SHADOW-SPARRING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 288, 6 December 1938, Page 8

SHADOW-SPARRING

HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS BOARD MR. SEMPLE’S REPLY TO CHARGE I Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 5. “If the Rivers Board is anxious to debate anything, let them debate it with'the farmers who made the charge and not with me,” said Hon. R. Semple to-night when The Press referred a a Hastings message to him. “I am satisfied that the farmers are prepared to debate and to tell the board what they told me and that the farmers are not all fools and liars.” The 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 Mr. Wood, engineer-in-chief, the district public works engineer, Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., and his private secretary. His reply was that if that was so they were not getting a fair spin. “The River Board is merely shadowsparring and making a false charge against me,” said Mr. Semple. “I said at the time of the deputation that if the statement was true it was not a fair thing to favour settlers on one side of the river. The men gave me an assurance that they were not getting a fair spin. To make doubly sure, I asked the engineer-in-chief to send the inspect-ing-engineer to Hawke’s Bay to make an investigation with district public works engineer and boards engineer.” The Minister added that he had said repeatedly that he was never satisfied with the way the job was carried out —“and I would be easily pleased if I were,” he added.

The investigation was now taking place and so far as he knew anything he had said was in the interests of the settlers and of the public who had contributed £120,000 to the scheme. “The River 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 denite control. The Hawke’s Bay rivet job has been a lesson to me in this respect.” "The reading of Mr. Wood's letter approving of the programme of works meant nothing,” said Mr. Semple. AH works had to be approved of officially by the engineer-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 progress made about which the Minister had complained. The letter quoted was probably written some months ago because he had discussed the matter very recently with Mr. Wood who held the same views on the muddiement. Being satisfied that the settlers were telling the truth he had ordered an investigation. The settlers had suffered tremendously for a considerable time and were in fear and trembling that their lifes work and home would be swept away.

He had all the sympathy in the world for them and was endeavouring to do his best for them. That was the only crime he had committed. He had never gone out of his way to castigate any board without first having justifiable grounds.