CITY ACCOUNTS

Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 2046, 31 August 1876, Page 3

CITY ACCOUNTS

(To the Editor of tho EveniNd Star ) Sir,—The reports ©n^ the state of the 05ty Counoil accounts published ia your last night' 3 paper, with your leader thereon, is calculated to alarm the public and leave an impression that thsre has been dishonestyfand wrong dealing with the funds of the Council. The public may rest satisfied anoh is not the case. I being the mover for the Committee of Enquiry, and 'having taken a considerable amount of trouble to personally examine into the state of the books, I have no hesitation in saying there is nothing wrswg beyond a cumbersome and exceedingly fawlty system of accounts. I may also state that they are iio worse now than at any time during the last four years, and that the evils referred to are in most cases omissions made years ago. When I moved for tho committee of enquiry, it was with the view of getting a simple, economical, and perfect system of double entry accounts in connection with the city, before getting the waterworks accounts into confusion. I must say that I believe it would have been better to h»ve allowed the committee to finish their report and publish both it and all reports on the subject at same time. The public could then understand the whole matter, but getting it piecemeal, it only leads to misunderstanding.—l am, &c, G. HoLßsmr. [The reports of the accountants allege a good deal more than mere cumbersomeness ; they assert the existence of very serious in»couracy. The length of time during which the b ioks have been in this mess does not materially improve matters. Can Councillor Holdship suggest any reason why the public are less able to understand the reports of two public accountants now than after they have been considered by a committee consisting of three or four Councillors. It is very problematical whether, but for the knowledge that their publioation was imminent, the reports would ever have been laid before a public meeting of fcbeJOouncil, or their contents have corce to the knowledge of ratepayers. We should think it is well understood from the reports, and our remarks thereupon, that the bad system of book-keeping alone is in question, and that there is no ground whatever for suspecting "dishonesty or wrong-dealing." —Ed. JE.S,]