RAILWAY COMMISSION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 16, 14 October 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY COMMISSION

A "CONTROVERSIAL" STATEMENT LETTER FROM MR. A. S. COLLINS At. the recent sitting of the Railway Commission, a statement mado by Mr. A. S. Collins, a member of the Coal Committee, was not accepted by tho chairman of tho Commission (Mr. J. P. Maxwell) as evidence. Mr. Collins, who forwards a medical certificate (illness having ecen tho cause of his not appearing personally beforo the Commission) has wr.tten to tho cluu-man and members of tlio Commission under yesterday's date as follows:— Referring to my statement, I understand—although 1 havo not been otuuialiy auviscd by you—that you consider you cannot accept it as evidence on account of its being 'controversial.' 1 regret that I cannot come and give evidence, and enclose certificate from my medical adviser. I wouvd liko to point out tluit portion of my statement can bo corroborated by H 'tl (being the annual report of the Munitions Department) laid on the table of tho Houso of Representatives. Regarding that port.on of my statement dealing with the railway relusal to accept tonnage offered: this is corroborated by tho evidenco of Mr. Findlay when he mentioned ithe fact that one, vessel offered by him had been relused, and two subsequent vessels were not offered because of tlo refusal. Theso three steamers, together with thoso mentioned by me—the Rolpli aud'the Melbourne—would have lifted some 18,500 tons or more, which, together with the 10,00!) tons (or thereabouts) which the raiiways had on hand at tlio time of tho 'cut' would havo mado tho 'cuf unnecessary, as sufficient coal would have arrived— and 1 did arrive—by refrigerated tonnage arranged for by the Wellington Coal Trade Committee to have kept the wheels running. Mr. Myers has raised the point in cross-examination of Mr. Gunn of my haying no official knowledge of tho work of the Munitions Department, or access to its documents. To this I wisih to state that I was frequently consulted by tho Munitions Department on matters affecting shipping, and'l also had a good general knowledge of the working of tho Department. My statement (written at home from memory, without access to ofl'cial fites) will prove this if compared with other official files or Mr. Gunn's evidence (which I havo not seen other than condensed reports in newspapers). I would also emphasise that_ when tho Advisory Board to tho Munitions Board ceased operation? after tho signing of the Armistice, tho Wellington Coal Trade Committee acted a 9 advisers to the Minister in Charge on several occasions. It must also bo borne in mind that if the Wellington Coa'l Trade Committee had no connection with railway coal that I would not have wasted my time at the expenso of my health, in preparing the statement for tho Commission. I om assuming that my statement was .rejected on the grounds stated in the newspapers, namely, that it contained controversial matter. The papers may not, however, have correctly indicated the grounds for the rejection, and I .respectfully submit that all evidence, wftether on oath or otherwise, should be accepted _by the Commission so long as such evidence is relevant to the matters, the Commiss'on are required to inqniro into. No one will dispute the fact that my statement is relevant, but I concede that its value may be to some extent reduced by reason of the fact that my medical'adviser forbids me, much to my regret, the right, to attend in person and make the statement I have already made on oath. For the ob6ve reasons—and for tho reason that I believe tho CommWon wishes to get at the true reason of the 'cut'— therefore I respectfully submit that my previous statement should have been accepted as relevant evidence, and given whatever value unsworn evidenco is entitled to. If the Commissioner accepts miy statement, I wish then to alter the rate of freight by Waiwera to .17s. fid. per ton, as it was subsequently fixed as this amount. ftfv statement was presented in good faith, and is part of the resists of my labours-as an honorary member of the AVellington Coal Trade Committee appointed I>y the National Government to assist them in coal maittcrs."