THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WHARF.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13524, 4 November 1911, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WHARF.

Eok obvious reasons the Chronicle this morning attempts to make political capital out of the action of Mr T. Eonayne, General Manager of tiro New Zealand Railways, giving the Harbour Board hut a few days’ notice of tho Railway Department’s intention to cease working the wharf after Saturday, 11th November unless in the meantime arrangements mutually satisfactory to both parties are arrived at. Without entering into the merits or demerits of the particular point at issub between Mm Board and the Department concerning the working of the wharf, we must strongly deprecate the attempt to drag the Government into the mire over the matter. The dispute is a purely Departmental affair, and it is grossly unfair to saddle the Government with the responsibility. If tho Department has acted in the manner it has been charged with in neglecting for three months to reply to the Board’s ultimatum, and giving but a few days’ notice of its intentions., then it is open to tbo charge of discourtesy and unnecessary and

unjustifiable precipitancy. We are confident that neither tho Hon. J. A, Millur (Minister of Railways) nor any other mem* nor of the Government would sanction such hasty action on the part of Departmental officers, and we suggest that it only requires Ministerial attention to be drawn to the matter to secure reasonable time to carry out the proposed changes in the control of the wharves if such are decided upon.