WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 7

WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE.

DEFENDED BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. . Several members raised the question in the House'of Representatives yesterday iabout the item relating to the carriage of mails by the Wnnganui River steamers. In reply to Mr. J. H. Bradney {Auckland West), the Postmaster-Gen-eral said thatino tenders had been called for the work. ' ■ . Sir Joseph Ward (Awarua) said the Postmaster-General was mistaken in this statement. ■ Frequent attacks had been made on this service, and ho read a communication frhich the tenderers had submitted, to the Department, with intent to ehow that the price paid was not, an ( extravagant-oije. ■w'.T'he., tender' thej', had put in was for .£IBOO. , The Hon. J. Allen: Only one tender? i Sir/Joseph Ward said that the Departdecided to offer- .£1250, ,£550 less than, the amount of the tender. This ■was offered in consideration of the fact , that the steamers wero carrying out a great deal of work besides mail services. Personally, he had always held that it would be better for, the country to acquire the service,-if it could bo acquired at a reasonable price. It was all very well for people to criticise this service, but they ought .to remember that it ran 350 miles up the river, and there were 35 places at which mails had to bo landed. 'The Hon. R. H. Rhodes agreed tihat it would be better for the Government 4o run a service of its own in connection .•with the railways. ' Mr. C. K. Wilson (Taumarunui) said the price for carrying the mails had increased, whereas the amount of mail matter had decreased. ' Sir Joseph Ward eaid the number of calling places had largely increased, and • the offer of .£BOO had been declined. : Mr. J. B. Hine (Stratford) said the posi•iion should be seriously considered before making any bargain with the firm owning the steamers. The StratfordOngarue railway would eventually tap the river in several places. Mr. Buchanan (Wairarapa) urged a close- investigation of the service because there had been many bitter complaints about it. Mr. Rhodes assured Mr. Hine that nothing would be done before the whole matter had been closely investigated. ; Tho revenue from the mail service was enly i£Bo a year.