COUNTY AMALGAMATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 79, 14 March 1936, Page 3

COUNTY AMALGAMATION

Mr. Christie Further Replies MEMBER’S DUTY With regard to the discussion which has been taking place in respect to the suggested amalgamation of the Central Hawke’s Bay counties, Mr H. M. Christie, M.P., made a statement in which he took exception to what he regarded as mis-statements made at the last meeting of the Waipukurau County Council by the chairman, Mr A. C. Russell. Mr Russell made a further statement, published in yesterday's “Tribune,” on which Mr Christie makes further comment. “Mr Russell still asserts that I made use of tho word ‘compulsory’,” says Air Christie. “Seeing that there were a considerable number of local body representatives present, and that a verbatim report of the proceedings was published in at least one local paper, further denial of tho use of that statement by mo is unnecessary. “Air Russell says that no doubt Air Christie took his cue from his chief, Mr Parry, when addressing the Municipal Conference at Napier. As the meeting of the council representatives which 1 convened was held on February 25, and the Alunicipal Conference in Napier was addressed by Mr Parry on the same day, the absurdity of Air Russell’s statement is obvious. “While Air Russell is now asking for a commission with regard to the amalgamation proposals, it is noticeable that he is not now interested in a wrong which was perpetrated in the past with regard to the formation of the Waipukurau county, which I am now asking to bo righted. “I stated at every meeting I addressed during the election campaign that I considered it the duty of a Alember of Parliament to consider tho interests of New Zealand as a whole first, and his locality and his own constituency second, and iu this I consider I am differently placed to Air Russell, who states that he works with u public spirit for the good of those whom he represents. “This may be all right for tho chairman of a county council but it should not bo allowed to cause an injustice and clash with the rights and interests of the people as a whole. I am afraid that Air Russell takes a very narrow and parochial view of the subject. “Referring further to river control, this matter was discussed at considerable length at tho meeting of county representatives, and it was finally decided that the representatives should place before their respective councils the desirability of making application for the services of a public works engineer to be placed at their disposal to report on the best method of improving the present state of the river oc<!s and give an estimate of the cost of such work. “Air Russell made no mention of this at the Waipukurau County Council .noting and now infers that river control was hot discussed and was merely made the excuse by me to convene the meeting. I can assure Air Russell that I am by no means finished with the imstion of river control. “Air Russell has stressed tho use being made of a club, but if his present attitude is an indication of his type of reasoning, a club seems to be the only argument he can understand.”