A RECENT “HOLD UP”

Gisborne Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5537, 20 July 1920, Page 5

A RECENT “HOLD UP”

SEAMEN AND SIR GEORGE CLIFFORD.

TjU-WED as reason eor pushing ON WITH SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK LINE.

MI? MASSEY'S STRONG COMMENTS

■WELLINGTON, July 19. I lie refusal of the crew of one of the vessels of the Union Company to bring Sir George Clifford to Wellington was referred to as one of the reasons urged in support of the demand for the early completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway, by Mr G. Forbes, M.P., speaking for a deputation to the Prime Minister to-day. “We know the difficulties about the ferry service,” said Mr Forbes, “and these difficulties are not getting less as time goes on. We find that discrimination is used as to what passengers are to be carried. We members of Parliament are faced with the possibility that if we happen, any of us, to make a speech in the House which is not pleasing to our Labor friends we may be denied a passage. This will mean'extra expense aiuL inconvenience to us and you, Mr Massey, are faced with the extra expenditure of having, to put the Tutanelcai on for the run.”

Mr R.. McCallum: There are plenty of oil launches in the Sounds. Mr Forbes said that the Government should push on to get the line through to Picton./and to promise a better ferry service than at present existed. Mr Massey, in reply, said that- this point had been a good argument in favor of the construction of the line, certain passengers being left behind by one of the Union Company's steamers. Things like that, he • said, cannot be tolerated in this country by this or any other Government. They must be brought to an end, but he had to admit that if we have to wait for the construction of this line, there may be many such instances. —P.A.