MR. SEMPLE’S APOLOGY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 111, 23 April 1936, Page 4

MR. SEMPLE’S APOLOGY

Remark About a Doctor and Transport (Bf Telegraph-Press Association.. BLENHEIM, April 23. A letter of regret and explanation from the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, in connection with remarks by him during a recent tour oi Marlborough about the No. 7 Transport Licensing Authority, was quoted by the chairman of the authority, Dr. S. A. Gibbs, of Nelson, at a sitting of the authority at Blenheim this morning. The letter was in particular reference to Mr Semple’s remark that “a doctor may be all right to remove your appendix, but he is useless to tell you anything about transport.” Mr Semple now makes it clear that at the time he made the remark he was unaware that Dr. Gibbs or any other doctor was a member of any transport authority. He assures Dr. Gibbs that there was no intention of attacking him personally, adding that he was indeed sorry the incident had occurred. It was unfortunate that a remark that was intended to be general was made in the only district where it could have auy particular application, the Minister added. He had since learned of Dr. Gibbs’s valued services to the Transport Department,