SHIPPING CENTRALISATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 62, 28 February 1929, Page 4

SHIPPING CENTRALISATION

DEPARTMENTAL ATTITUDE MINISTERIAL DISCLAIMER. ,„ Ol L t -ho « ven ‘“g of 25th inst. Mr. W. E. Barnard, the member for Napier, mailed the following letter to the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, 'Minister of Manne, and another in identic terms to the Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of Railways;— “My attention has been drawn to a leading article in the ‘Daily Telegraph’ of this evening, headed, ‘A Serious Charge.’ “At a meeting of the Napier Harbour Board, when the question of centralisation was under ■discussion, the chairman, Mr.'A. E. Jull. is reported to have made the following statement:— “ ‘lt is my opinion that it is the Marine and Railway Departments who are primarily responsible for this scheme—not tho shipping companies. They are not in favour of it, but the Railway and Marine Departments are.’ “There is no need, I think, to stress the danger to the prosperity of Napier and tho livelihood of many t>f its people, if centralisation of shipping nt Wellington becomes an established fact. What the people of Napier are for the moment concerned with in Mr. Jull’s statement that your department is, in his opinion, primarily responsible for it, or, the inference is clear, is engaged in promoting a centralisation of snipping scheme. “I should be obliged if yon would let me have a reply on this matter at your earliest convenience, as the question is one of first rate importance to my constituents.” MR. COBBE’S REPLY. * Tn answer to this letter tho Minister of Manne sent the following reply, apparently received either on 26th inst. or early on 27th. “Tn reply to your letter of February 25, the statement that the Marine Department is primarily responsible for the scheme for the centralisation of shipping at Wellington is absoluteDv devoid of even the shadow of foundat’nn in fact. “The Minister of Railways Is absent from Wellington, but I am convinced that his department is no more concerned in such a scheme than is the Marine.’’ COMMENT. Some comment on this correspondence which should be of interest will he found in our leading column today.