THE REPORT RESPECTING THE ACCOUNTS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 11284, 29 June 1888, Page 2

THE REPORT RESPECTING THE ACCOUNTS.

B j m .-M_— — — K f._^m_i__— n.?_#v..'M\ir7r.-— . _rt ment bofore the drawing could occur. If the late Committee had met at regular and frequent intervals, and had required the production of the Bank pass book at each meeting, so as to know how our account stood, all moneys receivod would have had to be paid in to our credit at once. The minute book, however, shows that the Committee only met on Jau. 18th ancl February 18th, 1887, aud on January 20th,' 1888; and it scams that there has never been a pass book .it all. -__-•- Mr Field stated tliat at the present time there was about £1057 due to the Government by the Association, and there was a call due on Juno lst last which he thought had not yet been paid, andoneof £357 7s (id due oil July Ist. Regarding the reserves, he stated that Mr Fitzherbert was of the opinion that thoy would have to pay for them, as they bought the block as a whole. Mr John Jones made a statement regarding certain interviews he had had with Mr Ballance and also with Mr Eyre. Mr Eyre had produced a voucher for £1092 on the rural lands, and one for J5.J50 on the town sections (this is the municipal money that has gone.) Mr Ballance had wired to Mr Marchant regarding the thirds, which wero to be sent up soon. He thought it was a case of forgery, and not embezzlement, as Mr Eyre had received the money for the town seotions and had produced a voucher for the same. Mr Field pointed out that Mr Marchant's lettor of May 29th stated that he could no longer allow the amount due on the town sections to remain unpaid, and Mould have to sell tho land as Crown lands. Mr Wrightson remarked that no doubt Mr Eyre had produced this voucher so as to prevent any inquiry being made as to ' whether tho money had been paid on the ' town sections. Mr Field pointed out that the minute i book contained a record of only three Com- > mittee meetings since the prosent Committee had been appointed, whereas the Committee i had met some nine or ten times. He read a batcli cf letters of various dates, extending i over a considerable period, from the Comi missionorof Crown- Lands, requesting the • payment of money due by the Association. ) The Secretary had not laid this corresponi donee beforo the Committee, but kept them J dark, probably replying to Mr Marchant ; stating that the members had not paid up. The Chairman said that Mr Ballance had recommended that Mr Fitzherbert should prepare a petition to be presented to the House explaining the position of affairs. It - would be laid before the Waste Lands Com- ■ mittee, and they would probably recommend ' to Government that they should bring Eyre - back. As Eyre was responsible to the ' Association it was not probable that the ■ Government would forego the money due. ! Mr Wrightson moved, • That Mr Fitz- • I herbert be instructed to prepare a petition I to Parliament, showing the position of ' affairs. > . ' Mr Carey seconded the motion, which was i put and carried. 3 After some further general conversation ' the meeting adjourned.

