THE CORPORATION FINANCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10444, 21 August 1895, Page 4

THE CORPORATION FINANCES.

TO THH EDITOR,

Bits,—lt is difficult to understand what) /active could have influenced Cr Haynes in p.-i-uhing the letter of Messrs William Brown &od Co., which appeared in your issue of the 16th hist., unless it were to Rcc-atuivtethe posjfcio- I took up, and to justify my figures. Mr J__r.yß.es at the meeting of the council preTiens to the last set out to show, by quoting _ssrt_!U figures taken from the statutory statement of receipts and expenditure, that there had been a loss of suine £3000 odd in the operations of the gas department for the year. This I denied, and stated that he had for that purpese fc_ken his figures from the wrong statement, and therefore the deductions he drew therefrom were incorrect. It was not the figures that were challenged, but the deductions therefrom. Messrs William Brown and Co. very properly, having fcheir reputation as accountants at stake, take good care to make it apparent thst they only vouch for the figures, and not for the deductions be makes therefrom, when fchey say, "We have not bsen called upon fco examine bow the changes in receipts and expenditure affect, or are affected by,1 profit and locs accoant, nor how they bear upon the assets, and liabilities." And agaiu, 7' (Ye have not, of course, dealt with the conclusions which -may be drawn from the increase or decrease submitted." I deem it proper to write this, lest any. person carelessly reading Messrs W, Brown and Co.?s letter might come to the conclusion that they endorsed the correctness of Mr Haynes's statement made at the council on the 31st of July.— I in, &c, Danedin, August 20. H. S. Fish, Mayor.