ANGRY BOARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23213, 6 December 1938, Page 12

ANGRY BOARD

MR. SEMPLE'S CRITICISM RIVER' CO&TROL WORKS THE CAUSE OF DELAYS «• CHALLENGE TO A DEBATE [bt telegraph——own correspondent] NAPIER, Monday Resentment at remarks made while in Napier by the Minister of Public Works, tho Hon. R. Semple, criticising the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board's methods in dealing with river control was expressed at a meeting of tho board this morning. A challpngo was issued to the Minister to debate tho whole question of river control in Hawke's Bay on the public platform. " I regret very much that the Minister has seen fit to attack the board ns he has done," said the chairman of the board, Mr. C. Lassen. "Ho seems to have come hero and endeavoured to please a deputation from Pakowhai settlers. Ho surely must know that the board's, engineer has to consult his own engineers in regard to everything wo do." Chief Engineer's Approval The clerk, Mr. W. J. O'Connell, read a letter from tho Engineer-in-Chief of tbp Public Works Department, Mr. J. Woods, in which ho said: "I wish to adviso concur in tho board's programmo foi* the preparation and completing of sections of the stopbank 6ystem." Referring to tho delay in tho construction of a new bridge at Pakowhai, which had caused a hold-up in the river protection work, slr. Lassen said the Minister ought to havo that tho plans for tho bridge were being drawn by tho Public Works Department in Wellington. "It is their policy," he said, "that all these works should be done by the State, and that is where the whole fallacy of the thing comes in. If tho drawing of the plans for the bridge had been left to the County Council the bridge could havo been well on ks way.". Assurance Not Forthcoming Dealing with Mr. Semple's statement that he had wished to take the work jover himself, Mr. Lassen said the board had asked the Minister for an assurance that the work would be completed within tho estimates. Although telephoned three times he had given no such assurance. The board could not be expected to hand the work over without that assurance. Mr. Semple had Baid the rivers work had been an "unsatisfactory job." It had been an , unsatisfactory job for the board, too, owing to the way in which it had been ■ hammered and kicked from pillar to ! post by the Minister of Public Works. " He says he is prepared to take the board on," added Mr. Lassen. "Well, I am quite prepared to fake the Slinister on any time he likes in any hall he suggests."

Use oi Machinery " Mr. Semple knows very well whera the trouble has come from ovgr this scheme, that is, tho way he has fought with the Minister of Labour and the Treasury Department as to whether he was going to use machinery on the job," said Mr. Harris. "I have forgotten more about rivers in this district than Mr. Semple will ever learn"." Mr. W. E. Campbell commented that the Chief Engineer's letter had put tho board very much on side and the Minister very much off side. Mr. Lassen: It does make me boil a bit when wo have to take kicks < for irresponsible statements. MINISTER IN REPLY FARMERS MADE CHARGES "NOT GETTING FAIR DEAL" STATE'S £120,000 SUBSIDY [BT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHUECH, Monday "If the Rivers Board is anxious to debate anything, let them debate it with the farmers, who the charge and not with me," said Mr. Semple to-night, when the Hawke's Bay board's challenge was referred to him. "I am satisfied that t.'.o farmers are prepared to debate and to tell the board what they told me, and that the farmers are Aot 'all fools and liars." A report that he had said that the "farmers were not getting a fair deal" was denied by the Minister. That charge was made to him in Napier by the Pakowhai settlers in the presence of the engineer-in-chief, Mr. J. Wood, tho district public works engineer, the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., and his private secretary. His reply was that if that was bo they were not getting a :fair Epin. The Minister added that he had said repeatedly ho was never satisfied with tho way the job was carried out. "And I would be easily pleased if I were," ho added. Tho investigation was now taking place. Anything he had said was in the interests of tho settlers and of the public, who had contributed £120,000 to the scheme. ■'The Rivers Board is barking up a wrong tree, and it knows it. Never again will I allow £120,000 of public money to be contributed to a scheme without my department having definite control. Tho Hawko's Bay rivers job has been a lesson to mo in this respect." Tho reading of Mr. Wood's letter approving of the programme of works meant nothing, said Mr. Semple. All works had to bo approved officially by the engincer-in-chief. However, he would vouch for his life that Mr. Wood had never written a letter approving of the board's way of carrying out the job and of the progress made, about which the Minister had complained. The letter quoted was probably written some months ago, because ho had discussed the matter very recently with Mr. Wood, who held tho samo views on the muddlement. Mr. Semplo said tho settlers had suffered tremendously for a considerable time, and were in fear and trembling that their life's work and lion\o3 would Ijo swept away. He had all the sympathy in the world for them endeavouring to do his best tor thenwiTliat was tho only crime ho had commibted. He had never gono out SL.I 8 . /.castigate any board Without justifiable grounds. MiSSKIS YOUR OWN DELICIOUS ORANGE CORDIAL . . ''tawpwslw with Flavoured O ran go Extract, and what is nicer than & ■ <:colinf» Orange dr,nkf Also 'T?BICYF'R" U T- Llmo «S *2SS£ makes a WHOM. SIIk 011 Stores^Advt,