CITY AUDITORS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1353, 15 June 1878, Page 2

CITY AUDITORS.

To the Editor of the (flohe.

Sir, — My attention lias been drawn to what I consider an uncalled for attack made upon me in your leading article of the 10th inst. You write that because I am not a certified accountant under the Bankruptcy Act that I should be judged incapable of performing the duties of city auditor. Now, Sir, I acknowledge that I am not a certified accountant under the Bankruptcy Act, but I could be one at any time that I chose to take the trouble to go through the necessary forms. I, however, fail to see what this has to do with the case in question, as the mere fact of any person holding such a certificate does not prove him to be a competent accountant, and I do not suppose for one moment that the Judges vould take upon themselves to decide as to any applicant’s competency in the matter of keeping accounts, nor that they pretend to understand the various systems of bookkeeping, On the other hand, how many accountants are there in Christchurch ? But only three persons are certified under the Bankruptcy Act. Are the remainder, therefore to be judged incompetent ? I should not have noticed the article in question had it appeared previous to the election, and had I not been singled,‘out, and it must be patent to everybody that had the previous auditors continued to enjoy that monopoly, which they look upon as a right, no notice would have been taken of it, although the public have hitherto accepted those gentlemen only upon their own certificate of competency. You object to me because you say that you have no evidence to prove that I am properly qualified to fill the post of city auditor. Have you evidence that the former auditors were competent for this position ? and, if so, what evidence have the public that you are competent to judge ? I have no doubt that the majority of the public will consider the article as a cowardly attack upon me, especially as I was not the only candidate that was not certified under the Bankruptcy Act, and should a fresh election take place I have good reason to hope that I will again be placed at the head of the poll, as a great many of the electors who voted for me formerly did so, because they were satisfied that I was not only thoroughly qualified to fill the position, but they were convinced that it was high lime there wao a change. So long as I have the confidence of the public, X do not feel called upon to satisfy (as, to my capabilities as an accountant) every scurrilous penny-a-liner who, for ulterior motives, would attempt to disparage any new successful candidate other than the one whom it wss their interest to support. Yours, Ac., M. Henderson. Peterborough street east, June 13th, [We have taken the liberty of striking out one passage from Mr Henderson’s letter, in which he makes an ungenerous reference to a case settled long ago by the courts of justice. The rest of the production speaks for itself. We have no doubt the majority of our readers will consider our article of the 10th inst. fair comment on an important public question. We contended and still contend that the time has arrived when posts like these of city auditors should onljlbo open vo gentlemen having an official guarantee 6f competency. If to hold such a view is to make “acowardly attack ” upon Mr Henderson, we cannot help it. —Ed. Globe.]