HON. R. SEMPLE’S REPLY

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 7

HON. R. SEMPLE’S REPLY

TO RIVERS BOARD Hawke’s Bay Settlers’ Complaint [Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 5. A Hastings message stated that the, Hawke's Bay Rivers Board-took exception to the criticism of their ad-| ministration voiced by Hon. R. Sem-j pie. When “The Press” referred the, Hastings message to him, the Minister said: “If the Rivers Board is anxious to debate anything, let them debate it with the farmers who made the charge, and not with me! I am satisfied that the farmers are pre-! pared to debate, and to tell the board, what they told me, and that the farmers are not all fools and liars. | The report that he had said that the “farmers were not getting a fair deal” was denied by the Minister. That charge was made tq him in Na-j pier by the Pakowhai settlers, in the presence of Mr Wood (Engineer-m-Chief) the District Public Works Engineer; Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., and his private secretary. His (Mr Semple’s) reply was that, if that was so, they were not getting a fair spin. “The Rivers Board is merely shadowsparring, and making a false charge against me,” said Mr Semple. T said, at the time of the deputation, that, if the statement was true, it was not a fair thing to favour settlers on one side of the river. The men gave me an assurance "that they were not getting a fair spin. To make, doubly sura, I asked the Engineer-in-Chief to send the Inspecting Engineer to Hawkes Bay to make an investigation with the District Public Works Engineer and the board’s engineer.” The Minister added that he had said repeatedly he was never satisfied with the way the job was carried out—“And I would be easily pleased if 1 were,” he added. The investigation was now taking place, so -far as he knew. Anything he had said was in the interests of the settlers, and of the public, who had contributed £120,000 to the scheme. "The Rivers Board is barking up the wrong tree, and it knows it. Never again will I allow £120,000 of public money to be contributed to a scheme without my Department having definite control. The Hawke s Bay rivers job has been a lesson to me m this respect,” he said. The reading" of Mr Woods letter approving of the programme of works meant nothing, said Mr Semple. All works had to be approved officially by the Engineer-in-Chief would vouch for his life that Mr Wood had never' written a letter approving of the board’s way of carrying out the job and of the progress made, about which the Minister had complained. The letter quoted was probably written some months ago, because he. had discussed the matter, very recently, with Mr Wood, who held the same -views on ths muddlement. Being satisfied that the settlers were telling’the truth, he had ordered m investigation. The settlers had suffered tremendously for a considerable time, and were in fear and trembling that their life’s work and homes would be swept away. He had all" the sympathy m the world f °s them, and was endeavouring to do his best ; for them. That was the only crime he had committed. He had never gone out of his way to castigate any board without first having justifiable grounds. -