“ALLUM WATER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 298, 8 March 1928, Page 1

“ALLUM WATER”

Councillor Murray Heckled CITY COUNCIL CRITICISED THOUGH Point Chevalier residents took Councillor W. H. Murray at his own value, without interjection, the crowded audience at St. Benedict’s Hall, Grafton, last evening, wanted to inquire a little further into the story he told.

rpHE councillor had no sooner been A introduced by Mr. H. P. Taylor than a questioner asked whether questions would be answered. The chairman refused to say. A Voice: Yes or No? Another Voice: As Councillor Murray is the only honest councillor, according to what he says— Cries of “sit down.” The Owner of the Voice: I II sit you down. A LABOUR LEADER Thirty years ago, Councillor Murray told his audience, he was a labour leader. He had been president of the Boot Manufacturers’ Federation for years, and used to be the Mayor of Grey Lynn, and a member of the Harbour Board. He was still a labour leader: A Voice: No wonder you’re not on the Harbour Board now. Another Voice: He will be next time. (Applause.) The speaker, reading all his speech, and assisted with his notes by Messrs. H. P. Taylor and J. Lundon, reviewed the over-expenditure on the £710,000 streets loan, already commented on in The Sun, and asserted that several of the streets done under the loan had had to be redone—out of another account. He said the over-expenditare showed a shocking disregard for definite instructions. A Voice: What’s worth doing is worth doing well. Unfinished streets, he pointed out. added over £II,OOO to the over-ex-penditures on the streets completed, which had amounted to over £54,000. “If the ratepayers will stand the loans of £140,000 that were passed on last meeting, and on which they have no say, they will stand anything,” asserted Mr. Murray. A Voice (confidently): Oh, they will. This was followed by a period of cross-talk in the audience, during which Mr. Murray was lead to ask an interjector if he went to the war. No. 2 Voice: Too right he did. He went with me. The speaker then commented on the expenditure of the £280,000 tramway loan and the “legalised thefts” from it. CONFIDENCE DISREGARDED The audience, tiring of a long talk on tramway figures, the request was for “a little Allum-water.” (Laughter.) However, the speaker preferred to comment on the difficulties of getting information at the Town Hall. He proceeded to give details of a document which he first stated had been sent to him privately and confidentially as a councillor. “Councillors will say it is a breach of trust,” he commented. “Which it is,” asserted a member 1 of the audience, an? id uproar. The report concerned City Council cars, and showed huge repair bills on them, over £1,300 on one car for less than a year, ranging down to over ■ £3OO for one and a-half years on a car that originally cost £l9O. He asserted that one car, which cost an amount approaching £2.000, was sold for £125 and the buyer got in and drove to Wellington. “1 give that a flat contradiction,” said Mr. E. J. McQuillan, a member of the audience, rising to his feet. I challenge Mr. Murray to put up £5 against a similar sum. the loser’s | amount to go to charity. That car could not be started. It was sold at public auction. A Voice: Is that man a carrying contractor? The Challenger: Yes, and working for the council. He kissed his hand to the questioner amid shrieks of laughter. For some time the audience again engaged in cross-talk. “I am pleased to meet you,” said Mr. Murray. . met me before. I was on your committee,” remarked Mr. McQuillan. The hallenge was not accer MR. I DO N • ER The speaker then reviewed the j various stages of the “Murray In- ! q Lundon acting ' s prompter from the front row of the ar ’ience. i Finally Mr. Lundon became so i.

terested that he answered an inteinjector's question. “Shut up!” was the kindly advice tendered. “I am talking to Cr. Murray, not to the “block.” Another voice: Mr. Lundon broadcasting, via Mr. Murray. “Give us the rough stuff.” requested an interjector, when Cr. Murray sa d time was getting on, and he would have to cut out something. The speaker proceeded to cover kerbs and pitchers, the Zoo, end he Nihotupu dam. The escape of the bear and its shooting created the only diversion, a suggestion being made that instead of killing the bear the authorities should have salted its tail.

Because of a blockade in an outlet pipe the water in the bears’ pond had risen, enabling one of the animals to escape. Mr. Murray said. The animal, which had cost £I,OOO was shot when found to be at large in the grounds. A Voice: 4 Wbat would you have done? Mr. Murray: I would see that the zoo was equipped with the proper appliances to deal with such happenings —not a gun. Subsequently, Mr. Murray alleged, the report haci been circulated that the animal hac taken an epileptic tit and was “chewing the oiher teddy bears,” necessitating its destruction. (Laughter). The speaker asserted that the animals at the Zoo were fed on putrid, fly-infested meat. killed alongside the place where moat of the condemned animals suffering from disease were destroyed. Was it any wonder that the Z>o mortality was high? It was a menace to the city’s health. At .a,*.. ge, 10.15 p.m., the pc. r having spoken for two hours, th* stream doorwards set in, and there was a cry for question time. Mr. H. T*. Taylor then moved t series of resolutions, expressing astonishment at the over-expenditure and asking that steps be taken to prevent it in future, expressed the opinion that Mr. Murray should aot be called upon to pay any of the costs of the inquiry; and thanking Cr. Murray for his address. These were carried. Question time finally being forced at 10.45 p.m., Mr. N. Saunders asked: “Is it a fact that during the time you were a member of the Auckland Harbour Board you sought secret commissions, cn a contract or contracts from certain firms, and that during the same period you used Harbour Board machinery for your private use, for laying bitumen at your own private residence in Shelly Beach Road? Mr. ...array said this was not the first time he had heard something of these matters, and tempts to attack hir. character had been made since the inquiry was started. The answ r was “Emphatically, no.” He had bought pn f 'r"i rrom the Harbrv-r Board which had not been required, and had paid the Harbour Board men i 2s a day above their usual wtge to lay bitumen for him.