1.-114.'

Session 11 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

OTIRA TUNNEL CONTRACT PETITION COMMITTEE (REPORT OF) ON THE PETITION (No. 100, SESSION II, 1912) OF MURDOCH McLEAN AND ANOTHER; TOGETHER WITH COPY OF PETITION, MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, AND APPENDIX. (Mr. LEE, Chairman.)

Report brought up on the 18th October, 1912, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE.

Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. "..:'' ; .....'.. Tuesday, the 20th Day op August, 1912, Ordered, "That Standing Order No. 219 be suspended and that a special Committee, consisting of eleven members, be appointed to inquire into the petition of Messrs. Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean for favourable consideration, and relief in connection wiih the Otira Tunnel contract; such Committee to have power to call for persons and papers ; three to be a quorum: the Committee to consist of Mr. Pavey, Hon. Mr. Praser, Mr. Leey Hon. Mr. R. McKenzie, Mr. Nosworthy, Mr. Okey, Mr. Reed, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Veitch, Right Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, and the Mover."—(Hon. Mr. Massey.)

PETITION.

To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, both of Otira, in New Zealand, carrying on business under, the style or firm of " John McLean and Sons," contractors, and John McLean and Son.s (Limited), (a company duly incorporated in New Zealand under the provisions of the Comp-anies: Act, 1908, having its registered office in the City of Wellington), showeth :— . . 1. That on the 9th day of August, 1907, your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, entered into a contract with His Majesty the King for the construction of the Otira Tunnel in accordance with the plans, specifications, and conditions of contract prepared by the Public Works Department, at or for the price or sum of £599,794. 2. That your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, had for many years prior to their entering into such contracts carried on business in New Zealand as contractors, and had acquired considerable experience in the carrying-on of works similar to those required in the construction of such contract, and were recognized in the Dominion and elsewhere as contractors of the highest reputation. 3. That your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, after their entering into such contract, in due course proceeded with the carrying-on of the works required in connection therewith. 4. That your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, had prior to their entering into such contract entered into a contract with the Wellington Harbour Board for the construction of the Wellington Graving-dock. 5. That your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, in the initiation of the works of the said contracts, in the acquisition of the machinery and plant necessary to carry on the same, and in general preparatory works and otherwise, employed the whole of the available capital possessed by them. 6. That your petitioners, Murdoch McLean and Neil McLean, finding that such available capital so possessed by them would be quite inadequate to carry on the works of such contracts, in order to assure what in their opinion would be a sufficiency of capital to effectively carry on such works, promoted the formation and incorporation of your petitioner company (John McLean and Sons (Limited) ), by means whereof a sum of £45,000 additional capital was raised by the issue of 45,000 preferential shares of £1 each in your petitioner company, your petitioners, Murdoch

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