ANOTHER AUDIT "TAG."

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 251, 22 October 1924, Page 8

ANOTHER AUDIT "TAG."

. NINE COUNCILLORS RESIGN. PROTEST AGAINST PROSECUTIONS. (By Telegraph.-Special to "Star.-) MA.STERTOX, Tuesday. •At a meeting of the Borough Council, last night, nine of the councillors resigned from the council as a protest against a Supreme Court action taken recently against them, in which they were fined for transferring monc3' from one account to another. Strong speeches were made agaiifst the Audit Department's action, which was characterised as persecution. Those who handed in their resignations were Councillors-Lamb, Kemp, Jordan, Peterson, Andrews, Ruseell, O'Leary, Watson, and Thomas. The resigning councillors urged Councillor Evans (who is looked upon as the Labour member on the council) to join them, but he while sympathising with them, he would only resign if the Mayor did. The Mayor (Mr. O. Pragnell) refused point-blank to do so. There were some heated passages-at-arms at time*. .The Audit Department was scathingly condemned for their prosecution of the councillors, who, by transferring money from one account to another, it was said, were saving the ratepayers about £120 interest. The ratepayers were also condemned for not having come to the assistance of the fined councillors until the last few days. There is only the Mayor, Councilor Evans, and Councillor Temple left, and as Councillor Temple will not return to Xew Zealand from England for about a month, the Mayor and Councillor Evans are left to carry on till new councillors arc elected. The committee set up at a public meeting on Monday night was successful to-day in collecting sufficient money—■ about £30—to pay the fines and costs.