HC Deb 15 February 1937 vol 320 cc813-5
1 and 2. Mr. T. Williams

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India (1) whether his attention has been called to the anxiety of long-established firms and well-known individuals in Karachi owing to the alleged methods adopted by Messrs. Cowasjee and Sons to secure Government contracts, and their policy of price-cutting and wage-reducing methods in other directions for the purpose of destroying all competitors by all possible means; whether he is aware that Cowasjee and Sons were leading members of H. V. Low and Sons when that firm were charged with offering illegal gratuities to railway officials; and will he have inquiries made into the methods of allocating Government contracts and the situation at the Karachi docks;

(2) whether, before accepting the tender of any firm for a Government contract, the general reputation of the firm and its directors are taken into consideration by the provincial governments; and, if so, will any firm whose representatives had previously been charged with corrupt practices be disqualified from receiving further contracts?

of Bengal report that their elections passed off with no disorder, and no reports of disorder have been received from other provinces.

Following in the statement:

Mr. Butler

My attention has not been called to the statements made in the first two parts of question No. 1. As regards the third part, and question No. 2, if the hon. Member will send me his information I will consider it.

Mr. Williams

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that the head of the firm in question was the leading figure in Low and Sons when they were prosecuted not only for giving illegal bribes to a Government mining engineer but also for selling short weight coal to the Government when they held the monopoly of Government coal contracts, and, will he have those allegations looked into in relation to present and future Government contracts?

Mr. Butler

The authorities in India have full discretion in these matters. If the hon. Gentleman will send me the information I will consider it.

Mr. Williams

Is the hon. Gentleman aware, and if not will he inquire into the allegation, that the person named in the question demanded payment of 2,500 rupees a month for 10 years from four old-established companies under threats that he would turn them out of business unless they paid?

Mr. Butler

I will consider any points of fact that the hon. Gentleman brings before me.