MINISTER’S REGRET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 121, 23 April 1936, Page 9

MINISTER’S REGRET.

REMARK IN SPEECH. EXPLANATION - TENDERED. Per Press Association. BLENHEIM, April 23. A letter of regret and explanation from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) in connection with remarks made by him during his recent tour of the Marlborough province 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 not aware that Dr Gibbs, or any other doctor, was a member of any transport authority. He assures Dr Gibbs that there is no intention of attacking him personally, adding: I am indeed sorry that the incident occurred. It is unfortunate that a remark that was intended to be general was made in the only district where it could have any particular application. The Minister added that he had since learned of Dr Gibbs’s valued services to the Transport Department.