Nelson’s Mayor Accepts Explanation Over Mill

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30265, 18 October 1963, Page 10

Nelson’s Mayor Accepts Explanation Over Mill

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 17. The Mayor of Nelson (Mr D. Strawbridge) said in a telephone interview tonight that he had accepted the explanation of the Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) about the misunderstanding over approaches to the Standard-Triumph motor firm for the purchase of the vacant Nelson cotton mill building. When Mr Lake returned from London and Washington this week, he said that before he left for London he had received a letter from the company advising that it was not interested at present in the building.

Earlier today, Mr Strawbridge had described Mr Lake’s statement as alarming. Mr Strawbridge led a deputation on the mill site which waited on two ministers on October 9. During Mr Lake’s absence overseas, a cable message from London reported that he had talked with the British principals of . StandardTriumph. This message was incorrect, said Mr Lake tonight. But he believed it must have led the Ministers who met the deputation from Nelson, led by Mr Strawbridge, to understand that negotiations were still proceeding.

Mr Lake said that while in London he had told the press that he had interviewed two firms interested in investing in New Zealand. Neither had anything to do with the mill building.

The deputation met the Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Shelton) and the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine). The Deputy Mayor of Nelson (Mr S. A Whitehead), who is also member of Parliament for the district, said this evening that the deputation had come to Wellington to assure the Government that they would be behind it in pushing for the sale of the mill. The Ministers had given them a good hearing and he felt they were sincerely behind the Nelson move.

Mr Lake today advised Mr Strawbridge that he would be pleased to meet him to explain what had happened. Mr Strawbridge told “The Press” that-he accepted what he had been told and did

not think it was necessary to meet Mr Lake.

Mr Whitehead said that be was surprised that the Minister of Industries and Commerce -(Mr Marshall), who is chairman of the Cabinet committee on the cotton mill, bad not advised the Mayor of Neilson of the position over StandardTriumph. Mr Marshall was to have met the deputation, but could not attend. Mr Marshall Explains The Press Association quotes Mr Marshall as saying in an interview tonight that his knowledge was that the local directors of the Stand-ard-Triumph concern were in favour of using the cotton mill building, but that the English directors were not agreeable to the plan.

He said he had assumed that a London message saying that Mr Lake was to see the English directors of StandardTriumph was correct.

He had learnt since that this was not correct.