Carrying On the Fight

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 390, 26 June 1928, Page 16

Carrying On the Fight

LUNDON AND MURRAY ON CIVIC AFFAIRS FUND FOR INVESTIGATION An explanation of ilhe origin of the Councillor Murray . Inquiry Fund was given to a public meeting in the concert chamber of the Town Hall last evening, when Mr. H. P. Taylor recalled the institution of efforts to defray the cost of investigation into civic affairs. Mr. Taylor, who presided, conveyed the determination of Cr. Murray, Mr. J. R. Lundon and himself to proceed with their opposition to present civic administration, notwithstanding the undignified attitude which he said had been adopted toward Mr. Lundon and Cr. Murray by the Mayor, and the obvious partiality which the Mayor showed against Cr. Murray at the council table. “It does not reflect to the credit of anyone occupying this high office to show such partiality to any member of the council as had been demonstrated by the Mayor,” he said. Mr. Taylor explained the origin of the Murray fund, and defended the principle of the people subscribing toward the cost of legitimate inquiry. All the money collected for the fund had passed through the hands of Messrs. Cliff Clark and S. Martin, the trustees appointed by the original meeting. CR. MURRAY EXPLAINS Cr. W. H. Murray explained to the meeting the history of what have become known as the Murray investigations, and recalled the establishment in August of last year of a committee to inquire into the cost of cartage. At that time he had shown that of £101,765 paid out in cartage in four years, one contracting firm had received over £79,000, or 78.3 per cent, of the whole. Another contractor, who was in need of assistance, had received £ 562 worth of work for the year. NOT TREATED FAIRLY Cr. Murray alleged that he had not been treated fairly at the council chamber and about the Town Hall. The standing orders of the council had been rearranged recently to check him in his determination to publish by circular the evidence of the Murray inquiry. The new standing order placed him under penalty of a heavy fine if he divulged the proceeding of the inquiry. Cr. Murray caused great merriment by relating his struggle with the city authorities to secure a permit to inspect the records of the Zoo, which, he found eventually, had been transferred to the Museum. Later he secured a permit to inspect the records on the condition that he was watched closely all the time by the superintendent. He referred to the water supply as “a burning question,” and detailed his exposure of the precarious state of the Nihotupu dam, which eventually had led to extensive repairs. Mr. J. R. Lundon dwelt upon his favourite subject of Civic Square leases. He quoted Cato’s historic ejaculation: “Carthage must be dedestroyed!” and preferred to apply this theme to present-day affairs and cry: “The City Council must be destroyed!” He delighted his audience by looking to the future and promising