"A FALSE CHARGE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 136, 6 December 1938, Page 6

"A FALSE CHARGE"

HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS BOARD

REPLY BY MINISTER

(liv I'eleifntpfo — t'lt-so Association.}

CHRISTCHURCH, December 5

"If the rivers board is anxious to debate anything, let them debate it with the farmers who made the charge and not with me," said the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, tonight when a report of the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board meeting was referred to him. "I am satisfied that the farmers are prepared to debate and to tell the board what they told me and the farmers are not all fools and liars."

That he had said that the "farmers were not getting a fair deal" was denied by the Minister. That charge Was made to him.in Napier by.the Pakowhai settlers in the presence of Mt. J. Wood, Public Works Engineer-iri.-Chief, and the district public works engineer, Mr. Barnard, M.P., and his, private secretary. .His reply was:/#»Jl£: if that was so they were not getting"" a fair spin; . -

"The river board is merely shadowsparring and making a false charge against me," said Mr. Semple. ?'I said at the time of the deputation thst v if the statement was true it was not-i a fair thing to favour settlers on one side of the river. The men gav.e mat an assurance that they were not getting a fair spin. To make doubly sure I asked the Engineer-in-Chief tq-sfend the inspecting engineer to Hawke's Bay to make an investigation with" the district public works engineer ■'< and the board's engineer."

The Minister added that he had said repeatedly he was never satisfied with the way the job was carried outf^'and I would be easily pleased if I were." he added. The investigation was now taking place. So far as he knew anything he said was in the interests of. the settlers and of the public who had contributed <£, 120,000 to; the scheme. /? "

"The rivers board is barkinf Up a wrong tree and it knows it. Never again will I allow £120,000 of'-public : money to be contributed tp a scheme without my Department* having definite control. The Hawke's Bay rivers Job has been a lesson to me in this respect." ■■"'.' The reading of Mr. Wood's letter approving of the programme of works meant nothing, said Mr, Semplei VAll works had to be approved officially iby the Engineer-in-Chief. However* h« would vouch for his life that Mr. Wood had never written a letter appfbving of the board's way of carrying out the job and of the progress made, about which the Minister had complained. The letter quoted was probably Written some months ago because he had discussed the matter very recently With Mr. Wood, who held the same views on the muddlement.

Being satisfied that the settlers were telling the truth, he had ordered an investigation. The settlers had suffered tremendously for a considerable time and were in fear and trembling thai their life's work and home would be swept away. He had all the sympathy in the world for them and was endeavouring to do his best for them. That was the only crime he had, committed. He had never gone out of his Way i« castigate any board without first having justifiable grounds.

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