WESTPORT HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1791, 2 July 1913, Page 8

WESTPORT HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

OPPOSITION ALLEGATIONS,

FULL INQUIRY IN PROSPECT.

Action recently taken by. the Westport Harbour . Board in dismissing an employee has led to a. charge lieing made that political influence was brought to bear in the matter. Mr. J. Colvin, member for Buller, stated to a reporter that in his opinion Mr. C. Betts, insppctprof works to the Westport Harbour Board, had been dismissed because lie was a supporter of the Opposition party and that another person had been appointed in his place because he. was a supjwrter of the present 'Government. The dismissed official, Mr. Colvin slated, had. been one of his own supporters though lie had never been unduly prominent in politics; Mr. Betts was a highly respectable man, who bore a first-class reputation for efiiciency. Mr. Colvin added that tho Government, in appointing threo members to the board to support Mr. Munro (its presentchairman) had selected outsiders and had gone back on the practice of appointing tho Mayor of Westport and tho county chairman as had been done previously for 21 years. The charge made by Mr. Colvin was xentioned to tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister for Marine) who mado the following statement on the subject:— "An explanation of the statement made by Mr. Colvin would simplify the whole matter. Last year the Reform Government placed upon the Statute Book the Westport Harbour Board Bill, which, for the first time, gave the peoplo of Westport nn opportunity of electing representatives of the people on tho Harbour Board. The person returned at the top of iho poll was Mr. F. Munro, who had opposed Mr. Colvin at the previous general election. The great popularity of Mr. I Munro and tho fact of his .being placed at the top of the poll seem to have irritated Mr. Colvin to such a degree that he has made statements which are nothing more nor less than collections of nonsense. • "Mr. Munro," the Minister continued, "was unanimously elected chairman of the Westport Harbour Board.. Soon after the new board took office they decided that in order to get rid of the methods which Mr. Colvin's friends had been carrying on for years past, they would-give notice to every employee of the board. I understand, also, that the board has asked l the Government to set üb,an inquiry into tho' practice and me'thods of administration carried on by tho late board and to this request I have no doubt the Government will accede. The present Ministry lias absolutely no say whatever in the question of tho employment of labour by. the Westport Harbour Board and can' exercise no more influence thero than it can in the case of any other harbour board in New Zealand, a fact which Mr. Colvin knows perfectly Well. "However," concluded tho Minister, "since Mr. Colvin thinks that a very great injustice has been done, I would suggest. to him that he keep his facts stored up until the inquiry is set up. and then ho will have an opportunity of dealing with the great injustice which lie says has been done by the Reform party."