THE H.B. TRIBUNE MONDAY, JULY 11, 1927 SHAKEN CONFIDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 176, 11 July 1927, Page 6

THE H.B. TRIBUNE MONDAY, JULY 11, 1927 SHAKEN CONFIDENCE.

Saturday last there was published in the “Tribune,” m common with both the Napier papers, what was manifestly a purposeful communication from the Hon. G. J. Anderson in his capacity of Minister of Marine. By obvious prearrangeinent with Mr. John Mason, the member for Napier, this communication was afforded an altogether meretricious significance by giving it the form of a reply to a question put in no less an august body than the House of Representatives. Yet all it contained was a recital of correspondence that had passed between the Minister and the Napier Harbour Board with regard to the proposed purchase by that body of a dredge required for carrying out harbour works upon which the Board had decided and which had had the authorisation of the Minister’s own department. This correspondence had for its ostensible subject what were entirely technical points and, on its face, had nothing whatever to do with the policy which the Board, under the mandate of the great majority of the electors of the district, had adopted. Beyond this was the fact that, on the Minister’s own showing, the correspondence was not closed and he had no reason for coming to any conclusion as to what reply he would get. On his own showing, too, it ig made apparent that at the verv earliest opportunity offering the chairman of the Board had acquainted his fellow members with the substance of the correspondence as it was received.

All this necessarily prompts the enquiry as to why the business of the House of Representatives should be interrupted. in order to afford opportunity for placing this purely official correspondence on its archives and broadcasting it through the. country. There was no suggestion of its leading to anything in the nature of discussion in the House. It was just something that was dragged in neck and crop with the evident object of lending it an importance that did not belong to it. Beyond this, it has to he noted that this was done at the instance of the member representing a community that has revealed itself in every possible way as lieing at variance with the wishes of the great nvii/vr-tv nf f-Tir* c-iftrfnrß of the

Hawke's Buy district taken us a whole, and as having no regard for anything but it* own petty local interests.

When Mr. Anderson was here only some nine or ten days ago made great profession of asking Board and the ratepayers of the district to pull together. This profession we accepted as being made in sincerity, yet we have him, at so short an interval, disclosing himself in the attitude of a partisan propagandist, apparently led by the nose by a very decidedly minority faction that happens, through hig own appointment of a representative on th© Board, to have his ear whenever it is wanted. In contrast with this publicity afforded, with a clear intent of creating an entirely falwo impression, we have the Minister imposing upon the- members of the Board the strictest secrecy with regard to the issues he intended laying before the commission of investigation that is being set up—again, at the instigation of this minority faction. Of all the matter* relating to the much vexed ’question of a harbour for Hawke’s Bay—not for Napier alone -the constitution of the commission and the scope of the “order of reference,” which is entirely in the Minister’s discretion, are of the most important. Yet with respect to them the Minister has throttled all public discussion until it will be too late to have any effect. For the intelligent people oi Hawke’s Bay the recommendations of this commission can have no possible weight unless not only is its personnel entirely acceptable to them, but also unless it i* siven the very widest range of considering the project in n' 1 : t.s possible aspects, and not onlj f' uo-day or to-morrow, but for time to come. For this reason the order of reference should most certainly have been given to the public for comment and suggestion Should it not in this respect fulfil the reasonable expectations of those who have *♦ heart the interests of the district and, through it, of the country, there is going to be no finality in it. The Minister who i» so anxious to give publicity to correspondence that haa no bearing whatever on the big question that is now at issue made a great mystery of the appointments he proposed to make to the commission. It wa*s surely to be expected that the Board would be the first to hear from him of his selections. Yet it is left to the chairman of the Board to learn, quite accidentally, from a casual paragraph in the personal column of a Wanganui paper who is to occupy the allimportant position of chairman of the commission. What wonder, then, that our faith in th© sincerity of the Minister’s professions is rather badlj shaken? Are we to b© forced to the reluctant conclusion that this matter of such vital concern to us all is being made a good deal of a political plaything, with a gentleman who has twice “ratted’’ from a losing side pulling the strings?