WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 4 September 1913, Page 5

WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD

THE SIMPSON APPOINTMENT

BY TELEGRAPH—PIIESS ASSOCIATION,

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. In the House of Representatives tliis afternoon the chairman of the Westfiort Harbor Board Committee (Mr E. P. Lee) presented the report of the committee, and moved its adoption. The report stated tliat sd far as the Minister of Marine knew, Mr Simpson was a satisfactory and proper person to be appointed. Mr Fisher (Minister of Marine) said that he was staggered when he heard the charges again."£• him. Not one letter had been received by the House Jind nothing had been done in Westport objecting to Mr Simpson's appointment. "When h> stated" in the House that he would ask Mr Simpson to resign if the charges were found to be correct, he did not realise that his character was made out to what it was, and he had considerably modified his ideas since hearing the evidence before^ the committee. If at the present tnmi he was called upon to make the appointment again, he would not appoint Mr Simpson. Mr G. "\\\''-Russell moved as an amendment, '-'That m the opinion of this House _ the record of W. R. Simpson makes it undesirable that he should remain on the Westport Harbor Board as the nominee oT the Government, And that th» Government should take the r.ocessary steps to terminate the appointment."

The House divided on Mr Russell's amendment, which was lost by 41 votes to 26.

Mr E. P. Lee traced the history of. appointments to the Harbor Board". Ho thought that every member had a right to bring suck matters, «.=« Mr Atmore had done, before the House, but he made a very grave- error of judgment jn doing so in the way he had. The inference frog? Mr Afroore's words was that the Minister knew of Mr bimpson's convictions he appointed mi* t*, t>i» poaitkm .The report or tr>e Committee was theft <uKsnied and t>>* Efoaae rose at 11.40 p.m.