“RUN BY A CLIQUE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 633, 9 April 1929, Page 16

“RUN BY A CLIQUE”

CRITICISM OF CITY COUNCIL AN ATTACK BY MR. MURRAY “A coterie of half a dozen men run the City Council. They decide what is to be done, and the remainder, who don’t appear to have a higher standard of intelligence than a fourth standard schoolboy, vote with them—right or wrong.” opinion was expressed by Mr. W. H. Murray, who is a candidate for the Mayoralty of Auckland, during the course of an address in the Remuera Public Library Hall last evening, when a fair-sized audience was present. During the course of his address the speaker sternly criticised what he termed the unbusinesslike methods of the present council and urged the necessity of a clean sweep at the coming municipal elections. “Though I have tried to introduce schemes beneficial to the city, I have been up against a stone wall,” declared Mr. Murray. “That is easy when the calibre of the men who are up against me, is understood. You don’t want a figurehead as a Mayor, but a man who will take civic affairs in both hands and work for the good of the city.” He proceeded to criticise the councils’ road metal supply facilities and attacked the system of calling quotations when anything was required. “Calling quotations from private firms should be abolished, and tenders should be called,” declared the candidate. “The council should not meddle with private enterprise,” he said. “Look at the fish markets. How many thousands of pounds did they cost the ratepayers of Auckland? And what about the buses bought by the civic fathers at a cost of between £70,000 and £80,000? They w.ere merely stored away until a clearing sale was held, when the price of £670 was obtained for the lot.” Touching on the question of Greater Auckland, Mr. Murray said it would be wise to ascertain all the assets and’ liabilities of those boroughs that wished to amalgamate, otherwise the spending power of the city was thinned in an endeavour to bring the newly-amalgamated sections into keeping with the city itself. Also, co-ordination was required in the civic departments. Some scheme to avoid overlapping was absolutely necessary. Referring to the bursting of the Mount Eden reservoir, the speaker declared that absolute lack of supervision, efficiency and co-ordination was apparent throughout. “It was very fortunate that no lives were lost,” said Mr. Murray. “It might easily have been that 40 or 50 men were drowned and that someone would have been standing trial on a charge of manslaughter..” After the speaker outlined his policy a number of questions were asked and replied to. A vote of thanks was passed to the speaker at the conclusion of the meeting.