MINISTER’S STATEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26328, 6 December 1946, Page 8

MINISTER’S STATEMENT

NO INSTRUCTION ISSUED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. When asked to comment on the statement made by ’the chairman of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board that union representatives had received preferential treatment in regard to seating on the Auckland-Wellington train, the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, stated to-day that the first he knew of any direction from his office was when he read Mr Brigham’s statement in the newspaper. "No direction was issued from my office in connection with this matter,” Mr Semple said. "Nor would such a direction be issued once a train is fully booked, The only seats available are those which are cancelled by intending travellers who find, for various causes, that they are unable to travel. Mr Brigham should make sure of his facts before rushing into print, and should not accept' hearsay evidence as correct. 1 have investigated the position about which Mr Brigham complains, and find that the Fire Board’s representative applied for a first-class seat, but unfortunately by the time he called at the booking office all first-class seats on this particular train had been sold. He was advised to take a second-class seat and that there might be some firstclass seats available later as a result of cancellations, and that he should therefore contact the reserved seats officer at the Auckland station in this connection on the day of travel. This he did not do, and consequently he has only himself to blame if he did not take advantage of the advice tendered to him. , . "The four union delegates applied for seats, at a time when all accommodation had been booked. They were advised in a similar way to make later application to secure the benefit of any cancellations which might be received. This they did, and were able to secure four first-class seats. The statement that the Minister’s office had instructed that four first-class seats should be reserved for the union members is therefore contrary to fact. It is regrettable that Mr Brigham did not make a few inquiries from the department before making such a misleading and incorrect statement as that which appeared in the Press Association message from Auckland.”