WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 September 1913, Page 3

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. MR SIMPSON'S APPOINTMENT. (By Telefjravh—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, the chairman of the Harbour Board Committee (Mr Lee) presented the report of the committee. Tlio report stated that so far as the Minister of Marine knew, Mr 'Simpson whs < satisfactory and proper person to b3 appointed, and that Mr. Gillon's appointment was : a satisfactory and proper one. Mr L. M. Isitt contended that the committee was set up to white-wash the Minister for Marine, ajid to blackwash the member for Nelson. It.now remained for the. Government to , estimate to what extent they were prepared to recognise the cleanliness, probity and morality of public life. Mr H. Atmore said he had never seen a better' example of the futility of party politics than in the finding of that committee. He agreed with Mr Isitt that the committee was set up to white-wash tEe Hon. Mr Fisher and to blacken himself. If the Minister of' Marine would not take stepa to secure the removal of Mr Simpson from the Board, he hoped the Leader of the House would take the matter up and remove » blpt, from public appointments. If the Government did not take steps to put the matter right and remove the man from "fchs board, they would have to be. responsible fOl the assumption that Mr Simpson was the kind of man they desired to appoint to public bodies. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said he was staggered when ,he heard the charges against him. Not one letter had been received by the House. Nothing had been done in Westport objecting to Mr' Simpson's appointment. When he stated in the House that he would ask Mir Simpson to resign if the charges were found correct, he did not realise that the character of the man was what it was, and lie had considerably modified his ideas since hearing the evidence adduced before the Corrrxuitee.