THE HARBOR BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 127, 20 November 1911, Page 4

THE HARBOR BILL

ME. OKEY IN EXPLANATION. Mr. Okey, when speaking at Egmont road on Friday evening, referred to a sub-leader which appeared in the Daily News re his utterances on getting the New Plymouth Harbor Bill through tho House, suggesting that he should have jiven credit to the promoters, particularly Mr. Maxwell, who by a fine, tactful move turned the southern opposition into support. Mr. Okey stated that he quite agreed with the remarks and knew that Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Connett (chairman of the Board), and- Mr. Newton Kin« did yeoman service to the district in the time and trouble they took in promoting the Bill. He knew this personally, as on many occasions on going to Mr. Kind's office he had found him busily engaged nut matters connected with the Bill. Mr. Connett and Mr. Maxwell were in Wellington during the time the Bill was deat with, and rendered every assistance possible, and were in the Hou-e for some hours until the Bill was finally passed. On Monday night, he explained, he was dealing with the Bill when before the House, not the promoting of the Hill which was done by the Harbor Board. [|Lf this were the case, why did Mr. Okey not acknowledge the service of the lremier and the Minister for Marine, but for whom the Bill could never have passed? He said .nothing about it, nor about the help of the other men, but appropriated all the credit himself. This ii what we objected to. That Mr. Okey aid his utmost in the matter we are satisfied, but the point is that if it had sot been for the assistance of others the 1 would never have become law.—Ed,]