MAKE'S NEST EXPOSED.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14900, 13 February 1914, Page 8

MAKE'S NEST EXPOSED.

SfE G. W. RUvSSELL'S "WEST

COAST ROMANCE."

(FnoM a Wbstland ConnEsroNDENT.) HOKITIKA. February 7. During his visit to Hokitika in connexion with the Juhileo celebrations, Mr 0. W. Russell, M.P.. stayed with lii's brother-in-law, Mr James Park. This Mr Park has a email ploasunl jracht of about 15 tons, named the Wakaiti. and this yacht once drew a Government subsidy of £350 for tho conveyance of mails and supplies to ».ht» Pouth Westland settlers. Tu-dny Mr Park's yacht does not draw thy itib-f-idy. and in reference to this matter! Mr Russell has made a statement which has excited a good deal of indignation on tho Coast. "Mr Park '' he said, "fome years built a yacht about60ft long by 12ft wide. She lies at Jfolcitika wharf and is fitted with oil engines. For <=ome time she was utilised as a service steamer for Okarito, carrying stores to the .settlers sind bringing away flax, etc., to Hokitika for shipment, But that was bc-foro iho days of Reform ! AVhoti Reform got the reins of office, without oven givinc M"r Park a chance to tender, the contract was handed over to a c-om'pany Mr Michel, the Reform candidate, got up. Tho result is that Mr Park's fine little boat is lying idle at the Hokitika wharf, whilst the MiehelIleform boat draws the subsidy." A representative of "The Press" submitted Mr Russell's statements to Mr. 11. Wild, secretary of tho Hokitika Shipping Company, the owners of the boat which carries the Government \ subsidy for the mail and cargo service "between Hokitika and the S juth "\\ es-t----land harbours. Mr Wild said that the imputation that preference had been shown by the Government to the I-lokitika Shipping Company with j-eferenco to the southern sea service subsidy was entirely without foundation in fact. The history of the formation of this company and its transactions with the Government ;ire as follow: —'"For some "forty years; past sea communication had been maintained with South Westland by the aid of a Government subsidy. The subsidised steamer, the Jane Douglas, was j lost in Cook Strait in January, 1912, tiud it was then arranged with the Government that Mr Park's small yacht should continue the service for the same subsidy, namely, £850 per annum. iWhen the contract ran out at the end "of 1912, tho Reform Government invited fresh tenders, but considered the j expenditure of £850 for twelve trips j a year was not justified. The Govern- | tment accepted the tender of Mr 1 Jhincau, local agent for Mr Park's to run the service for three months at the rate of £750 per annum. After that the service of Mr Park's yacht was discontinued, and for I several months there was no southern ; -sea service, and the settlers' suffered some inconvenience. Two of the lead- | ing -merchants of Hokitika. Mr G. A. Perry (who is Mayor) and Mi- P. Renton, took the opportunity of a*, visit of the Minister of Marine, and, accompanied by representatives "of tho com- ■ onercial and fanning interests, they interviewed the Hon. Mr Fisher, and fully explained the hardships entailed upon the* settlers by the discontinuance of the sea service. ' Mr Fisher; informed the deputation that if the . settlors were prepared to help themselves, tho Government would assist .them. The Mayor of Hokitika convened a public meeting, which resulted iii-the formation of the Hokitika Shipping Company. Mr Michel had nothing whatever to do with the institution of the shipping company, of which ' ■" 5 f orty-one of the, fitty-nine shareholders are .South Wostland settlers. The whole of Mr Michel's interest in the company consists of one hundred £1 • -shares, which cost him precisely the same as those of .other shareholders. Hβ stated when taking his comparatively • , few shares that he looked upon the shares as a donation to help the district. The company having been formed? tho list of shareholders was - submitted to the Department, with the object of' showing that' the" condition - .that the settlers were helping themS selves was/met. Their representations, R ■"" taken in conjunction,- Mr Wild f. believed/ with an intention of the Lands 4 Department to establish a ■ special, settlement- in. the South, Prevailed upon the' Government • -to agree •to grant the company a subsidy of £600 a year for a sea ser- • vice of at least twenty-one trips per annum, and many extra trips as the ie Xyommissipner of Crown Lands for j iWestland deemed necessary. Mr Wild ..-,• concluded by'stating: that a. perusal of 'tho list.pf shareholders which could be _ -made at the office of the company or afc >the office'of the Registrar of Companies, . would be found to be entirely convincing that the company is of no political ■ colour." • To this ib may be added that in tho >oar 1912 Mr Russell was a Minister in • iho stop-gap Ministry, and it was in the samo .year thai; the pleasure yacht "belonging to his brother-in-law was subsidised to carry out the unexpired •term of the Jane' Douglas's contract at tho rate of £850 - nor annum. On tho 10th of April, 1912. .an agreement was mjule with the local agents for Mr Park's yacht; and that service was con- . turned until the end of 1912. Does Mr Russell remember anything about Ijis brother-in-law's boat carrying a subsidy at tho rate of £850 a-year for one trip a month, and does ho deny that that subsidy was granted.without inviting tenders after the loss of the Jane Douglas? Mr Russell should, know; he was a-Cabinet Minister at thafc time. There is also one other point of which Mr Russell should be reminded. Does he deny that at the end of 1912 . tenders were invited by .the Reform Government, and Mr Park's yacht got a renewal for three months of the subsidy at the rate of £750 per Donum, and on the expiration of that term was offered and refused to accent i> subsidy of "something .less than £750, «nd that Mr Park's agent, on behalf of Mr Park, absolutely declined to carry on the service under tho condi--tions and amount of subsidy which tho Hokitika Shipping Company accepted? It is worthy oi note that the shipping company, which is so unjustly con- , : demned by Mr Russell, has shareholders of various political colours. Indeed, if •Mr Russell cares to peruse the list ofshareholders he will discover that the gentleman who acted as organising "secretary of- Mr Sneddon's election executive, holds precisely the same num"ber of shares as does Mr Michel. The people here feel utterly disgusted 'that Mr Russell should partake of their hospitality and then use the occasion •to make suchcan unjustifiable attempt io damage a local company, which was formed largely by the southern settlers for the purpose of doing something to .help themselves to feel less the penalty of their isolation.