CORRESPONDENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1481, 18 March 1886, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.)

A COMPLAINT FROM ORARI.

TO THE KEITOR. Sir, —As personal representation to the individual concerned is of no avail, I take the liberty of placing before the public at large, through the medium of your widely circulated paper, a statement of a grievance to which we of the Orari district have for a long time b«en subject. Surrounding the township are •ome blocks of land in reserve, together with many sections purchased or partlf purchased by the settlers but not enclosed, but the grazing on which haß for a long time been a very great boon to the many holders of quarter and halfacre sections in the district, vrho, but for tha privilege of ruuning cattle as on a common, would be quite unable to keep an animal of any kind, and in these depressed times to be able by any means to keep a cow is a blessing which none but tha struggling laboring class can fully appreciate. Latterly a large landed proprietor, lately our M.H.R., has determined to snatch the poor man's privilege from him and actually employs a man to herd his surplus stock on the few acres of reserve on which wo depend so much, bo that our cattle are either starved or driven of by the sheep dogs, our fences broken down, ani our Httle gardens trespassed on by the carelessly herded sheep. Can it be possible that our sheep owning aristocracy are such privileged individuals that they can turn their sheep off their runs to roam at will to our very door steps, or monopolise at any distance every blade of grass if unprotected by fence or title deed ? I am, etc., Vox poptjli vox Dei. Orari, March 17th, 1886.

A VINDICATION.

TO THE BDITOB. Sir,—Would you kindly allow me a few lines for the purpose of replying to some statements reported by you in your yesterday's issue as having been made at the meeting of the Geraldine Dairy Factory Go. regarding my resignation of the Company's boobs. I might be allowed to premise my view of the question, by deprecating the exceedingly bad tiste displayed by those at the meeting, who endeavored in a manner not at all JBritiihlike to figuratively stab a man who wm not there to defend himself; but we live at the Antipodes, and must expect things to be a little out of the perpendicular. The first statement which strcuk me as being somewhat imaginative was that made by the Secretary in regard to my remuneration for auditing the books. He stated that I charged four guineas, and wanted another two, when the sum I received (and coald only charge) was two guineas, being the sum voted, as tiie Directors must have known. The next statement savoured even more strongly of Baron Munchausen. The Secretary seems to have deliberately stated that the balancesheet as presented to me was not altered. What are the facts 1 Besides errors in the additions of the statement of assests and liabilities, the profit and loss accouat had to be struck out altogether, as the amount at the credit of that account showed some £6O or £7O more profit than could be accounted for under the statement of assets and liabilities. The fact of the matter is that the thing was such a muddle that 1 felt at first disposed to decline having anything to do with it, but on second thoughts, reflecting that such a course might do harm to a rising industry, 1 did the best I could with the papers. Having received instructions through the Secretary to open a new set of book?, I did so on the double entry principle, as required by the Joint Stock Companies' Act. For this I charged four guineas, and promised for the same fee to call and examine the books occasionally. On my first examination, some throe or four months afterwards, I found that the books were not being kept on any correct principle whatever, and that no balance of cash book or anything else had been made. My firet idea was to resign at once, but in justice to those who had appointed me, I culled upon the Chairman, which entailed an extra nine or (en miles ride, and explained the position of tilings, offering to meet the Directors and Secretary any lime they wished in Geraldine, at my own expeuse, for the purpose of explaining and pointing out where 1 considered the Secretary had gone wrong. The Chairman, who had been most kiudly and courteous, agreed to my suggestion, but the next that I heard of the matter was that the Directors were perfectly satisfied with the manner in which the. books were being kept. My only course then open was to resign, and I immediately tendered my resigna'ion, which was accepted about a m*nth affcerr wards. It has been more in a spirit of pity than in anger that I have written this letter, being compelled under the circumstances to explaiu the (rue position. Auditors are appointed to perform a cartain duty, and if I have endeavored to do so in an independent manner the Directors nnd shareholders who tried to malign mo should have been the first to cou> mend a straightforward system of audit. Thanking you for the space which you have granted me, and regretting the necessity for such a long letter, 1 am, etc., W. Davidson. Timaru, 19th Maruh, 1886.