MINISTER AND MUNICIPAL CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1913, Page 3

MINISTER AND MUNICIPAL CONTROL

ANOTHER MAYOR- ON THE HON. MR. FISHER. (BT TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) NAPIER, 7th March. A reporter called on tho Mayor of Napier (Mr. J. Vigor Brown, "M.P.), and asked him. whether ho had read the statements made in Auckland by the Hon. Mr. Fisher, Minister of Customs, to tho effect thai ho did not think it would be a very distant date when municipal councils would be wiped out of existence. •'Yee," said the Mayor, "1 have; but one rarely pays muck attention to anything that is said by Mr. Fisher, as his statements are co often contradictory. Ho has already been on three sides of tho House. As far as his opinion of municipal matters is concerned, one does not seriously accept what Mr. Fisher would say. He has had very little, if any, municipal experience, ■ and when he talks of experts being employed in connection with tho various undertakings of municipalities and boroughs, and city councils being practically done away with, he is talking nonsense. If such a course were adopted with Parliament, Mr. Fisher himself would be the first to be out of a job. If an expert on Customs was wanted, I do not think Mr. Fisher would have a chance of obtaining his present position." Mr. Brown further stated that when Mr. Fisher was first appointed Minister a deputation waited on him and asked if he would reduce the duties on various commodities that were used by the middle classes. The Minister stated that he could not do co then, as it might, interfere with orders merchants had sent Home, and it might dislocate their businesses. He did not mind dislocating tho pockets of the working people by inflicting penalties through the Customs that they ought to have been released from. Shortly after this the Minister was interviewed in Christchurch by some owners of motor-cars, and he was asked by them to bring pressure to bear on the Union Company to reduce the freight between Wellington and Christchurch on motorcars, as the charges were too heavy. Although he had previously been opposed to the Government" taking over the service, he stated that if the Union Company did not reduce the freight on motor-cars he would see if the Government would not start a service of their own. He did not state that the freight on sugar and flour would have to be reduced, only on motor-cars. This is the erratic manner in which the Minister of Customs behaves. As Mr. Atmore, M.P. for Nelson, aptly remarked at the turning of the first sod of the Napier trams on Thursday, tho remarks were the irresponsible statements made by an irresponsible Minister.