MR JOLLY IN REPLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1105, 29 June 1883, Page 3

MR JOLLY IN REPLY.

TO THS EDITOR. Sir, "In your issue of June 15th Mr Pitches, addressing bis constituents at Ophir, speaking of the late County Clerk's defalcations, is reported to have said—" He did not exonerate the Treasurer from blamo in the matter, to accept as correct and certify accordingly to statements | handed without first satisfying himself in the main was loose, etc., clearly implying that statements had been presented l>y the Treasurer 1.0 the Council after the Clerk had l>een guilty of manipulating the public monies. I certainly cannot allow this statement to go unchallenged. Mr Pitches must know that the hooks of the Council were audited an I found correct up to the 31st March, 1882. From that time up to the date of his dismissal, the Council transacted no business ; quo warraniot were the order of the day. Then, 1

would ask, how was it possible the Treasurer could have read financial statements and no Council to receive them ? again, I would remind Mr Pitches that for a period of five yeaia the late Clerk, «s sub-treasurer, bad carefully written up bis books ; the same had been audited and found co root; aid up to date of the unfortunate dis. closures, as a man of strict integrity, lie stood high with every m-mlv-r of the Council- I certain y did not con id ir, neither did I deem it a nec issary p u t of my dubv as Hon. Treasurer to act the part of a deteu live, knowing that be had entered into a bond for £SOO sterling with the Council far his good behaviour. The faet - f the whole matter being now tub judire, pro eludes me from saying more on this subject at present In your next issue I was even more surprised at the extraordinary statements made by Mr Mac .minis at his meeting at Poverty Beach. He must have been labour - ing under -nine strange hallucination when ha gave utterance to the following remarks : “Ho (Mr Maeginnis) had the strongest reasons for believing that Mr McK dlar was a's > conuee el w th a tender for repaiis to Maoandrew Bridge, and from certain circumstances which came to his knowledge, h--, as Chairman, gave instructions that the contract shoul 1 not be signed,” etc. The true facts of the case are as follows, aud they can be borne out by the testimony of the Engineer and the contractor:— “ When the Council accepted the tender of Patrick Thomas tor the repairs to Macandrew Bridge, they were deeply in financial difficulties. The Engineer forwarded to the treasurer the necessary contract papers to bo signed by P. Thomai. In the m-antimo the Chau min consulted with the Engineer a id myself re the advisability of hanging up the contract for a time, as it was very apparent the Council was not in a posi’ion to go on with the work just then. T >is was agreed to by the contractor. Tne Chairman retained the deposit cheque, and as a matter of fact, the cheque tain the hand" of the Clerk at the present moment, and the papers were in my possession up to the dissolution of the Council. His closing remarks on this subject I fully endorse—A Chairman should he above su*pi cion. The sentiment does him credit. How far will it square with bis last act as Chairman in paying away £609 sterling of the ratepayer’s money before such vote was finally dealt with by the Council, 1 leave the electors to judge. My action in suspending payment of the vouchor explains the motive for the bitter attack made on mys If, deliberately done with a view to save his own reputation, and to divert the public mind from dwelling on the most flagrant abuse of power ever perpetrated by the Chairman of any public body. The personally offensive remarks made by Mr Maeginnis in his speech 1 shall treat with contemptuous silence. —I am, Sir. etc., David A. Jolly.