could. Mr. Findlay is quite correct when he says that you offered to let them have the ship if they would purchase ? —Yes, if they would purchase. I only want to deal with the parts of the cable on which you say you differ from Mr. Findlay. Mr. Findlay cabled this : "If liners buy, Lysnar undertakes not to press for legislation for a producers' line, but if pressed by others he would have to appear to support." Now, what do you say ? Is that correct or not ? —That is not correct. It is not a correct interpretation of what you said ? —lt is not correct at all. Mr. Findlay raised the question himself about this producers' line, and I emphasized to him that whatever happened to the sale of that ship would make no difference to me, that I would support it. And since he raised it, I remember distinctly telling him this : " You put it in your cable that whether you buy the boat or you do not I am going to support the shipping line." Page 738. You are quite firm on that ?—Yes ; it is one thing I remember clearly. It goes on, " If legislation passed producers propose to ask the Government to make an advance of £2,000,000 on the first four years. We consider there is no prospect of legislation for producers' line passing on these lines at present, and we consider the scheme is fantastic." May I take it that you had some general words about the legislation which was being passed ? —My recollection is that he brought it up, and I took it that he wanted to compromise me. I told him No, and I made it quite clear that I would support the line. Just before that time the shipping question was very public, and there had been a good deal of discussion about it, and that report which has been put in is on the same lines. It is in Hansard and the Press reports, while the Farmers' Union had it before them. Mr. Findlay in re-examination by Mr. Myers said, to the best of his recollection, the words " but he would have to appear to support " were your words : is that so ? —That is absolutely his own inventing, they were not my words at all. Mr. Myers.] You did have a conversation with Mr. Findlay ? —I did. You did have a conversation with Mr. Jolly ? —Yes. I did not go into details with Mr. Jolly. You are aware that Mr. Jolly's note and Mr. Findlay's cable while not containing the same words are both very much to the same effect, and you say they are not ? —ln some respects, but I do not attach much weight to it. Would you mind telling me what was your object in going to see Mr. Findlay ? —I went to see him about freights. Did you not go to see' him expressly with regard to the " Admiral Codrington " ? —As far as I remember, no. At that time —August, 1923 —it was of importance to you, seeing you had to get rid of the " Codrington," if you could get an offer of £150,000, or something like that ? —lt was no more important then than previously. Page 739. Would it not have helped you a good deal if the bank would not ?- It might have been so. Mr. Findlay, who was then in the room, says that on the date you went to see him there was no conversation about the freights, and that you went there expressly for the purpose of referring to the " Admiral Codrington " in the way he states ? Mr. Johnston : When did he say that ? Mr. Myers.] I had a message from him a moment ago. What do you say, Mr. Lysnar ?—I would not say positively one way or another. He says that it was not about freights ? —I saw him very often in his office about freights, and that sort of thing, and I have no recollection at the moment of going to him specially about that matter. I might just have challenged Mr. Findlay in a jocular way, that we would back the " Codrington " to carry at a more moderate rate a larger amount of frozen produce than any vessel they had on the line.
Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.
By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.
Your session has expired.