CIVIC WASTE CHARGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 453, 7 September 1928, Page 13

CIVIC WASTE CHARGES

INQUIRY TO PROCEED CR. MURRAY MAY NOT ATTEND

The City Council has decided to continue the inquiry into the Murray charges of civic waste, but whether or not Cr. Murray will attend has yet to be shown.

The special committee reported to : the council that during the -previous hearing of the allegations brought forward by Cr. Murray, statements were made by witnesses impugning the character, integrity, and ability of S certain officers, employees and coni tractors, and in view of the refusal of a magisterial inquiry it was in the interests of city administration that the statements should be further invest tigated and reported on.

The committee therefore , recommended the reopening of the inquiry, the admission of Press, solicitors, and stenographers, to be at its discretion, and the subjects, of inquiry to include kerbs and pitchers, Stone Jug quarry, the interest of a council official in a private quarry supplying the council, bitumen storage, sale of material to councillors, wrongful deliveries, neglect of plant, council employees on private jobs, wrongful use of material and plant, and alleged victimisation It was noted that Cr. Murray bad recorded his vote against the committee’s recommendation. The recommendation was amended to read that the Press be admitted, but the committee has the right to go into committee on any occasion that it deems desirable. Cr. W. H. Murray pointed out that the Press had- been ordered out of the meeting of the committee which had agreed on the recommendation. The council had decided that the Press be admited to all meetings, and he desired to know by what right Cr. J. Dempsey, as chairman, ignored a resolution of the council. He drew attention to a statement of the chairman that the committee was regarded as biased in favour of the administration, for which reason a magisterial inquiry had been sought. Now it wanted the same committee, the same judge and jury on its own case. “LOST ALL CONFIDENCE"

“I have lost all confidence in this committee owing to the way I have been treated,” said Mr. Murray. 'T will not agree to the changed and unconstitutional condition, and if it is persisted in I can only say that I will continue my case before the higher court of public opinion.” Cr. A. J. Stallworthy suggested that the final order of refernce should be an inquiry into the Jaffe statement concerning Cr. Murray. The committee recommendation as amended was adopted.