ROYAL COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 76, 30 March 1928, Page 9

ROYAL COMMISSION.

question of control. prime MINISTER'S DENIAL CRITICISM or TRANSPORT. STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR.

In regard to the statement attributed to the Prime Minister during the course of an interview with Auckland delegates concerning the transport problem, the Mayor, Mr. Gj Baildon, sent an urgent telegram to Mr. Coates this morning ■noting the statement in full. At the same time he asked the Prime Minister if the statement attributed to him represented his views, arid if it did not vt-puld he give authority to contradict it.

The following telegram was received at 2 p.m. to-day: —

"In reply to your telegram of to-day's date quoting a statement attributed to me from the 'Auckland Star' regarding the Auckland transport problem I have to say that the report is incorrect, and that I made 110 such statement to _ the deputation from the Auckland suburban local bodies, which recently waited on me in Wellington. The shorthand report of the interview shows this quite clearly. What I did refer to was the careless and at the same time somewhat sweeping criticism which had been made by certain persons concerning the administration by the Auckland City Council in regard to its transport efficiency and that the Commission, which it" was proposed to set up, would have full opportunity of investigating the merits of the whole question. The orctef of reference would be sufficiently wide to enable this to be done. I may tdd ihat when the proposed order of reference was disclosed to the deputation general approval of its terms was expressed on behalf of the local bodies represented." —J. G. Coates. the Mayor, in handing this telegram to the "Star," said he very much regretted that statements of this kind should be made without any warrant whatever. He declined to comment further on the matter.

"Report Not Credited." "I cannot conceive that the Prime Minister could make such a statement," said Mr. J. A. C. Allum, chairman of the Tramways Commititee. I have lis/' many interviews with the Prime Mi: " rin connection with the council's •nd on no occasion has there been the slightest suggestion that anything of the kind was in his mind. , "In the unlikely event of the state- , ment having been made by him, council]ors would desire' to take the most definite; action," said Mr. Allum. "Counieillofs give a tremendous lot of their i time to the business of the city, and sacrifice their own business hours as well ; as their leisure hours, and it is inevitable K that there will be criticism. Lately, however, memlters of the coundl have faced more than their share of this xrritiid#m,>*bich is usually based dninaccuI rate dr Inaufflcfent inSorroatioa,- and l sometimes marvel that they tolerated it so long and kept witMirlbounds. "The statements published yesterday as coming from the prime Minister go altogether too far, and contain suggestions which no fair-minded citizen will , "PPorfc v.-v ,-;- , ■ r-aX*.,

wjyv.l* .. . ••• t ■ 'a. ' «Nothing to Foar." * "A. far., tlie questionof transport is concerned, I am confident that tbi City Council has nothing whatever to fear from.the fullest, investigation .of its management of the undertaking. - As a matter of fact, we are almost impatiently awaiting the Commission* in order that the public may be fully, informed of the whole of the facts. Just because certain phases of the operation' of our trams'and buses do not happen to suit certain interests, it does not follow that the management is defective, and critics will be well advised to withhold further, comments until the Commission sits. "There is a division of what I might term political opinion |s to who snail control the transport m the area involved, but I am convinced that whoever does assume control will, after gaining experience, make very little change in the present policy, provided always that the public is given first consideration. The council has already, declared its poiicy, which, in short, is that it desires to retain the undertaking that it at. present owns."