Page 2 Advertisements Column 1

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 512, 10 June 1881, Page 2

On the 28th May, 1880, there appeared i the following notification in the advertising columns of the Akaroa Mail:— ELECTION OF AUDITORS. TO THE RATEPAYERS. LADTES AND GENTLEMEN,— Having, with a view to working Borough affairs as economically as possible for the future, been successful in obtaining the promises of Messrs JAMES DALY AND ALFRED NICHOLLS TO ACT GRATUITOUSLY, jj fAs Auditors for the coming year, if : elected, I trust you will duly return them, seeing that if the system of GRATUITOUS AUDITING Be once established an annual saving to the Borough of Eight Guineas will be effected. The notice was signed W, 11. Henning, We were not in favor of this •' gratuitous auditing." We believe that the laborer is worthy of his hire, andthat it is as much beneath the dignity of a public body to accept of such eleemosynary services, as it would be to allow men to ropair the roads for nothing. However, the " gratuitous " ticket was so far successful that Mk Alfukd Niciiolls was successful in his candidature and enjoyed the honor and glory of being elected the first " gratuitous" auditor of Akaroa. But Mr Nicholls evidently possescs a fair share of the wisdom of the serpent, along with his dove-like characteristics. Having enjoyed the Kudos attending the heroic sacrifice of [his time and talents involved in " gratuitous " auditing, he thinks he may as well appropriate the substantial reward appertaining to the office as well. Accordingly at the last meeting of the Akaroa Borough Council, an acconnt was laid on the tabic, in which the Council was charged as being indebted to "Alfred Nicholls " in the sum of £2 2s, as " auditor's fee for the year ending, May 31, 1881." Really Mr Nicholls ought at once to go into political life. Ho would not need any lessons in the arts necessary for hood-winking a constituency. He could break pledges made on the hustings with the sang froid of an Allwright,and " rat" with the cool assurance of the celebrated '• Auckland four." Meanwhile let the electors for the future beware of candidates " bringing gifts 'J in the shape of " gratuitous " services, and prefer those who say honestly that they mean to earn their salary and draw it.