MR. BATGER AND THE HON. MR. CHAMBERLIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8073, 14 October 1887, Page 3

MR. BATGER AND THE HON. MR. CHAMBERLIN.

TO THE KDITOK. Sib,—lt is unreasonable for one to complain of slight errors arising from the necessity to condense speeches made at a public meeting, but what I said at yesterday's meeting of the South British Insurance Company is so reported in your issue of to-day as to make it needful for me to explain. I spoke per* haps rather rapidly, which may have made it difficult to catoh my meaning, and . I, of course, am quite sure that the reporter missed it inadvertently. As far as memory will serve the following is a fall report, and I shall be glad if yon oan find spaoe in your next issue to give to the public this amended version.—l am, &c, John Batokr.

Mr. Batger asked the indulgence of the meet* in? while he referred to the personal attack of the previous speaker (the Hon; Mr. Ohamberlin). At the last annual meeting, when oharges were made by the same gentleman against the auditors, he (Mr. Batger) was absent from the colony, and so could not reply to them; but he understood they had been refuted at the time. Ha had been an auditor of the company up to the time of his visit to England, when he resigned. He left it to the meeting to judge what possible connection there could be between the change of auditor* and the Improvement now reported in the com* pany's business. But, with reference to former audits of the accounts, ho distinctly asserted that when he resigned' office the accounts were properly audited and perfectly, correct: ha direotly contradicted the statements made by the Hon. Mr. Ohamberlin that the books were

not properly audited last year, and if it were possible to settle the matter in a Court of law would be glad to do so. It wan Important for the interests of the company that there should be ho mistake about this matter, and he therefore asserted positively that while he was auditor the books of the South British Com* pany were well kept and perfectly correct, and there was nothing whatever wrong with the accounts. • He and his colleague had done their duty as auditors fully and fairly, and had not suppressed or overlooked anything (hit ought to hare been, reported*