WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1531, 29 August 1912, Page 3

WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE.

MONOPOLY ALLEGEDRENEWAL OF CONTRACT CONDEMNED. WHAT SHOULD TIIE STATE DO" An interest in; commentary on the notion of tho Ward Government in renewing the Wanganui river pervicc mail contract was furnislied I)}- a debate in tbe House yesterday afternoon on a question. J)r. A. K, Newman ftVellington East) asked tho I'oslmaster-Cicneral whether he thinks it adrinblc to nationalise the ilenmfaoat service ou the AVanganui River. The Hon. If. H. Rhodes (PostniastcrCicncral) replied: The matter has been under the conndevation of the Government, but as the present contract has over two years and a half to run it has not been possible to take any action in the direction suggested by the honourable member. An early opportunity ivill, however, be taken to have an exhaustive report prepared, which will enable the Government to determino whether it is desirablo to tako over the present service or to run steamers of it? own. Mr. G. V. I'e.irce (I'atea) said that the position of affairs was an extraordinary one. A vote to reduce the sum on tho Estimates had been carried last year, and he thought this matter would have been looked into care/ull.v. The fact was that this servieo was a monopoly, which robbed the settlers on tho river. The storekeeper who owned the service refused to carry stuff unless it was bought at his store. But his contract had been renewed tor three years just three months ago. This was a proof of the encouragement given to monopolies by members of the lato Liberal Goveminent. It was not a case of the Government or the Houfe not knowing the position. They bad.reneiv.ed the contract without any condition to protect the settlers from extortion and monopoly, and it was right that the attention of the House and the country should be drawn to this fact. He thought there should be Fome possibility of getting out of this contract. It was doing ac; much injury even to the tourist traffic as all the . advertising in Australia and elsewhere was doing good. It would be a very gcod thjnj for the Government to run thfi service, but the Government should get rew stcnineis and run a new service. Dr. A. K. Xewmau.(Wellington East) said he thought the question a most unsatisfactory one. The House had condemned the subsidy, but yet a. new contract had bt-en iriadn in Jlarrh last at <in increase, making-, tlie total subsidy ,C11)O a year. He wa,s amazed to h'.a'r that in spite of all jrraye complaints from settlers up and'.driwn'fhe river, thero was no claujs which pro.tMted.the settlers'. ■ ,' JIr;T. H. Wilford (Hutt) eaid he thought .ill- means of communication by lajid or' water should bo. in the control of the Government. He thought the time had. arrived when t'he Government would have to do "as it' had with the Wokatipu service—take it over.- It .was an excellent chance for,the State, to enter into competition. It was time. the. Prime Minister did romething. Ho. ridiculed the practice of the Tourist Department of advertising tho Wanganui as. the Rhine of Xew Zealand. "Tho Rhino is a' dirty, porridgy-coloured river,'- , ho eaid, "with*mud-banks, battlements, and tower, a.n-1 occasionally a dry kcking tree, and is to different from the Wanganui Kiyer'thaf it is quito a-niis-uomer-to.advertise th? Wangnnui in Kngland" and. other countries as tho Rhine of Now Zealand., It is;exactly tlw 'opposite. The Wangauui is noted for its natural beauty'and vegetation, which is unequalled in aiiy other part cf the world. Xo or.; , w'ao has seen tho Rhino will bo attracted to New Zealand by this kiwi of advertisement." Th-a Hon. W. P.'Jlfss!)- (Prime Minister) said that a contribution was mndu ta the fprrien by tho Lar/Js.Deportment and tho Postal Department. It was ths duty of the Minister for Lands to protect the interests of s?tliars, and that ho inteiidrd to do. During the rcce?s he would lcnk into tho matter, and he intended to soo that the provisions of the contract, eo far as the settlers were concerned, wer? strictly enforced, nnd that no rcore hardship than could possibly bo helped was in-' dieted upon them. Mr.. Jlasjey remarked that as the service received a" State subsidy of JE1250 per annum, it would hanliy l>3 fair to enter into competition with it. But the Government would see that tho provisions of tbe contract were carried out. Then when tho contract espircd in i\ years if the Government was in power tho service would have to lie very greatly improved if it remained under' private control, or else it would bo taken over by the State. Mr. W. A. Veitch /Wan.saoutt «aid that, if the contract could not. be broken, Bettlers along the river would willingly pay the compensation in order to be rid of tho service. The Government would be wise to reconsider tho whole position. Tho Tourist Department had spent a large amount of Stato money on tho river, and it was not proper that certain Ixuwfits should necruo fo a private concern. Tho timo had corae> when the old order of things should move on. He had beeu surprised to learn that a new agreement of three years' duration had been entered into, and he thought that tho Wanganui people should have been consulted. Ho would like to ask if the PostmasterGeneral was responsible for the present arrangement made with a private firm. The Hon. H. H. Rhodes: It was made last March. Mr. Veitch: Well,'.l would like to ask the late Postmaster-General, Mr. Ell. A member: It was before his time. Mr. Veiteh said that he did not think it proper that Wanganui people should not have been made aware of the arrangement which had been entered into. Ho was sorry that the House had not been taken into confidence. Tho Hon. It. M'Kcnzie said that in his opinion it would bo a remedy for all tho settlers' grievances to run a road alongside the river. Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes said that in consequence of 'what had transpired bffore he took offico, he had nothing to do but to sign the contract. The service, he added, was maintained not so much for the carriage of,the mails as for tho convenience of the settlers. He was prepared to have a report made as to what ought to bo done in tho future, and he was willing to give all information. 'Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said that it was regrettable that the late Government had seen fit to enter into such a contract.