WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9588, 4 September 1913, Page 3

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

COMMITTEE'S KIXMXGS

I.LEGATIONS OF WHITE WASHING

Tji the I louse of Representatives yesier_ lay afternoon, tlia chairman of the Westport Harbour B.iyul Committee :Mr Lent presented tin? report of the committee. Th • report stated that so far as the Minister for Marine know Mr Simpson was a satisfactory and proper ponton to !>e appointed, nnd -Mr Ciliun's appointment was a s-lis fnrtory and proper one. Mr Isitt contended that thp committee was set ui > to whitewash the Minister fry Marino and blackwa»U th<» member for Nelson. It now remained for th? Government. t<> pstinijite to what o.\i ni they \n ;> prepared iviusrnise cleaidmusj. probity and morality in public life. Mr Atmorc said lie had never n b"t----f *r example of the futility of parry politics than iii the finding of ilisr committee. He agreed with Mr I-itt lljat the was set tip simply to whitewash Mr Fuller and blacken himself. If the Minister for Marine could not take steps to secure the removal of Simpson from the Board he hoped t!>e lender of jjie Uou«e would take tin matt'f up rnd remov -he bhu fron :»u?>lic applications. If ilio G'-vornmciit did not take steps to put the matter right and remove the man from the Board. lii'y would >• to lie responsible for the ac■mnptioii that Simpson was the Lird "f man they d sired to appoint to public bodirs. Hon. F. M. 13 Fisher sttid he was fc(.*.guerei! when he Itonrd the charges against him. Not o:ie letter had been nvoivrd by !he Hon*": nothing had been doi.e in! West)' iri oiijivtinpr to Simpson's appoint- j ment. When lie staled in the 11 u:s • tii.it I lie would ask Simpson t i resist, it tin charges were found t«» be correct, lie did not realise that the character of the inr.nl was what it was, mid he had considerably modified his ideas since hearing the cvi- 1 det:ce addressed b-fore tii.» committee. | What he took objection to was the remarks of the* member for Nelson that the appoint-1 metit was to the eternal disgrnte of the' Admir.istrrtion mid to the Mirirer fori Marine, while all the time he (Mr Afmore) , could have gone to him and nsk"<. him if he knew of th" mans' record. If at the! present time ho "was called upon ;o make, the appointment .strain lie v.ntiid not app >i:it Simpson. If there were two m<m. one with a record and oV.o wi'ii ')■, he would appoint the on" with-tit. II" ac'ed in th" m.'.tt 'r «s straightforward as anyone could ret. Mr J. Hrnnn said it would mmo as a shook to the people of the country to knowthat the Government considered a nirr.i with Simpson's convictions was a fit and proper person to represent them on a Inrhour board. The Government's whole position, was ludicrous. Mr J. Colvin said there were dozens of men in the district fitted for the position, yet the Minister went miles away to put that timn on the Board, and tl:- > man no experience whatc\cr of public work. Mr R. Scott (Otago) snid t!i° whole :natter was simply a matter of jealousy between West port and Ivaramea. 1; a mm of Mr Simpson's character worn appointed for Westport nothing would have be«i r.aid it. Mr (J. W. Htssell contended tlist Air Fiaber bed- created two vacancies on the Board, so as to allow of the appointment of two men of tlio same .political colour as himself, in order that tho so-called ' Reform" Party's noil nominee tor tho Bullcr rest (Mr Munro) could be elected chairman of the Board and receive £2OO a year. Mr ll'issoll moved as an ninerd.-iont.: ' That in the opinion of this House th" record of W. R. Simpson makes it undestrable that he should remain on the West-I port Harbour BortYd as the nominee < f tne Government, and that the Government should tako necessary stops to terminate the appointment. The Houw divided on the amendment, which was Tost by 41 to 26. Mr Lee traced tho history of the appointments to the Harbour Board. Henought every member had a right to bring such matters a« Mr Atmore had uono before tho House, but he made a very grave error of judgment in doing so in the war hf> had. The inference from Mr Atmous words was t!ir.t tho Minister knew of Simpson s convictions when he appointed iiim to position. , The report of the committee was then adopted, and the House rose -t, 11.40 p.m.