\ The cash book arid ledger belonging to the ', Association cannot be found ; and the book, from which receipts given to members, in ' respect of payments made by them since , the latter end of ISBG, were taken, is also ' missing. This makes it almost impossible '. to determine Mr Eyre's indebtedness to the i Association till the severalmem.bers produce their receipts or satisfactory evidence oi ' payment. So far, however, as the position of affairs can be gathered from the data at ' our disposal, the following is as near an ' approximation as can be arrived at: — The . accounts seem to have been properly kept until September, 188G, in which month moneys were paid in to the Association's ' account at the Bank of New South Wales, and a cheque drawn thereon for payment to the Government, in respect of most of the rural lands. There may have been some ; small deficiency even then, but we have no [ moans of easily arriving at it. Since 30th i I September, 1880, however, no money at all has been paid in to the Association's account, which still has standing to its credit 18s 7d, as at that date. All moneys received bj Mr Eyre since that date seem to have been , treated by him as his own, or applied more or less to his own use. The absence of a proper statement of accounts at the annual meeting on January 18th, 1887, when a new Committee, and auditors were appointed indicates that there was money deficient at that date ; and the omission to comply with the order of the meeting respecting the preparation and printing of a balance-sheet and supplying a copy to each member, seems to indicate a deficiency oven more strongly. One of the auditors utates that he has repeatedly waited on Mr Eyre on this matter, but has been unable to get any account. II seems evident that correspondence, on the subject of moneys overdue to the Government, took place between Mr Eyre and the Commissioner of Crown Lands before June 15th, 1887, but the letters are missing, and Mr Eyre's replies have not been copied in the letter book. In fact, though correspondence on this subject continued up to the 29th of last month, none of Mr Eyre's letters are copied into the lojjter book. On June 15th, 18S7, Mr Marchant forwarded statements of accounts as to the moneys due to the Government in respect of tlvs rural and township lands, and the survey fees on the former. Prom these it appears that £543 14s 7d was claimed by Government in respect of the former account, and £50 18s iv respect of the latter, making a total sum claimed to that date of £504 12s 7d. On February 13th, 18S8, a further claim for £155, as costs of surveying the township, was sent iv by the Commissioner of- Crown Lands, making a total claim to that date of £740 12s 0,1. A series of demands for payment have been made by the Commissioner; but, though replies have evidently been sent by Mr Eyre, and there are references to promised payment, no copies of the letters have been kept. On Ist January, 1888, the third instalment became due on the rural sections. On this account the Government claim £357 7s (id ; and, in a memo, on the 2!) th ult., there is a further claim of ,C 2 4s 10d, as interest on an amount of £25 12s 7d, which Mr Eyre had apparently promised to pay by the 23rd ult., but had failed to do so. This apparently brings our total indebtedness to £1109 4s 9d, but, as the Government only claim a sum of 81057 18s Id, it would appear as if a payment of £51 Cs lOd must have been made, though there is nothing to indicate at what date, or on what account the money had been paid. Further than that the balance due in respect to rural lands is stated as £74 14s 7d in a memorandum of September 2nd, 1887, and as only £25 12s 7d in a more recent communication. It will probably be found that the real sum paid wns £49 2s, and that £2 4s lOd interest makes up the difference. It thus appears that the whole of the moneys receivecf by Mr Eyre in respect of town and suburban lands have never been accounted for to the Government. Assuming the statement made by Mr Eyre, at the meeting on the 21st ult. to be correct — viz., That only three town and three suburban sections were then unpaid for— the total due to the Government from him on those accounts would apparently be £372. As regards the £25 12s 7d due on rural lands it is evident that Mr Eyre has been representing to the Government that this is a sum in respect of which some of the members are in arrears with their payments. If this is the case, Mr Byre is not accountable to us for that money, but is so if ho has actually received it. A statement of accounts to September 28th, 1887, in respect of the working exponsos of the Association, shows a balance in hand at that date of £80 lls 9d, for which Mr ISyre is cleary lesponsiblo, and there have apparently been some transfer fees since received as well as payments made on the other hand. The total amount of the money unaccounted for may be still more, if Mr Eyre hns received the £25 12s 7d due on rural lands, and anything in respect of the third instalment on such lands, or of survey fees on the township lands. We astertained this afternoon that Mr Eyre has received moneys on the last account, but we cannot toll to what extent. Of courso, if the supposed payment of about £50 has not been made, but arises from a discrepancy of that amount in the Government account, to which attention was drawn in a telegram, apparently in June, 1880, there is so much more unaccounted for ; and some blocks of receipts which wo have found, show that Mr Eyre received monoys to the extent of £111 13s, in respect of rural lands, surveys of same, and working expenses since September 30th, 1880. It is likely, therefore, that the total deficiency will be between £500 and £000, but it will require time to ascertain the correct amount ; and thus far we havo not received from the Government a statement of the suit 1 actually paid to them on our behalf, and of the accounts to which they belonged. Wo wrote for the account last Friday. The correspondence shows that r the town and suburban sections ought not . yet to havo been drawn for. Mr Eyre was • aware of this when tho drawing took place, . as it had been stated in a memorandum . from Mr Marohant, only a, few days prei vinusly, thnt the sum of Jidiil fir the land and survey fees must be jmiit I'j the Govern- ,