WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 13 August 1913, Page 6

WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD

TO-DAY'S SITTING. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, August 13. The Parliamentary inquiry into the appointment of Mr Simpson to the Wcstport Harbon Hoard by the Minister of Marine, resumed. Mr Fisher, examined bv Mr At-

more, said the opinion expressed by him in the House, that if the charges (against Mr Simpson were correct he I would not regard him as a proper person to remain on the Hoard, had been modified since he had heard the nature lof the charges. He now thought the appointment was a proper one, and he would not recommend the Government to introduce special legislation to remove him. Ho had made a genera] inquiry regarding Mr Simpson while at Karamea, but had not thought it necessary to make inquiry from the police. It never had been done regarding appointees to harbor boards, and never would be done. If the appointment had to be made again Mr Simpson would probably not be appointed,Hmt he would not take any steps to remove him. He would admit the validity of the convictions against Mr Simpson, but he denied that lie knew anything about them at the time of the appointment. To Mr Isitt: Ho thought it was the duty of a Minister to conserve a high character in public appointments, but did not agree that a conviction, irrespective of the circumstances, should hold a man down all his life. To Mr Colvin: He considered Karamea entitled to a representative on the Board. Mr Simpson was recommended by the Karamea Chamber of Commerce and had been elected to the Buller County Council. - To Mr Statham : He heard no suggestion of the charges against Mr Simpson while at Karamea. No protest had been made against the appointment from the West Coast. The appointments made by him were necessary, because the Board was tied up by a deadlock, and the steps taken by him were both justified and legal and had never been questioned.

To Mr Atmore: The Government nominee on the Board did not represent the Ministry but the State as a whole; still he thought the Government should not inquire into the character of its nominees. Mr Atmore, in his evidence, said lie made the statements in the House because of the blatant assertions of the alleged "reform" party that they never made improper appointments. He held that all men appointed to public positions should have a clean record. The convictions against Mr Simpson established the fact that his was not a clean record. To Mr Fisher: He first heard of Mr Simpson's character from Motueka. He had not thought it necesary to inform the Minister of his character because he did not know the same man had been appointed. So soon as he knew ho was the same man, lie thought it was time to make a protest.

To Mr Bradney: He now accepted the .Minister's statement that he- did not know of the convictions when he made the appointment, but lie should have known. To .Mr Statham: His object in making the charges was to show that the "Reform" Government made an im-

proper appointment. To the Chairman: He still thought the appointment was to the "eternal disgrace" of tin- Government, because they could have known the character of the appointee. He did not value the opinion of any person who said a person with seven convictions was a fit and proper person to ait on a public body. If he had known when he spoke in the House what he knew now, he would not have modified his speech. To Mr Myers: He relied on the public eense of rectitude to express disgust at the appointment. Disgust had been expressed to him by several people, but he declined to give the names of such persons. He was not aware that Mr Simpson complained of vindictiveness. He had made no inquiries as to the circumstances attending the, convictions before he spoke in the House. The opinion of the people in the district did not affect his opinion, as the convictions stand.

The committee then deliberated