QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 56

QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY

MEN ON CAMPBELL ISLAND. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. WELLINGTON, May 28. A new aspect has been placed by the Minister of Marine (Mr J. B. Donald) upon the plight of the four men who are reported to be marooned on Campbell Island, at which no vessels call unless they are specially chartered for the purpose. Commenting on the statement in the Otago Daily Times that it was the duty of the Government to send for the men, Mr Donald said that he had to-day written to the firm which had made representations to him concerning the bringing of the men back to New Zealand, setting out his reasons for considering that it was not the duty of the Government to incur expense in sending a steamer for men who might refuse to return or to bring back their wool clips. If any moral responsibility existed, Mr Donald said, it rested upon the shoulders of others. The firm was quite at liberty to publish the whole of his letter. Mr Donald made the official file relating to the occupancy of the island available ..for perusal by a representative of the Dominion. This showed that in 1928 a license was issued to Mr J. C. Warren, who was then licensee of the island, to take 400 seals from the island, and it was to enable him to protect his own interests in this license against possible poachers that he was appointed an inspector of fisheries without salary. The leasehold area is 28,000 acres, and the annual rental .£5O. In 1927 the lease of the island was transferred to Mr Warren, the consideration being £5750, and tlie registered mortgage to the vendors was £5350. It is made clear that the firm mentioned by the Minister has been able to arrange for the charter of vessels in the past when the Government could not send the Tutanekai. The cost of running the Matai is over £lOO a day, and it would take about two days to reach Campbell Island from New Zealand. It is stated that there would be a decided possibility of bad weather delaying the vessel at this, time of the year, and it might have to spend about 10 days on the trip.