FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' ACCOUNTS. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1907, Page 10

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' ACCOUNTS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— A perusal of the local in Friday evenings paper -uaturally leads one to the conclusion that it referred to the affairs v H lo TT < f ral } d Lods ° of Dniitls of tho North Island Tho books of tho Grand Lodge havo been audited by a public auditor under the Friendly Socioties' Act lor the past five years. In fact, it is tho only society in tho dominion which employs a publio auditor, and tho discrepancies mentioned in regard to tho lodges were trifling errors of tho secretaries in bookkeeping, srnd -were not in any way intentional or criminal. . One of the principal reasons why this Urand Lodge appointed a permanent secretary was in order that ho might bo able to visit lodges and examine' thoir books, but the great difficulty in the way is tho travelling expenses. Formerly the Government allowed friendly societies' representatives to trovel to conferences rirstclass at second-class fares, but that concession has been withdrawn, and now only a deduction on first-class fares is granted. luiendly societies lw 0 among their members several brethren who aro thoroughly qualified to audit the books of any company or society. The concession required from the Government is that tho uuditor appointed by tho society should receive a considerable reduction cm an annual railway ticket to enable him •to visit the various lodges. It is a wellknown fact thai one of the difficulties at rim inception of a lodge is to got sufficient mombrrss-who are thoroughly conversant with the method of keeping tho various accounts.^-- 1 am,' etc., I J. N. GRANT, Grand Hcc, U.A.O.D Wellington, 291h July, 1907.