THE WORKS AT MURPHY’S CREEK.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 160, 20 February 1869, Page 4

THE WORKS AT MURPHY’S CREEK.

On Wednesday evening a public meeting was held at the Institute in accordance with a request previously advertised; by. Mr. Dodson on behalf of the Loan Committee appointed at the" meeting held ih the same plape in August last. Mr. C. JV Rae in the chair. * • . Mr. Dodson regretted the . smallness of the attendance, and attributed it . partly to the circumstance that there had been no floods lately. He had been informed that many persons declined to sign the petition, in favor of the Rivers Act being brought into operation while the debts remained unsatisfied. He believed that. Act to be both necessary and useful, and therefore desired that every obstacle should he removed, even to the payment of J thepromis.sory notes. Last yeartnany persons scarcely dared to look their position in the face; with their crops all washed away by the Hoods, and were then ready to do anything to obtain a remedy. It was . true the\ works instituted hud not been successful, hut at the time they were commenced it was hoped and .believed that good Would be caused by it. This heiqg the belief at the time, it was no fault of anyone that good did not arise; for all that human foresight could ever do was to do the best under any circumstances. He must pay a 1 tribute -of praise to. the contractor arui workmen for doing the duties devolving upon. them. The

; ■Working Committee had done the best in their power, but, as events "had proved, perhaps they were not the most suitable persons for the work,-but they were apjv pointed by the public meeting. All who took part in the meeting ought to support .; them, and it was to be hoped they would ,• come forward and assist in repaying them the sums in which they had been mulcted. Some thought the Loan Committee ought -to have come forward and paid these monies, but they could not interfere with them. He was sorry the Working Committee had * run into debt, but Murphy supposed he had resigned early on ; Reeves knew little about it; while Wall did not pay the proper regard to the amount of funds for disposal -which he ought to have done ; yet we should [ not allow them -to lose the money, but do our utmost to assist them. He then read the various items of expenditure by the Loan Committee, the' sum total of which Was £454 19s. 4d., to meet which there w6re promissory notes to the extent ot £360, suras promised by various persons £59, all of which, with trifling exceptions, would he believed be. paid. Besides the above expenditure there' was a sum due on account of workmen of £76 6s. 2d., with legal expenses £lB lOs.*' The amount might be easily raised by public subscription, as he had seen the time when he had collected a much larger amount in a day for Caledonian Games, Races, and the like. It was unnecessary now to enquire into the utility ; of the works, which had been publicly He would answer any questions that might be put on the business, so far as he was' concerned in it. Hie Bank had now served them with notice that the amount must be immediately paid. He then moved — “ That in the opinion of this meeting, a subscription should be raised to repay the Loan and -Working Committee for the work performed at Murphy’s Creek, such work having been sanctioned by a public meeting, held in this hall in July last, and that the persons who gave their notes to raise money to carry out the same, be requested to pay them forthwith, and ■ thus remove an alleged obstacle to the introducji tion of the “ Rivers Act” in this district.” •Seconded by Mr. Earll, and carried unanimously. Mr. Eakll wished to Jcnow if the £27 could not have been saved by calling the meeting earlier? Many persons were opposed to paying these legal expenses, and much ill-feeling would have been avoided had such a course-been pursued. Mr. Dodsox said that perhaps it would have been better, but it had always been understood that the expenditure should be paid out of the first rates. Now the matter had gone so far, and the probability of getting the Act into operation so small, they had no alternative but • to call up_the notes. It might have been better to call the meetin" earlier, but the fact was they would ■not have called it at all if they could have done without it. He then read the original resolutions passed at the meeting when the respective committees were appointed. It would be seen that 80 per cent, of the value of the notes was to be drawn upon the Bank, but they had drawn as long as they could. He would suggest the appointment of some person to examine the accounts and pay them.

Mr. C. Eyles moved — ‘‘That Mr. Kissling be- requested to examine the accounts submitted to this meeting ; to receive any subscriptions that may be collected, and appropriate them in payment as may seem to him advisable.” Mr. Bomford. seconded the motion, which wals carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated this the most orderly meeting ever held in Blenheim.