MINISTER’S RESENTMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 7 December 1938, Page 9

MINISTER’S RESENTMENT

REMARKS PASSED AT S I.M l . MEETING DIALING WITH DRUNKEN j DRIVERS I United Press Association 1 CHRISTCHURCH, bill December. i Resentment at any suggestion that lie \ had retreated from his responsbiility in j dealing with the safety of the roads ‘ ami the punishment of drunken drivers ' was forcibly expressed by the Minister of j Tiansport, Mr Semple, in a statement t<.»night. The Minister s proposal to imprison drunken drivers for week-ends was con 1 sidered by Mr R. I*. Furness (Marlbordav in Greymouth of the South Islam! 1 Motor Union to he "a bit of a retreat by the Minister from his expressed in- i trillion of driving the drunken motorist off the roads." lie added that, the gaols might not be large enough to hold all i who would have to accept the State's hospitality. Assuring Mr Furness of the resentment He felt, Mr Semple said he though* it would be agreed from one end of the Dominion to the other that he had never let up on the difficult task ot dealing with the intoxicated motorist. The prohlem of preventing the wholesale and ; needless loss of life on the highways and j b\"*avs was vexing some of the greatest thinkers of the world. He had done I eveivtliing humanly possible with the money at his disposal to improve the first step toward safety. He had also not spared any effort to bring home to the i people the magnitude of the needless : crimes committed before their eyes every day, and he could say with a certain degree of pride that he had impioved the position considerably. "Members of automobile associations should be the first to appreciate the work that has been done, instead of some ot tS.*-m throwing out cheap and offensive suggestions about my retreating Trom my responsibilities,” said Mr Semple. “1 know what the great majority of the public of New Zealand think. Fair-minded people fully appreciate all that has been clone, and as long as 1 can convince them by actual deeds, not woids, 1 will rest contented. I am not suggesting that more cannot be done. A tremendous amount more can be done, but helpful suggestions instead of cheap sneers would be more welcome. If a thought has any merit, v-lmnmvm it comes from, it will he considered.”