GREY LYNN'S FINANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 69, 22 March 1910, Page 9

GREY LYNN'S FINANCE.

•AN EXPLANATION. The Mayor of Grey Lynn (Mr. W. J. Holds-worth) referred, at tie meeting o the Council last night, to the report ol a recent case in the Court in -which the Council was interested. He said some people seemed to have got the idea that ■ the Council -was running a kind of Advances to Settlers department. In order , to give the public the real facts of the case, he had asked Mr. Haultain. to make an explanation to the Council. The Town Clerk read a written state- ' ment, which -was to the effect that with regard to the case of ""J. Rule, £50," • that gentleman had been building a -strong room for the Council, and he produced a certificate from the Engineer, authorising payment of that amount. As Mr. Rule was anxious to go to a job in the Waikato he (Mr. Haultain) told Mr. ! Rule .hat as there was sufficient money in the office, on receiving his signature he could have the cash, as the Mayor wa s ' sick, and Mr. Schofield (who signed the cheque) was not available. Mr- Rule • signed the voucher, and received the ' money from the cash in the office, Mr. Rule's receipt being put in. When the cheque was signed subsequently, it was " handed in, and the voucher withdrawn. With regard to " Mr. 'Prendergast, £61 * 15/6," Mr. Haultain explained that was also a contractor's payment on the certificate of the Engineer, and the cheque was banked in due course. In respect to £5 for ex-Mayor, Mr. Haultain stated ' that referred to £5 handed to Mr. Sayers _ on the 28th of August, 1909: "Made, in error," said Mr. Haultain, "in my evidence when I stated that ' the then Mayor, Mr. Sayers, had his 1.0. U. in the . drawer for £5,' as the 1.0. U. was mine, and not Mr. Sayers'." Mr. Haultain explained that the 1.0. U. was held by the I. : then assistant Town Clerk, as against the ■ I £3 which he gave under the following |.*|. circumstances: "Mr. Sayers having been I ' deputed by the Council to proceed to I ■ - Wellington and bring back the loan de--1 bentures to lodge in the bank (expensoj WXX having been authorised), called at the r office, and I drew-and obtained his signaI ."-tare to a cheque for £10 for the same. § " And I told him I would get Mr. Schofield's '}■ ' . signature and the Auckland bank's certip ' ' ficate and authority for him to receive the debenture, and also to bring H him the money. Mr. Sayer3 said ftp 'All right,' but wanted some 1 money then to prepare for going to _%• Wellington. I told him I could let him _\ have £5, which I got from the then asI sistant Town Clerk, and I gave my own Si; LO.U. for..that amount." Mr. Haultain -%.-■■ stated-that .he got the train ticket for the Mayor, aft .getting Mr. Schofield's signature to the cheque. He gave Mr. 1 • S-ayers the tickets and the change, and Sr; • returned, "the £5 previously advanced, -/ i" which he ["brought; back to the office '■. : ; ; ; handed to the assistant Town Clerk, and - ', received back his 1.0.U- for the sum adff:, rf vanced to Mr. Sayer3. '