SCHOOL COMMITTEE AUDITS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 89, 13 March 1935, Page 8

SCHOOL COMMITTEE AUDITS.

INSTRUCTION FROM BOARD. INDIGNATION EXPRESSED. The Wanganui Education Board has communicated with school committees in .its district forwarding with the forms for the furnishing of the annual accounts an instruction to the effect that these should be forwarded to its office for audit or, if the committee desires the audit to be made in its own city, this should be done by an auditor approved by tbe board. In the latter case tbe audited balance-sheet, signed by tbe auditor, the chairman, and the secretary of the committee, must be forwarded together with tbe casli books for tbe board’s perusal, postage to be paid by tlie committee. No fee is to be paid to the auditor. Wh en the communication was received by the Central School Committee at its meeting last evening strong exception was taken to tbe terms of tbe instruction, and it was decided to request the secretary of the board (Mr G. N. Boulton) to provide his authority for it. “I know bow I would feel about it if we received another communication like this. I would say it is time to resign,” said tbe chairman (Mr W. G. Black). Mr Black emphasised that a qualified auditor was demanded, yet it appeared that tlie board required an additional inspection. He did not feel inclined to approach any auditor under such conditions and thought an auditor would be justified in refusing to offer his services gratis. He had not remembered such an instruction in the past and questioned where the authority lay for it, 'Mr W. E. Garden said he thought the circular must have been sent out without tbe board members being wholly cognisant of its effect. He, however. advocated that tbe committee should let tlie board audit tlie books. Mr F. Cousins commented that “it was next door to tlie Russian Ogpu.” Tlie position is to be discussed with Colonel .1. H. Wliyte and Mr M. H. Oram, tlie local members of the board. 11l addition a letter will be forwarded to tlie board.