MR GRAHAM AT THE PORT.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12401, 17 November 1908, Page 2

MR GRAHAM AT THE PORT.

During the dinner hour yesterday Mr Graham addressed about two hundred electors in the vicinity of the Uiiion Steamship Coy's office at the Port. Mr F. Atkinson was voted to the chair. _ Mr Graham spoke .for nearly half an hour and received a vriry atteii* tive hearing) being" frequently ap» plauhded. He denied the stat&* ments that had been made regarding his alleged neglect of correspondence) and said that .the number of letters received by him .last yeaf totalled about fifteen hundred, .and they had all received his attention; A mail might fail in one instance; But in the particular instance referred id lie had not failed. . A statement had been made that he had neglec'i^ ed to reply to » c6mmunicati6n in reference .to obtaining facilities for a shed for fishermen's nets, , He" had never received any. such letter^ but if he had he .would, have, giyen it the same . attention^ as other, let? ters. He spoke at some length, dn the harbour works and said no man could say they were a failure; -Tile harbour was twenty times better than ever before. Ho instanced tie bringing in of tlw . Westland, through the new channel as ■ a proqf of. its success, and safd that fcp Vess.el could not have come.- in -by., way -of the old entrance at alL without being lightered. Only recently, too -the steamer Rakanoa, 2246 tons, . had been brought in by way of the new entrance. H.M.S. Encounter, ha. said could easily have- been brought inside the liarboUr aha moored only neither the .Board nor the warship had mooring lines. Mr Graham referred to the satisfactory condition of the finances of the Board and the fact that, as promised, no rate had boon struck. He did not take the whole credit for the success of the .work,- as he had been supported by prooc] men and true. (Applause.) Regarding a statement made that hs was iiot awar^-.bf. the. vfite foj-..is§ wliari .oxtpnsibn -he -.read a letter from -the Prime Minister written at the tune the statement was first made, stating that the Government lip. rt not made any,, promise that provision would be made for the vote but assuring Mr Graham that he would be the first to be advised whea .such vote was; made. In conclusion Mr Graham referred, to X %M cordial mafias in . which l e ha§ boon received in various parts of the electorate. •.•...'■".•■'■ In reply to a question Mr Graham denied most emphatically that he h.id ever stated/that six, shillings' a aay was a fair wage for a working Other questions Wire : answered satisfactorily, and on the motion of ■;*8 SW Cntes and McGee, 'a hearty 'oto of thanks and confidence iS-Mr arriea —^^ cl«dcF^e°LS totllechair ; Con -